Draft Dodger Trump's Latest Attack on Veterans---the Federal Hiring Freeze

[McCamy Taylor]

Trump got out of the draft by claiming to be disabled due to heel spurs. Meanwhile, a lot of Americans who were not born with silver spoons in their mouths were forced to serve in the Vietnam War. Many died. Many others were left with permanent medical problems for which they receive care at the VA--Veterans Administration. Now, Trump wants to take away their health care. And, he wants to make it harder for them to find jobs, too. And he has found an easy way to do it----freeze all federal hiring.

http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/trump-hiring-freeze-dod-va-veterans

Veterans looking for work could be among the largest groups affected by the change, since they currently make up about one-third of the federal workforce, according to agency reports. More than 623,000 veterans are currently working in civilian federal posts, of the 2 million-person federal work force.

Veterans-hiring preferences and familiarity with VA and military issues make many of the posts attractive to former servicemembers.

And the federal government is among the biggest employers of disabled veterans, as well. About 15 percent of veterans working at VA and nearly 18 percent of veterans at the Defense Department are disabled.

Did you catch that? The "swamp" is staffed by veterans---men and women who served their country in the military and now serve it as federal employees. And disabled veterans---those who have paid an enormous price for their country---will now find their job options even more restricted. That means more homeless veterans, more unemployed veterans.

To rub salt in the wound, the hiring freeze include the Veterans Administration. That's right. The folks who serve veterans. Remember how Trump said he would fix the long waits at the VA? He was lying. He is making it impossible for the VA to fill vacancies---and due to retirement, there will also be openings for doctors, nurses, therapists, social workers, pharmacists, technicians and all the other who care for our disabled veterans.

The VA is the largest health care provider in the country and the second largest in the world, after Great Britain's National Health. To freeze hiring is to put the health and safety of veterans at risk. It is almost as if Trump wants veterans to have to wait so long for care that they die....

Traitor, molester and now foe of veterans---is this really an American president?

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

Their support of the military goes as far as yellow magnets made in China and flag lapels.

If you're not making weapons or you don't own a security company, that is.

[Phoenix61]

2. Past federal hiring freezes

excluded physical/mental health positions. There are a lot of federal contract positions providing physical and mental health services to active duty as well.

[McCamy Taylor]

3. This one affects all VA positions, including nurses and doctors. Unless people speak up

and Trump realizes that he has gone too far. At the moment, the Veterans Administration is NOT hiring. Period.

[HoneyBadger]

4. Your premise is that the government is composed of vets?

That is great, but surely vets can do so many other jobs, why should they want to work for Trump? My feel is that the government has a way to go before being short staffed.

[MissB]

5. Wow. Really?

[TheMastersNemesis]

7. I Am A Vet Honeybadger Is Clueless. I Bet He Never Served Either. He Has No Voice. Enlist.

I resent these pricks who are so clueless. They spout their ignorant shit. Well as a Vietnam vet I am superior to him in knowledge.For one a lot of vet are in public service. Still they are a minority of public service.

Plus the GOP has destroyed a lot of opportunity for veterans and destroyed federal and state employment programs for them. Plus private employers don't give a shit about hiring vets. If anything the private sector is biased against veterans. Having worked at DOL for 24 years I know the score.

Trump would have never survived Vietnam. If he were an officer he would have been abandoned int he jungle.

[MissB]

9. I agree with you.

I don't work in federal service anymore, but there were vets aplenty back then.

I'm thinking that the poster took a wrong turn somewhere. Is that other site still down?

[TheMastersNemesis]

10. Contrary To Popular Opinion Private Employers Shy Away From Vets Due To PTSD.

Because a lot of the Army & Marines were converted into mostly combat arms a larger portion of vets are infantry and other combat arms like artillery and armored Now most jobs military use to do are contracted like cooking, maintenance, quartermaster, truck driving, etc etc. So there are far few opportunities to train in anything else. Plus multiple combat tours create problems both physical and mental.

PTSD is a lifelong disability. And it takes a long time to treat it. Employers do not want to risk hiring guys who face such problems.

[HoneyBadger]

12. Never served and I feel awful about what America did to Vietnam

I do not feel that the private sector is biased against vets. I volunteered for about 10 years at a job program for vets. The private sector wants people with relevant experience. It is like saying that they are biased against office workers for jobs as nurses.

[WinkyDink]

14. Your "feel"???? Is that akin to #AlternativeFacts?

[HoneyBadger]

15. My opinion then, aren't we allowed opinions on this subject?

[WinkyDink]

16. One would think that numbers of staff are, you know, numbers. Quantifiable.

[HoneyBadger]

17. I could not find those numbers, so I got a feeling instead

But 26.8% of of federal employees agree or strongly agree that their organization promotes people on the basis of their relative ability, knowledge and skills. The remainder do not. Per their peers, sounds like there are a lot of folks promoted or not promoted in an efficient manner.

http://us.corwin.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/2981_12arpa01.pdf#page=4

[mopinko]

6. i thought the freeze was non-military.

not that i approve of that, but isnt the va a military program?

[TheMastersNemesis]

8. That Freeze Probably Effects VA As Well. It Serves Veterans But Has A Lot of Nonvets.

[pinboy3niner]

13. No, the DVA is not a military program

It is a federal department entirely separate from DoD and military health care.

[Achilleaze]

11. Republican chickenhawks are always trashing America'sveterans

Draft dodger Trump is just the latest Republican chicken hawk to dump on our vets