A vet is a vet. The VA must be more than just adequately funded. Every vet should be entitled to the same healthcare any congressperson receives. If some minimal percent of pork barrel funding were cut we could over fund the VA for all vets today!

When I joined the Army in '68, one of the things being touted was "lifetime medical benefits". sounded good. But it turned out to be if you finished your term of service with an honorable discharge, came home, went to school, got a good job, raised a family, and lived a law abiding life, you could be denied benefits with the VA. BUT, if you got a general discharge after not having served out your term of service, came home and never held down a job while not supporting your offspring, bounced in and out of jail/prison while abusing drugs and alcohol, you very well could be receiving those "lifetime medical benefits" - with NO co-pay. The vast majority of VA patients who are receiving benefits are rightly entitled to them. But there is a percentage of patients who remain in the system and use up an inordinant amount of resources that should go other deserving vets.

WE elect our members of Congress and they need to start listening to us. It is a shame that these 9 service organizations are so willing to bow down to Congress. Instead of doing what is right for Veterans they are giving in to the pressure of our elected officials when they should be asking all the millions of voting Veterans to take action and demand FULL MANDATORY FUNDING for Veterans health care. Go to offe2008.org and get a resolution about full mandatory funding and call your elected officials and ask them to sign it or explain why they say the support the troops, but don't want to properly take care of them when they come home. I say shame on those politicians and the service organizations that are letting Congress and the VA push them around.

Couldn't help but notice that VA Hospitals are crammed full of veterans with service-connected disabilities, and that beds are scarce. Personnel do all they can to keep up, but here in Florida we have a huge influx of snow-birds admitted to VA Hospitals. These people HAVE service-connected disabilities. We must leave room for wounded soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. I really do not know how the VA Hospitals will cope if they let everybody who has been a former VET in. The disabled come first. It will be interesting to see what will happen. There is nothing we can do with politicians benefits. Many are lawyers who voted in all their percs, and we all know how lawyers take care of themselves! It is amazing how they cannot afford their own health insurance with those salaries they make. I could be wrong, but is this the start of Universal Health Care?

There is no such thing as a "former Vet". I back this up with the members of Operation Firing For Effect. We are all Veterans. Some who are disabled and some who are not. The real problem here is that Congress is dragging their feet as usual. Veteran advocates have been screaming about the ability for Vets to get health care for 30 years now and it has fallen on deaf ears. All Veterans deserve the promise that was made to them and yes, the disabled come first and I don't think you would find a non disabled Vet out there who would say that their medical care should come before a Veteran who has a greater need. That is what Veterans do, we sacrifice for others. Mrs. Long, I challenge you to go to offe2008.org and print out some full mandatory funding resolutions and start using your voice as a spouse of a veteran and get some signatures from your elected officials for full mandatory funding. If there are any Veterans in Florida who want to come to Indiana for the winter, I will be glad to stand up for them and help them get care at the VA facility here in Indiana. All Vets are welcome from whatever state they come from because we served the United States of America, not our state. Also, being a nurse, type in "VA nurses protesting" in your google search engine and reach out and support the people trying make a change so that we can attract and retain good quality nurses at our VA's. Thank you for your dedication to your spouse and please thank him for his servie. Anyone who has ever dealt with the government knows that there is strength in numbers and Veterans working together can make a difference.

I THINKTHE GOVT SHOULD BAILOUT THE VA,HELL WE FOUGHT FOR THE COUNTRY./WHAT DID WALL STREET DO?
BUILD NEW HOSP.OR AT LEAST ADD TO THE EXISTING ONES.START WITH DECATUR,GA.VA HOSP.I think every vet is entitled to care regardless of income.we were promised vet benefits,now the govt, is trying to charge us for care.I BARELY CAN MAKE IT ON S.S,ALL I NEED NOW IS TO GET CHARGED FOR MY CARE,MAYBE ILL QUIT EATING,I think we should get amillion man march on washington if they try to charge us,in fact maybe we ought to march any way and get the budget we are entitled to.if they dont go along vote their ass out next election.