Budget cuts hell VA spends $348 million on Travel in 2005

[Monkeyman]

Air Fares,hotels,rental cars.meals and other expenses total more than one-thierd of a billion dollars

Larry Scott somes it up like I would

I,m not sure how the VA can justify all of this travel expense.With teleconferencing easily available this figure could be cut way down. V.A doctors use telemedicine to communicate with veterans about their healthcare..an"electronic" example that could be used at every level of the VA.Perhaps our VA employees should take advanage of the electronic marvels at their fingertips instead of jumping on a plane.

I would add this maybe Sec. Nicholson did not need his vacation to Binini. Do you know how many homeless veterans could be helped with this kind of money. There is no oversight of the VA with the two Republican Chairmens of the Veterans Committee. How much more of the money given for veterans health care has been wasted.

Story is on
http://www.vawatchdog.org

[OhioChick]

1. This is a damn shame......

Shows how much the repukes support our veterans.

[iamjoy]

2. There's This Ugly Part Of Me

that says that's what they get for voting Republican.

Veterans in overwhelming numbers SEEM to vote and support Republican candidates over Democratic ones. This happens even when a Democrat served in the military and his Republican opponent did not.

And when you try to point out to them all the disastrous Republican policies, they only want to talk about

* That "draft dodger" Clinton
* That lying Kerry who didn't deserve his medals
* Flag burning

But I know it's wrong to blame them for getting suckered into voting Republicans, many Americans do, even when it is against their best interest. It would be like blaming the victims at Jonestown for drinking the Kook-Aid.

[BOSSHOG]

5. I'm a Veteran and I haven't voted for a republican since 1976

and I never will in any future elections. But your are right. The fucking assholes of the American Legion cheer as bush (a military deserter) blathers on about staying the course. And VFW, what a fucking embarrassment of an organization to every Vet who has ever served.

[w8liftinglady]

9. remember,49 of 50 vets running are dems...

I think it's dangerous to label vets as republican.Remember,the ones coming back now are the ones getting the king-size shaft from their government.Many,like my son,will be voting in their first presidential election.we need to welcome them to the party that has their best interests at heart

[11 Bravo]

10. I'm a vet ...

and I've been a Democrat ever since I went door-to-door for Bobby Kennedy as a high school student in 1968. BOSSHOG summed up the American Legion pretty well in an earlier post (and I'm a member!), but let me add this. The Bush administration is cutting VA funding for the treatment of head and brain trauma. That is only the signature injury of Bush's fucking war! More grunts are coming stateside missing part of their brains than in any conflict in our history. I think you'll find that not many of them will be voting Republican.

[BOSSHOG]

13. Hey teammate

I'm not a member of the American Legion but I so look forward to them sending me a calendar this year and asking for a donation with a postpaid envelope enclosed.

I am a member of the VFW because I earned it and take every opportunity to piss those motherfuckers off and they can't get rid of me. My wife is a vet as well so there are two straight ticket votes for dems in the Hog Household.

[11 Bravo]

14. Howdy, BOSS

My local legion post is relatively progressive. There are about a dozen of us (all Nam vets, interestingly enough) who despise Bush and all things Republican; and while I am loathe to jump ugly with any of my other brothers-in-arms, the "Dirty Dozen" is slowly but surely winning a few hearts and minds. Facts will do that.
My wife is not a vet, but she is a staunch Dem, so we also have two straight ticket votes in the Bravo household.

[BOSSHOG]

16. I've contemplated

not getting ugly with Vets organizations, it pains me. But then I think if such organizations support a military deserter and a political party filled with chickenhawks then that organization does not deserve my support, does not "support the troops" and ain't getting any of my money. bush's little silly show with the American Legion didn't piss me off, the Legion's response to him did. They cheered the drug addicted deserter on. He is getting our kids killed for political reasons with absolutely no compassion for the victims or their families. And he surrounds himself with those who have never tasted combat, nor know anything about honor or courage or commitment. What the republican party represents makes me ill.

[11 Bravo]

17. Roger that.

The Legion as a whole appears to be a mix of Republican apologists, and dumb asses speaking out against their own interests, and you have described them perfectly. The idea that any combat vet would honor a chickenhawk deserter turns my stomach. But in my own little corner of the war (and make no mistake, it IS a fucking war) the good guys are taking and holding a little bit of the high ground.

