Conference back40::soapbox

    Clinton Swipes at GOP Health Cuts 
    President pledges to defend benefits veterans receive 

    Washington 

    Showing a growing zest for challenging Republicans, President Clinton
    attacked the GOP on new fronts yesterday, singling out proposed
    spending cuts for military veterans as ``unwise and unnecessary.'' 

    Focusing attention on a House Appropriation Committee's vote to cut
    more than $200 million for veterans' health, Clinton said, ``They would
    harm the veterans who need their nation's help the most.'' 

    Separately, the administration sharply criticized a GOP proposal to
    overhaul the nation's legal system by limiting monetary awards to
    injured people and establishing a uniform set of laws on product
    liability. 

    In a letter to House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the administration said the
    legal proposals were ``unfair and tilt the legal playing field
    dramatically to the disadvantage of consumers and middle-class
    citizens.'' 

    After weeks of watching the Republican Congress in near silence,
    Clinton in recent days seems to have recovered his political voice. 

    Increasingly on the attack, Clinton has accused the GOP of waging war
    on children through tough welfare-reform measures and of trying to
    renege on a commitment to put 100,000 police on the streets. 

    ``There are many occasions in which we say to this Congress, as they
    develop proposals the president considers extreme, that we've got to
    find better ways to achieve the ultimate end,'' White House press
    secretary Mike McCurry said. 

    By the end of the first 100 days of the GOP Congress, the view of
    Americans about what government should do ``will look a lot more like
    Bill Clinton's New Covenant than Newt Gingrich's Contract With
    America,'' McCurry said. 

    On foreign policy, too, Clinton draws battle lines, accusing
    Republicans of turning their backs on global commitments and
    surrendering to the temptations of isolationism. 

    In a speech yesterday to the midwinter convention of the Veterans of
    Foreign Wars, Clinton said, ``In the understandable desire of millions
    of Americans to look first to our problems at home, which are real,
    your legacy is being threatened -- a half a century of American
    leadership that you worked for and that you fought for.'' 

    Clinton drew cheers from the veterans by pledging to defend their
    health benefits, contrasting his proposal to increase veterans'
    spending by $1.3 billion with the GOP proposal to trim $200 million. 

    Clinton said his proposal would provide care for an additional 43,000
    veterans, build two new hospitals and three new nursing homes. 

    In contrast, the Republican measure would eliminate money for
    outpatient clinics and new medical equipment for veterans' health
    services and abolish a program providing housing and training for
    homeless vets, Clinton said. 

    ``Caring for veterans is not a national option or a partisan program,''
    the president said. ``It is a national tradition and a national duty.'' 

    Clinton also won applause by promising to intensify efforts to help
    thousands of Gulf War veterans suffering from mysterious ailments. 

    He said the administration will spend $13 million on new research to
    examine possible causes of the so-called Persian Gulf syndrome. 

    Further, Clinton said he was creating a presidential advisory
    committee, comprised of scientists, doctors and veterans, to make
    recommendations on how to find the causes of the illnesses and improve
    the medical care for gulf war veterans. 

    Published 3/7/95 in San Francisco Chronicle

    
    
    
    It's funny when slick says to leave the campaigning stuff til next year
    and then he goes in to high gear campaign mode.  The guy's a liar and
    will do anything to promote himself.  
    
    
    Mike

    
    
    	yeah, him and his protecting the veterans crap is going a bit far.
    
    
    jim

    Doug,

    As I understand it, the government provides hospitals that
    are for veterans only. Is this true? Could you explain the 
    reason for this?

    I really don't know much about the topic other than I've heard
    some claim that veterans would receive better benefits if the
    government took the money it spent on VA hospitals and spent
    that money providing health care to vets using regular hospitals.

    I also understand that vacancy rates at VA hospitals and other
    facilities is very high. Is this true?

    I would be interested in hearing the thoughts of you and others
    on this issue.

    				Ed

    You ask me?  I don't know all the politics of VA hospitals.  Certainly
    disabled vets have medical problems (like, carrying shrapnel for the
    rest of their lives, or multiple amputations) seldom seen in normal
    hospitals.  I'm not particularly well-informed on the issues.  Some of
    our other vets are probably a lot better versed in it than I am.
    
