VA health care run efficiently while private contractors royally f’ up Iraq …?

Where DOES conservatives’ irrational, ideological anti-government hatred and corporate-interest worship come from? And why are we allowing this anti-government ideology to prevail while people CAN’T AFFORD TO GO TO THE F’N DOCTOR?

One of your responders attempted to insult your age for saying VA health care runs efficiently, so allow me to come to your defense. I am 64 years old, a service-incurred disabled military veteran, who makes use of the VA hospital on a fairly regular basis. During both Bush presidencies (Bush/Quayle and Bush/Cheney), funding was cut drastically and I infiltrated Phyllis Schafly’s St. Louis group long enough to learn that the Bushes both wanted to privatize the VA (to cater to their friends in pharmaceutical and insurance industries I suppose—the Bush family has lots of stock in Ely Lilly and Pfiser). We local veterans protested these attempts to privatize through the DAV, and both our VA Hospitals (John Cochran and Jefferson Barracks) are well-managed and efficient, although I prefer Jefferson Barracks because it is less crowded. During Bush/Cheney years, cuts were made on doctors, supplies, staff, so yes we had to wait two months sometimes for appointments; however, since President Obama has been in office and funding has been increased significantly, I make an appointment over the phone from more than 100 miles away, am given round-trip travel pay that has also been increased from the 11 cents a mile the Bush administration allowed to $89 round trip. I receive an appointment for within a week of my call and my renewable thyroid prescription is mailed to me without my having to ask. I can send tests through the mail in a prepaid envelope to save travel time, and my doctor sees me on time every single time I have an appointment, whereas during Bush days the doctor was part-time, underpaid, and often could not speak English. I’d show up on time but would often be made to wait more than an hour. Not true now.

I’ve had surgery through the VA, had a holistic MOVE program for weight loss and diabetes prevention, consultations after the wrongful death of my daughter, notification of a pending appointment by phone, and excellent care. Recently, I have been referred for a consult at the Jefferson Barracks rehabilitation gym and pool, which the Bush administration tried to shut down during wartime in order to expand the cemetery of all things—soldiers returning home wounded need a GYM and POOL to rebuild their strength and coordination—NOT a cemetery! We all protested by sending cards and blocked the shutdown.

I was and still am against the no-bid contracts for VP Cheney’s Halliburton, KBR, Blackwell, and all the other no-bid contracts that were awarded. Our soldiers were getting electrocuted in their showers from the KBR (subsidiary of Halliburton) the work was so shoddy. When the debate was pulling out of Iraq last administration, I pushed for having all U.S. no-bid contractors pulled out at their own expense (the government should not have to pay for that) and replaced with Iraqi companies that our government DID subsidize simply because the illegal invasion warranted that the U.S. pay for what was broken. I also believe that any overpayments or moneys taken from shoddy work should be reimbursed to the American taxpayers by these greedy companies once audits were done by our new administration.

Young Black Contractor Protest at Charles Drew University

Tired of LOUSY service? Try Angie’s List.

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