[BOSSHOG]

18. Keep kicking butt teammate

I salute your post.

[Stinky The Clown]

19. "Seem" to vote Republican ..........

.... perhaps it seems that way. I'm not sure I agree that its a fact. Indeed, it might be true that the military votes somewhat more Republican than the country as a whole. I suspect that as a monolitic bloc, which they're not, they probably vote like the country as a whole.

And you know what else? I don't care how any particualr person voted. When it comes to VA issues, you're either with the vets or you're shit.

[BOSSHOG]

3. Ten years ago

we were using the teleconferencing to the max (in the Navy.) I hated to be called to the "MIC" to talk to our Admiral in DC. Not that I minded talking to the boss, but the talking to a TV thing was weird but we saved a ton on travel funds and all at the bosses direction. I recall him telling us "I paid for this stuff, now you wear it out."

Nicholson is a republican therefore he does not give one flying dog fuck about our veterans. No republican does. And no member of free republic does. And no chickenhawk does. They are just worthless bastards, a drag on the economy with no concept of justice or constitutional liberty. And absolutely no idea what it means to SUPPORT OUR TROOPS.

[razors edge]

12. twenty years ago i remember

pulling a few months duty as expediter for my marine F-4 squadron, ordering all the replacement parts for 12 birds. I priced out the parts for an average month in training service. We went thru 2 million a week in parts per bird for a plane that cost 36 million new, The planes were 20 years old then, and these were ordinary replacement parts, radar packs, hydraulic cylinders, tires etc. not major rework for aged aircraft, that was done regularly at other facilities.

I can't help but think of all the good we could have done with that money instead.

[EFerrari]

4. Does anyone know how long it takes a new client to get an

appointment at the VA? It's going to take me weeks to get one at our community clinic.

[Monkeyman]

6. The Clinic will set up a time for you to go the the Hospital

But don't count on that time or date. The waiting lists are growing by the day. Here a clue 600,000 veterans last year denied or put on those waiting list last year alone

[EFerrari]

7. That's what I expected. Our whole health care system is like this.

Here in San Francisco, though, the VA is actually looking for clients so they aren't shut down.

[Monkeyman]

8. Here in IL Hines not bad but you see brothers being turned away everyday

[EFerrari]

11. That's just evil. Travel for the VA should be free from those

coporate bastards that we bail out every other year. And no vet should ever be turned away for any reason.

[Justice Is Comin]

21. In Phoenix, it can be lightning fast,

but that's because we have Janet Napolitano who has been ruthless on looking out for veterans improvement issues.

[EFerrari]

22. Good for Phoenix. I wish we had many more like her.

Here in liberal San Francisco, you never hear about this issue because we aren't a Navy town any more. And yet the majority of our homeless are veterans. It just makes you want to :puke: especially when Gavin Newsom (our mayor) ran on fixing homelessness and the whole thing was a message to his developer funders that he'd "clean up" the city.

Gavin did a good thing for gay marriage but he's all hat and no cattle so far on homelessness.

[pecwae]

20. As always

the VA is making it as hard as possible to acquire an appointment hoping the vet will just give up the quest. The same way they treat SC claims; make the paperwork so intimidating the vet will not pursue it.

One thing; at the VA the squeaky wheel gets the grease. I learned that from working at the VA and fighting for SC disability. Don't give up! Keep appealing every negative decision. Don't let the bastards win!

Plus, current service members really need to keep their own copies of medical treatment records. I know that's difficult to do, but it was the reason I was awarded SC disability. Medical records have a habit of getting 'lost' in the military and the VA system.

[benddem]

15. two points from this vet

could the travel also include the travel allowance paid to veterans who travel long distances to go to the VA hospital? If so I only want the froth taken off that. We depend on that travel pay and the funding for our DAV vans.

On a second and relevant point. I have access to the voter's registration files and frequently use it to find phone no. for DAV members. I am APPALLED at the number of vets who aren't registered to vote. I would guess it is 30% Dems, 30% Repubs and 30% not registered. I want to do something about this..and voter's registration files are open to the public, but not in the manner I have access.