    DougO

 My ex MIL could tell you about the politics of a VA hospital.  She was at
 one time a nurse working in one, and was fired after "blowing the whistle"
 on a couple of things..she's had a lawsuit ongoing with them for about
 20 years (which IMO has become an obsession with her).




 Jim

    
     Well I know something about it, and it isn't cost effective to
    have the current VA hospitals any more.  The WW I and II vets are
    dying off.  Some of these hospitals are underused or obsolete.  It
    now costs more to treat these old vets than it does everybody else,
    because they are run by the government and there are too many of them.
    And the vets get worse care.  But I expect little or nothing to
    happen to improve matters, because if either Republicans or Democrats
    actually try to improve anything, the other party will wrap itself in
    the flag and claim these (very deserving) people are being done in by
    mean-spirited unpatriotic politicians.
    
     WW II vets are in their late 70's/early 80's, and nearly all of them
    smoke - cigarettes were part of the C-rations.  If you drive by a New
    England VA hospital, you will see little groups of ancient amputees
    standing outside in the snow catching pneumonia, because the government
    doesn't allow smoking inside a federal health facility.
    
     The good news is the problem will soon solve itself, as they'll die.
    
     bb

    Gummint keeps VA "hospitals" so that control can be maintained.
    
    "Ya say yer havin' problems because of this Agent Orange stuff?"
    "Nah!  Must be in yer mind or somthin'."
    
    God only knows what would happen if vets got treated in hospitals 
    for real people rather than those for former gummint property.
    

    
    
    	Rutland has RUTLAND HEIGHTS HOSPITAL which was at one time a VA
    hospital. It's since been sold a few times. The place is huge...complete 
    with underground tunnels and all. I did some work in the library there 
    when I was younger.
    
    	Most of the place is falling apart now and is off limits.
    
    jim

    
    >The good news is the problem will soon solve itself, as they'll die.
    
    what a lovely sentiment. 

    .10  It may not be a lovely sentiment but unfortunately true.
    
    Off the topic somewhat - but it appears to be a tactic practised by
    fine, upstanding lawyers in many cases (asbestos, chemical
    contamination etc.) - just delay the case long enough and the plaintiff
    or the witnesses die - case solved.

    Hmmmph!  Don't talk to me about VA and VA Hospitals...well, okay, do
    talk to me about it.
    
    My hubby is ex-USMC, 3.75 years during peace-time, then medically
    discharged for a knee/ankle/back injury incurred in the service.  When
    one is medically discharged, the military automatically assigns a
    minimum of a 10% disability to you, unless you have a *major* problem
    (like you can't walk or something...).  Then you have to contact the
    VA, get an appointment for an evaluation physical, and wait for a
    decision from the Board of Review based upon that physical.
    
    After a 6 year battle just to get a physical, and a 6 month battle for a
    decision based upon that physical, he was rated at *less* than his
    discharge disability!  They rated him at 10% disabled, but said that
    the disability is non-compensable (no pension payment, just medical
    care for the service related conditions).  The reason given for this is
    that his back/knee/ankle problems "do not significantly interfere with
    patient's ability to perform his daily work duties".  The man is a
    heavy equipment mechanic, and he experiences a high level of pain most
    of the time, but toughs it out.  Pain doesn't count, I guess!  
    
    Anyway, he can appeal that decision any time within 12 months of 
    receipt.  (Only a few more months to go, but appeals are so-o-o-o-o-o 
    time consuming)  In the meantime, the VA hospital is entitled to 
    periodically request his presence for a check-up on any condition 
    mentioned during his evaluation (and there are several that were, 
    but are completely unrelated to his service injury, like high 
    cholesterol, a skin rash, etc.).  If he doesn't show up for or 
    reschedule *one* appointment, the VA will note it in his file, and 
    present it as evidence of non-need during any appeal.  
    
    During his last periodic physical at the VA, the doctor referred him to
    Rehab Services (education, etc.), with a notation that he needed to be
    re-trained in a field which would involve *no* lifting whatsoever. 
    Guess what??  After scheduling and re-scheduling the Rehab appointment,
    hubby finally got a solid appointment and was told (surprise!!!!) he
    isn't even eligible for any Rehab, 'cause his disability is
    "non-compensable".  
    
    If you ask me, both the VA itself *and* the hospital system need a
    *major* overhaul.  The goal in life of most VA-folk is to ignore vet's
    needs and process as few successful claims as possible.  Grrrr.
    
    M.