VA Secretary Resigns After Record Of Neglecting Veterans

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/07/17/nicholson-tenure

VA Secretary Resigns After Record Of Neglecting Veterans

Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary, Jim Nicholson, has resigned. In a lengthy press release, the his department praises Nicholson for his “leadership” in “transform the VA health care system to meet the unique medical requirements of the returning combatants from Iraq and Afghanistan.”

In reality, however, Nicholson’s tenure put the health care of both current and future veterans at risk. Some highlights:

- In February 2005, Nicholson kicked off his tenure by calling praising a VA budget proposal that cut “health care staffing, reduced funding for nursing home care and staffing cuts for the Board of Veterans Appeals.” He said it demonstrated of the Bush administration’s “ongoing commitment to provide the very best health care and benefits to those veterans who count on VA the most.”

- In May of 2006, Nicholson waited two weeks to notify the Justice Department and FBI of the “largest loss of personal data in U.S. government history.” He then waited another full week before notifying the 26.5 million effected veterans of the theft.

MORE

MY DR LOOKED TIRED,I HAD TO WAIT AN HOUR BEYOND MY APPOINTMENT TIME WHICH HAD BEEN POSTPONED FOR 14 DAYS. I ASKED HIM HOW THINGS WERE GOING-IF THEY HAD HIRED MORE HELP TO DEAL WITH THE NEW GUYS COMING BACK FROM THE CONFLICT AREAS. HE SAID THEY HADN'T AND THEIR SOLUTION WAS TO CUT THE PATIENT TIME IN HALF SO THE DRS. COULD SEE MORE PATIENTS!
LET ME TELL YOU I'VE HAD THREE DIFFERENT DRS. IN THE PAST 4 YEARS;ALL OF THEM GREAT. GUESS WHERE THE FIRST TWO ARE,THEY WENT BACK TO PVT. PRACTICE!
ITS TIME "BUSH AND COMPANY" WAS REMOVED FROM OFFICE! THEY WASTED ENOUGH MONEY IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS TO OVERHAUL THE "VA" AND MAKE THE PRIVATE HEALTH -CARE SYSTEM AFFORDABLE.
I DIDN'T HESITATE TO ANSWER MY CALL UP,AND BY JESUS I NEVER USED THE "VA" SYSTEM UNTIL
I HAD TO. AND HIM AND THAT OTHER DRAFT DODGING DEFERRAL SOB DON'T WANT TO TRY TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME OR OTHER VETERANS WHOSE LIFE'S WERE DISRUPTED SO SOME HAVE COULD JOIN A FRAT HOUSE!
I SERVED AND I WAS AVAILABLE 24/7 FOR 2 YEARS AND THEN RESERVES AFTER THAT; IT TOOK ME
10 YEARS TO CATCH UP FINANCIALLY AFTER THAT EPISODE. AND I'M SURE THEIRS THOUSANDS OUT THERE JUST LIKE ME.
AND I HOPE EVERY VETERAN REMEMBERS HOW THE REPUBLICAN PARTY LIES TO ITS SERVICEMEN,AND VOTES ACCORDINGLY!LETS CUT THEIR BUDGET BY VOTING THOSE WASTERS OUT OF OFFICE!
A PROUD MAINER WHO SERVED HIS COUNTRY IN UNIFORM AND IN HIS CIVILIAN JOB AS A CONSTRUCTION ENGINEER. I WORKED ON MILITARY BASE CONSTRUCTION FOR 15 YEARS OR MORE!