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A new report out Saturday shows basically what everyone already knew about the VA. That it failed our veterans, as it struggled to include millions of new injured Vets. But the AP, and I'm sure all other sources can't use their brain about why why this breakdown happened.
That mind fog (or cowardice more likely) comes from the fact that they don't want to step on powerful (and more importantly) wealthy toes that want to portray the Veterans Affairs crisis as a moral and inept breakdown specifically within the Obama administration.
Try this AP reporting:
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a scathing appraisal, a review ordered by President Barack Obama of the troubled Veterans Affairs health care system concludes that medical care for veterans is beset by "significant and chronic system failures," substantially verifying problems raised by whistleblowers and internal and congressional investigators.
A summary of the review by deputy White House chief of staff Rob Nabors says the Veterans Health Administration must be restructured and that a "corrosive culture" has hurt morale and affected the timeliness of health care. The review also found that a 14-day standard for scheduling veterans' medical appointments is unrealistic and that some employees manipulated the wait times so they would appear to be shorter.At least they acknowledge that the solution may be more doctors and resources, but immediately spin to cover their ass with their big advertisers. And still can't remember that 40% of doctors working for the VA were subject to last year's and continuing Sequester as they weren't specifically hired by the VA itself as reported in 2013 by the Washington Post (and since blithely forgotten by the spotless mind of mainstream press). See blog post we did earlier here.
The review is the latest blistering assessment of the VA in the wake of reports of patients dying while waiting for appointments and of treatment delays in VA facilities nationwide. The White House released a summary of the review following President Barack Obama's meeting Friday with Nabors and Acting VA Secretary Sloan Gibson.
The review offers a series of recommendations, including a need for more doctors, nurses and trained administrative staff. Those recommendations are likely to face skepticism among some congressional Republicans who have blamed the VA's problems on mismanagement, not lack of resources.
Other inconvenient facts they can't seem to dig up (it took me all of 5 minutes) is that funding increases since the Bush/Cheney administration invaded Iraq leading to millions of injuries that required the VA to treat them, seems to be the kind of begrudging penny throwing that is normal for the GOP in years they controlled Congress.
Except for the years when the Democrats controlled the House and Senate, you'd think that massive injuries were not being produced in Iraq and Afghanistan that would require many years of intense care and inovative remedies for heavily injured soldiers.
Between 2003 and 2004 with the GOP in control of Congress VA funding only increased 4.7%
Massive invasion casualties? When did those happen?
Between 2004 and 2005 with the GOP in control of Congress VA funding only increased 5.5%
IEDs? What are those?
Between 2005 and 2006 with the GOP in control of Congress VA funding only increased 2.2%
I guess they were getting tired of paying for those injuries among "deadbeat" vets.
Between 2006 and 2007 with the Dems suddenly back in control of Congress thanks to Mark Foley VA funding increased 8.4%
Who loves our vets?
Between 2007 and 2008 with the Dems still in control of Congress VA funding increased 6.4%.
Still above anything the GOP gave them.
Between 2008 and 2009 with the Dems still in control of Congress VA funding increased 8.3%
Whoever thought that the GOP was the party who loved the our military most. They just love using them and getting them killed.
Between 2009 and 2010 with the Dems still in control of Congress VA funding increased 12.1%
Need I say anything more?
Between 2011 and 2010 with GOP in control of the House in a division of Congress VA funding increased 8.2% a slowdown now.
Between 2012 and 2001 with GOP in control of the House in a division of Congress VA funding increased 0.8% You saw that 0.8%.
Oh yeah, remember the great GOP austerity for tax cuts for Koch bros, our new national meme.
Suck on it injured vets say the GOP.
The record I found ends in 2012. I used the constant dollar list for more realistic look at the true amounts offered.
I think it's fair to say that since 2012, the VA has been under attack like the rest of our government, by the GOP though they pretend they are the troops' best friends.
The fas report I used speaks of veterans of earlier wars. I know that my father was one for over 60 years, but he never needed or sought VA help during my lifetime since he wasn't gravely injured and didn't need a lifetime of medical help from them. That's what I remember about most my neighbor's dads too.
The Afghanistan and Iraq Wars introduced or saw increased use of devastating weapons by desperate people. Why try to shoot little holes in a massive invasive force when a man defending his country (as he sees it) can blow up your whole squad with an IED?
Funny that the big military planners never realized out that at some point people being invaded were going to figure out such tactics. You'd think maybe they just didn't care about our troops.
Cakewalk. Uh huh, sure.
Also see
Republicans Set Up the Veterans Administration to Fail And The News Media is Not Catching Them
Above: a US military bombing. But the citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan were trying to protect their own sovereignty with massive explosions too. Picture used via Creative Commons License Attribution CC by 2.0 thanks to Flickr user The U.S. Army Iraq which has no connection to this blog or blogger.
