Battle Lines Drawn Over VA Benefits / Dems dig in, demand more for vets

military community ^ | December 28, 2004 | Larry Scott

[Future Snake Eater]

Awww, isn't that cute? The RATS are trying to act pro-military...

[zzen01]

Just because a site says "Military Community" does not mean that it is pro military.

[U S Army EOD]

I think the driving pressure on the administration will be trying to keep the volunteer army intact. A lot of people are going to be watching Vet benefits, especially the people who are considering possibly becoming Vets.

For one, I have seen by benefits drastically increase over the pass year, the biggest increase coming with the signing of the con-current pay bill. This doubled my income.

[digger48]

If all this were true, wouldn't some RINO's and most other Republican Senators also be signed on to this.

We heard this throughout the campaign, but is there ANY truth in this?

[Former Military Chick]

I beg your pardon, I did not say it was pro anything.

[Cold Heat]

I am a current VA patient.

I see no overcrowding except on certain areas like x-ray, and the only shortage I see is a lack of doctors.

New clinics have been planned and money allocated all over the country to take some of the outpatient load from the primary care hospitals and it looks like increases in demand are being planned for.

Just my observations.

[Former Military Chick]

As someone who was the daughter of a service member, served in the military and now married to one of our bravest, I have been in the system from birth and perhaps at my death.

When I go to pick up med's at the on post pharmacy I see those who have served years back, and are now enjoying their benefits, enjoying is a harsh term, some get the run around, some have to wait days some well they give up.

My husband, myself and my father, were not expected to be ill, thus the benny's were there for the family members but with the change of TRI CARE some of our finest are being short changed. I frankly do not know how to make it better and even worse I have no desire to ever agree with the Maryland Senator, but I do know one thing, we need to do better by our troops.

We need them to receive a better wage, better long term benefits in order to entice folks to serve, if we fail, I fear that we will see a decline in the all volunteer military. imho

Oh, and I am thrilled for those who get out of the military what they feel they deserve but not all vets are as lucky.

[mdittmar]

The volunteer military is here to stay,because free market forces are at work and the September 11th call to arms of the next "Greatest Generation".

This hypocritical act by the dems means we have won this war on providing our military what they deserve.

[YOUGOTIT]

The VA budget has increased under the Republican Congress and President Bush at a greater percent that under any Democrat Administration or Congress, since the end of WW II. As a life member of the DAV I can tell you that I have never seen such increases in veteran benefits. This is another political piece of crap with the demo rats who are on the one hand saying there is no money and on the other saying increase benefits. I an all for taking care of all veterans but some of the things they are trying to do are outside the realm of good reason. Some of the complaints I have read are from retired colonels and generals, no way they should have any complaint about their benefits.

[Former Military Chick]

I am glad to hear that, really I am. I know they were building a new facility in OK, near Ft Sill. I have no doubt it will help take the burden off folks driving to Oklahoma City. Still, if you do not live near a facility things can get a little dicey. imho

Thank you for your service.

[U S Army EOD]

The money and the facilities are in place, the problem is how it is administered in the VA. However, in the past year I have seen the VA slowly but surely cleaning this up.

I wouldn't even try to estimate how much has been spent on me in the past several years. PTSD problems plus over 10 heart operations. If it wasn't for the VA, I would have been dead five years ago. It just gets better and better. Right now I plan to help it out by joining some of these Veteran Outreach programs for our troops coming back from the Middle East. Veterans helping Veterans.

[KeyWest]

None from me- retired 06. VA benefits have increased under Bush, but mainly from the house pubs.

I got a nice letter from my dem house member who said there was no money because of tax cuts to the rich. Meanwhile, the pubs passed the legislation.

This is just granstanding by the hypocritical dems.

[Brilliant]

We can increase the benefits for Vets, and pay for it by cutting the pay and the budget for Congress. A win-win.

[U S Army EOD]

I don't know if you ever saw or read the book, "Starship Troopers". You bascially had to be a Vet to EARN your citizenship. Science fiction but not a bag idea.

[bad company]

I'm a vet and the only change I've seen since GWB took over is that they are really getting hard a$$ed about making your regular appointments. They are trying to get vets in for preventive maintenance checkups now. Almost without exception I go to the VA for any kind of care, even though I have civilian health insurance. My health insurance has designated doctors they say I must use but they have always paid off the VA. The bureaucrats suck but the Doctors and Nurses are the greatest.

[mlc9852]

I work for an attorney who is a vet and he was severely injured in the Navy. He goes to the VA hospital quite often and never has mentioned having to wait. He gets an appointment quicker than you can with a private doctor here. And they call him the day before to remind him of the appointment. Maybe some are just better than others. But I personally don't think we can ever do enough for our military. If the dems want to look good on this and our military benefits, then who cares?

[gogipper]

If we want to support vets we should also ensure that every military vote counts even in elections where Democrats trail by just a few votes!!!!

[Txsleuth]

I have seen these dems work their stuff on the Senate floor and you can bet your butt that there would be something else in any veteran's benefits bill that would be brought up by a Dem. They have tried it over and over.

This last year they tried slipping in another 26 week extension for unemployment benefits for people that had them since 9/11! Didn't work---thankfully. Then, they tried to slip in a new minimum wage increase into a bill to "help our poor veterans".

They are using the veterans to get other stuff, because if not, then why was the military so neglected during Clinton's reign---they were the majority, they could have made millionaires out of veterans, but they didn't, did they?

[silverleaf]

These 'rats have been in the Congress for decades and NOW they're, like, all concerned about spending more on vets? And where pray tell, is the funding to come from?

Nah- this Reid/Mikulski democrat scum is using vets as a political ploy to try to embarrass the President and GOP. If Bush can't or won't bust the budget for this particular agency, the 'rats will point out how Bush prefered to cut taxes over spending on vets.

Regardless of the fact that an important thing that Pres Bush owes all vets is a strong and healthy economy to come home to.