Friday, July 27, 2012

The VA: mitt Campaign and Ad on Recovery Funds

There's an ad showing, over and over and over...., and approved by the mitt himself asking "What Happened to the Stimulus Funds?" that fries my ass!

This mitt is what happened to just a portion, as you use same in the ad yourself, even the rove has some mention of 'stimulus' in his lousy ads:

$1.8 Billion Investment Improves Care and Services for Veterans
August 5, 2010 - Health Care Services Enhanced

VA obligated $1 billion to improve VA medical care facilities across the country through building renovations, roadway and walkway repairs, high cost equipment replacement, security improvements, new construction, replacement of steam lines and boiler plants, upgrades in emergency power distribution, and purchases of additional emergency generators among others.

To help Veterans access care, Recovery Act projects in VA medical facilities will add or improve more than 26,000 parking spaces and 39 elevator banks are being built or upgraded. VA will upgrade nearly 14,000 inpatient bed spaces, while 16 pharmacy renovation projects will help Veterans get medicines quicker and more efficiently. More than 14,400 clinical improvement projects, some with multiple exam rooms, will be undertaken.

Funds are also helping ensure VA health care facilities function more efficiently (by reducing annual recurring maintenance and upkeep cost) and are equipped to provide world-class care to Veterans.

Specific projects include:

· Bedford, Mass., VA Medical Center (VAMC) mental health unit renovation, $7.165 million;

· Philadelphia VAMC emergency room renovations, $4.74 million;

· Cleveland VAMC surgical suite refurbishment, $8.5 million;

· New Haven, Conn., VAMC private and semi-private inpatient units, $7.743 million;

· Hines, Ill., VAMC electrical distribution infrastructure upgrade, $8 million.

VA serves 5.5 million Veterans annually in its hospitals, outpatient clinics and rural health programs.

Just a snippet of information, but can be easily expanded with simple search for each area of the country where spent, of what this Administration, the Whole Administration, has been doing especially helped in the 110th and 111th Congresses who had taken on what the previous two didn't especially as to the veterans of their two rubber stamped off the books wars of choice waged into long occupations after abandoning the main mission for even sending them into that region with the first drum beat at Iraq!

In this VA press release it touches also on: Energy Conservation, Claims Processing Improvements, National Cemeteries Revitalized and a One-time Benefit Payments.

There has been only one VA Secretary, in my time, that even tried bringing the long underfunded, after the supported wars of choice, up to what the country should have had already built, that was Max Cleland, but was blocked by the country ignoring vets, PTS, Agent Orange and into Gulf War Syndrome and much much more and their mostly real republican representatives, back once there were some one could work with and get something from, no more. Then came Principi, who actually stripped away some of what Max had done, and as I already mentioned nothing was done as the drums of wars were beat and invasions with long occupations had started and grew those first years. Those in and with this administration, including those in the DoD leadership, finally have taken on all the issues including for us older vets and are seeking to build that VA that should always have been, while still being grossly underfunded and the country got tax breaks instead of Sacrifice for the wars they wave those support the troops flags at an hour or two of parades, welcome homes etc., most watch video clips of and don't even bother attending, to show they're patriotic and care! What do the now tepublicans representatives do, lay blame at the VA in their hearings and press speak etc. instead of doing their jobs and the public, including some veterans, like that.

We love war but hate Sacrifice, let the very few do that and with their families!!

These wars haven't been paid for, surplus was gone before 9/11 and rubber stamping from congress had already started, the deficits started rising rapidly and real fast with both wars. More important is because of those huge deficits, wars off the books till the present admin, not one dime has been Sacrificed for the results of those wars and the decades to come. At least the 'stimulus' helped some in correcting that, while boosting employment in communities Nationwide and some on issues that will continue the needed community help as veterans and visitors come into those communities now.


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