General Discussion

SunSeeker

(58,416 posts)

91. Do you think the VA is adequately funded to timely serve all vets?!

Sat May 31, 2014, 05:25 PM

May 2014

The VA has been horrifically underfunded since the start of the Iraq & Afghanistan Wars and the tsunami of broken vets these wars produced. We have heard about the long wait times and poor PTSD treatment for years. The GOP still refused and continues to refuse multiple attempts by Dems to fund more doctors and treatment. On February 27, 2014, Senate Republicans blocked a $21 billion Veterans Bill for medical, education and job-training benefits for our veterans. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/27/bernie-sanders-veterans-bill_n_4868932.html.

The management of these VA facilities has been asked to do an impossible job. Some, rather than protesting or walking out, simply pretended the horrors were not happening. They decided to just protect themselves and their bonuses. Those managers should be punished, because they hurt vets by being GOP enablers. Shinseki was not one of those. He too was given an impossible job. He did it the best he could. But given the resources he had, he could not and did not do the job needed. The person who fills Shinseki's shoes will face the same issue. Shinseki was not the problem, GOP refusal to fund the VA was.

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Eric Shinseki is out of a job today because... [View all] WilliamPitt May 2014 OP

agreed�. dhill926 May 2014 #1

K & R...for...well, just for..... Wounded Bear May 2014 #2

Obama admin has become like poison to those who try and serve in it quinnox May 2014 #3

I could not disagree with your assessment more. MohRokTah May 2014 #4

and that is fine. Part of the beauty of Du is we all get to have our own opinions about these quinnox May 2014 #6

Don't read it malokvale77 May 2014 #22

... SammyWinstonJack May 2014 #83

... RKP5637 Jun 2014 #103

Hide thread, ignore poster, problem solved nadinbrzezinski May 2014 #63

I never hide threads MohRokTah May 2014 #78

There's only one reason it would bother a person so much. It's true. n/t A Simple Game May 2014 #64

You're not thinking very hard then. The freepers view it as their job to attack pnwmom May 2014 #9

Joe Biden? I had forgotten about him, he seems to have been hiding from view for a long time quinnox May 2014 #11

Since you were the one who can't even remember Joe Biden, the fact that pnwmom May 2014 #16

I think your reflexive defense of the Obama admin is typical quinnox May 2014 #18

I don't blame you for not paying attention to my postings. pnwmom May 2014 #21

Rethugs ... 1StrongBlackMan May 2014 #53

I remember Joe Biden! bvar22 May 2014 #71

Biden is somehow insulated. Good for him. Ed Suspicious May 2014 #36

Are you sure you want to use the Consumer Protection Agency as an example? n/t A Simple Game May 2014 #66

The head of the FDA? bvar22 May 2014 #70

maybe if it was not filled DonCoquixote May 2014 #25

"Empress Hillary"? quinnox May 2014 #27

NO it is not DonCoquixote May 2014 #30

I didn't vote for her in the primary either ConservativeDemocrat May 2014 #41

his last sec. of state will be the next president nt arely staircase May 2014 #74

I think if anything youve got it backward quakerboy May 2014 #93

racism knows no bounds Tumbulu May 2014 #96

Very True. deathrind May 2014 #5

Listening to heartbroken vets and co-workers on NPR today, I agree this move was boneheaded riderinthestorm May 2014 #7

My only concern Lee-Lee May 2014 #13

Agreed however its clear his staff shielded him from the corruption. Damn shame nt riderinthestorm May 2014 #17

This problem onecaliberal May 2014 #39

It was his job to be not blindsided. HubertHeaver May 2014 #23

This is it. goldent Jun 2014 #118

Telling the truth got him fired in the run up to the Iraq War and now he was set up to neverforget May 2014 #8

Obama said today the VA received more increases than any other agency. former9thward May 2014 #19

you left out the increase in medical costs for 5 years nt Leme May 2014 #32

Then you can provide them. former9thward May 2014 #37

I am saying Leme May 2014 #42

I don't know the corrrect budget for the VA former9thward May 2014 #49

when people use numbers I sometimes look closer Leme May 2014 #50

Obama made the budget an issue this March when he asked pnwmom May 2014 #81

No, he did not make it an issue. former9thward May 2014 #85

Congress gave him less than he asked for, but he signed the bills anyway. pnwmom May 2014 #86

I am using the numbers from the VA former9thward May 2014 #87

You lie with numbers, and wake up with fleas. ChairmanAgnostic May 2014 #33

Is that in reference to Obama? former9thward May 2014 #35

The budget has increased by only 30% during Obama's administration, despite the rise pnwmom May 2014 #80

The demands tha Shinseki leave will no longer be a media headline Leme May 2014 #10

"Off With His Head"....but, the problems will continue because the figurehead is gone.... KoKo May 2014 #60

He fell on his sword for the king. Rick is a stand-up guy. MADem May 2014 #12

It is like firing the coach on an underperforming sports team. Kurska May 2014 #14

The Right Wing wants to write him up in their history book as a rotten leader.... Spitfire of ATJ May 2014 #15

He's job is now to be ablative armor mindwalker_i May 2014 #20

Truer words were never typed, WilliamPitt. You are so right. nt kelliekat44 May 2014 #24

