VA official defends limit on enrollees

[MaineDem]

The second-highest official at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reaffirmed the department's commitment to its medical center in Togus on Tuesday.

During a meeting with the editorial board of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, Deputy VA Secretary Leo S. Mackay Jr. also defended the department's practice of not accepting some veterans to the department's health care system.

"This is not an entitlement . . . like Medicare," he said.

(snip)

He explained that "People don't complain about the quality of the VA system."

http://www.pressherald.com/news/state/030813veteran.shtml

People don't complain about the VA system??? Where has this guy been?

[saigon68]

1. CRACK ADDICT

This guy is a crack addict. His brain is total mush.

This is the most ridiculous statement I have ever seen come from the mouth of a public official.

The only more ludicrous statement would be "THE EARTH IS FLAT" etc etc.

[TahitiNut]

2. Talk about spinning his remarks.

I'd be willing to bet he said something like, "People don't complain about the quality of the VA system and get away with it while I'm in charge."

[kimchi]

3. What a sad excuse for a spinmeister.

I have several veteran friends who cannot afford medical care who absolutely REFUSE to go to the VA in WV. One of them actually works there.

[PennyLane]

4. VA Care

Is becoming better than care in the private sector. Many vets who have private insurance are finding this out, and coming to the VA for care anyway.

Under Clinton, there was a push to enroll as many vets as possible into the VA system. There was a 42% increase in enrollment. Bush has systematically cut the VA budget since he became prez and the ability to serve the vets in a reasonable manner has suffered as a result. Principi sent service-connected disabled vets out into the system to see what was happening. The results were a disaster. He has a lot of guts to cut services.

My biggest problem with all this, is the fact that the veteran groups, ie. VFW, and AmVets, etc., are not up in arms about this. I was appalled to see these groups cheering for Slick Cheney when he spoke to them before the war in Iraq. Instead of asking what Bush was going to do for the veterans we already have, they were giving him kudos for wanting to create more.

The VA system has some flaws, but overall it is a solid system. It would be useful to pattern a national healthcare system after it, should the drug companies and insurance magnates every allow one to be instituted in the USA! :mad: