Posted on 05/09/2014 6:29:16 PM PDT by lowbridge
Some military veterans are being forced to leave their nursing home. It’s an unintended consequence of President Obama’s executive order in February to raise the minimum wage for new federal contract workers from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour.
Sandy Franks, public affairs officer at Shreveport’s Overton Brooks V. A. Medical Center, explains that nursing homes that have contracts for subsidized care from the Veterans Administration become federal contractors. If they refuse to raise their wages, their contracts will not be renewed.
Former Marine A.J. Crain just wheeled himself into his new room at Shreveport Manor on Mansfield Road when he got the news that the home’s contract will end this month.
“We fought all your wars, and now we’re broke. Where do we go from here?” Crain asks.
“We gotta go. Simple as that. We gotta go,” says Vietnam War Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient John Washington.
“I think it’s very wrong. I think it’s very distasteful,” Washington goes on to say about Shreveport Manor’s decision. ”I mean some of these people here work their backsides off to keep this place going,” he said, pointing to a woman changing his bed.
Shreveport Manor is owned by Gamble Guest Care. Their Chief Operating Officer says if they raise wages for workers there, they have to do that at all eight of their facilities.
In a statement, Gamble COO Matt Machen said, in part, “The additional labor expenses are simply unaffordable. As such, many long term care providers have indicated that they will no longer seek or renew V.A. contracts.”
Franks at the V.A. agrees that this has the potential to be a national problem as more V.A. contracts with nursing homes expire.
(Excerpt) Read more at teaparty.org ...
Also, most of the vets seen by VA hospitals and doctors did not retire. the majority served one or two enlistments and then got out. They go to VA because they have a service connected health problem, they are over 65, or don’t have medical insurance.
You forgot “Amnesty for the illegals” as a priority that exceeds caring for veterans.
So...what should good Christian soldiers do for these men who fought for our Freedom of Religion?
My husband (a 21 year retiree) and I have Tricare, and he also has Medicare. He sees several civilian specialists in addition to our primary care manager on base, but he needs other services (like respite care) that Medicare and Tricare won’t pay for.
We recently applied for him to get services from a VA clinic, and he was approved. We’ve been assured it won’t interfere with his established system of doctors which he currently uses under the Tricare and Medicare systems. Tricare and Medicare will continue to pay the bills for those services, and he will get additional services from VA.
We haven’t actually started using the VA, as that would require giving them access to his medical records, and input into decisions regarding his medical care. Every time we come close to doing that, we’re reminded that they can’t be trusted, and we chicken out. We really need their services, but we worry about what it could cost us. And I don’t mean money. Things like privacy, autonomy, and health. Dependence on VA services cost one of my brothers his life. We need some of their services, but we’re afraid of the unknown costs.
Not quite true. Medicare is primary and Tricare is secondary. Over 65 retirees are have no problems with insurance as far as I know.
There hasn’t been any effective opposition to the left since Reagan left office.
50% of the people in this country are below average in intelligence.....
My DH has been going to the VA for many years and has had extraordinary care. When he has to go to a local facility, they pay as Tricare would and he has no issues, at all. He does now have Medicare, as well.
I am on Tricare and am grateful!
We should continue to take care of those who fought for our freedoms, and who bore the heat of war while Americans continued on with their lives unencumbered.
We do have organizations like Wounded Warriors, Salvation Army, VFW, and others that we can donate to, and we can in our own way participate in the care of those we know who served. Churches should have been helping those who gave them the right to worship through various volunteer efforts, and helping the families while the men were away.
Fortunately, I served my country in a time without so much war and terrorism. However, we should definately address the Congress and Representatives to do something about the Nursing Homes release of veterans, and begin providing for those who will be displaced due to Obama’s desire to ‘raise the wages of Federal Workers’.
I suggest all forms of grants for EPA and other frivolous projects be cancelled; and the men/women veterans be found government buildings in good shape that are empty and instead of selling them, then equip them to provide nursing home care, use that cancelled grant money to honor our promise to take care of our veterans.
Are you aware of how many good buildings have been sold in $billions, that are owned by taxpayer dollars, which would make great places to house veterans or others? Hire civilian employees, not federal employees for that purpose....no need to pay the higher wages, there are good quality CNAs, LPNs, and RNs that can do the job. Set up a training program if necessary, on the job since so many people are unemployed.
Obama’s first Executive Order gave $900 Million to Palestinians through Hillary, who was chosen to deliver it, and their families were promised welfare care if they came to America....Early 2009. The billions given to abort African babies was given that year. Wouldn’t that money have been better used to take care of our returning Veterans?
So when are We the People going to “hit back”?
Bronze Star. Purple Heart. And this is how these men are treated under Obama's increasingly Fascist oligarchy that used to be the United States of America.
Our Vietnam Vets are now turning the corner towards much older age, just as our Korean Vets now are and our ever few WW II have been.
They will have needs: hospice, care, and love.
The Obama "Gimme" crowd that never lifted a finger for this nation have won - they Take all they want under this Regime.
I guess that it might also require that anyone with a government contract raise ALL its employee wages, even if many of them are not being utilized on government contracts.
The Left sure has a lot of ways to screw things up.
They change the goalposts for each candidate.
When Hillary runs it will be Boobs and Male infidelity.
Here’s what’s wrong in all of this, SkyPilot. Obviously, the vets being forced out of retirement homes needs to be fixed. On the other hand, I can’t help but think that when I was a kid, my dad’s manufacturing job paid for the family. My mother was generally at home to raise us while dad worked third shift. Every now and then she’d take a part-time job to get extra cash for something they were wanting to buy, but for the most part it was one income, one child rearer, and a decent, but not extravagant, house.
Obama’s plans appeal to these minimum wage workers, and I’m positive they’re not starting wage teenagers, because they’re struggling to make ends meet on 7.50 an hour and both parents working. Many times each parent will have 2 part time jobs since they’re only for 20-25 hours a week so employers can afford having to pay big benefits.
That leaves us with families with both parents gone, no healthcare, and no one raising kids who are raising themselves.
Why?
Two things, I think:
1. The loss of well paying lower/middle middle class jobs.
2. A flooded job market. Women were not working in near the numbers when I was a kid. Then women doubled the work force, and now immigrants and illegal immigrants are increasing the work force, and supply/demand laws take over. If you have way too many workers, then competition drives wages down.
How do we fix it?
1. Absolutely bring an end to illegal immigration. It steals jobs and it drives down wages.
2. Take in zero legal immigrants during times of high real (U6) unemployment.
3. Encourage sacrifice for the sake of kids; that Moms raise kids and at a maximum take only one 20 hour or less part-time job, and only at times when kids are schooling or dads can be raising the kids.
4. Force the government to stop lying about both (1) real inflation that affects families, and (2) real unemployment stats. We have problems, so let’s be honest about them and quit playing political games.
5. Allow families to run home businesses that are not taxed until they reach some threshold profit. In short, encourage capitalism.
6. Get rid of any free trade agreement that isn’t provably reciprocal with America just as present in their markets as they are in ours.
7. Tariffs on countries that tariff us OR impede our goods reaching their markets.
8. Get rid of the income tax (which would change #5 a bit). Go straight sales tax so our people can decide for themselves how much tax they want to pay.
Since no story is true until it’s on TV, where is Fox News? It’s never going to be shown on the Obama networks.
I'm appalled that they're only paying minimum wage. That tells me those in charge don't give a damn about the quality of care.
obama is at war with you and you are to stupid to be at war with it.
1st ID (Big Red One). No mission too difficult, no sacrifice too great.
5.56mm
an executive order is not a law
Agreed!
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