He's out of a job in part because so many Democrats called for his resignation today. madfloridian May 2014 #26

He is out of a job because of treacherous Democrats and asshole Republicans in the Senate/House. phleshdef May 2014 #28

I agree.. President Obama defended Eric Shineski last week and since then the Dems came out in Cha May 2014 #31

P. S. pic of the President and Eric Shineski this morning.. Cha May 2014 #38

Damn. This is one time I wish the President would've told Democrats to get fucked. phleshdef May 2014 #46

I wish he would have too, phlesh.. my heart sank when Cha May 2014 #56

Our Dems needed cover for the Mid-Terms. It was about politics, then. n/t KoKo May 2014 #61

How much time did he spend visiting VA hospitals Nye Bevan May 2014 #29

The same amount onecaliberal May 2014 #40

Ah, that makes it OK then. (nt) Nye Bevan May 2014 #43

The CONGRESS onecaliberal May 2014 #65

So, he should have been making speech after speech, Nye Bevan May 2014 #69

I have no idea onecaliberal May 2014 #88

Don't Be a Rethug gussmith May 2014 #48

Visits would not have helped rainbow4321 May 2014 #72

If he had wanted to, he could have dropped by unannounced. Nye Bevan May 2014 #73

Bullshit, providing adequate healthcare for our veterans isn't impossible, it's the VA's job Hippo_Tron May 2014 #34

I feel so sorry for the people that serve, sacrifice, then return and often get shit on! n/t RKP5637 Jun 2014 #105

Shinseki can take a seat next to Van Jones, Shirley Sherrod, and Steven Miller. OnyxCollie May 2014 #44

its the military way. mopinko May 2014 #45

Not Exactly gussmith May 2014 #47

Shinseki Not a Fan May 2014 #51

i wasn't wondering but i appreciate the confirmation. spanone May 2014 #52

Listen, he headed an agency accused of gross misconduct. It was his responsibility... Gravitycollapse May 2014 #54

Ok Will, but why not tell them the truth. Wash. state Desk Jet May 2014 #55

Chicago Tribune characterizes the scandal as damaging to Democrats Martin Eden May 2014 #57

Agreed! mountain grammy May 2014 #58

... and because he became a football in the fight between the Tea Congress and the President .... marble falls May 2014 #59

correct... daleanime May 2014 #62

Democrats cave when Republicans whine about them. alarimer May 2014 #67

I'd buy that if he had been screaming up and down the chain.. Ballast_Point May 2014 #68

borrowing this. wyldwolf May 2014 #75

As am I, couldn't have been said better nt gelsdorf May 2014 #76

Endless distraction, blame the Black man, dont look at what happened before randys1 May 2014 #77

K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations! Enthusiast May 2014 #79

As long as the GOP has any power left there, DC will be toxic. Hekate May 2014 #82

Sorry, wrong answer. Savannahmann May 2014 #84

Do you think the VA is adequately funded to timely serve all vets?! SunSeeker May 2014 #91

Certainly not. Savannahmann May 2014 #95

So you think now that the GOP knows the actual wait times, they'll approve the $21B? SunSeeker Jun 2014 #98

No, I didn't say any of that Savannahmann Jun 2014 #99

The "peasants are headed to the castle with pitchforks"? Seriously? SunSeeker Jun 2014 #100

Try to remember that in November when we lose the Senate. Savannahmann Jun 2014 #101

If we lose the Senate, it won't be because of the VA scandal. SunSeeker Jun 2014 #102

Again I agree Savannahmann Jun 2014 #106

You're making shit up. SunSeeker Jun 2014 #108

Fine, prove your points Savannahmann Jun 2014 #109

How about you prove YOUR 67% figure? Where did you get it? SunSeeker Jun 2014 #110

Anti Obama Rant? Savannahmann Jun 2014 #111

No link=you made the 67% figure up. nt SunSeeker Jun 2014 #112

Why won't you answer one question? Savannahmann Jun 2014 #113

Either you made up the 67% figure or got it from an embarrassing source (e.g. a RW site). SunSeeker Jun 2014 #115

Ah, now you're the enforcer of the rules here. Savannahmann Jun 2014 #116

Wow. That sure is a long way of saying you won't provide a link. SunSeeker Jun 2014 #117

Indeed? Then for the others, here is one of many links available. Savannahmann Jun 2014 #119

Your link shows you made the 67% figure up. SunSeeker Jun 2014 #120

What? Savannahmann Jun 2014 #121

He was blamed for the system failure caused by GOP refusal to fund the VA adequately. SunSeeker May 2014 #89

well stated nt Tumbulu May 2014 #97

He was Van Jones'd. blkmusclmachine May 2014 #90

of course Skittles May 2014 #92

They bailed out Ukraine, Banks, Corps etc why not the VA? kickysnana May 2014 #94

Funny..I said the same thing a week ago.....Thanks!!!! msanthrope Jun 2014 #104

Agreed Stargazer09 Jun 2014 #107

No, Will he is out of a job because of devotion to the failed con of "bipartisanship" and TheKentuckian Jun 2014 #114