Testimony before Defense and Veterans Committee HB 55

April 6, 2011

Five veterans from the valley are traveling to Austin to provide testimony on House Bill 55 as submitted by Rep. Armando Mando Martinez-D-40.  The bill is simple.  It asks that the state of Texas to be allowed to use the Texas Enterprise Fund for veterans hospitals.  The Fund has monies, but veterans cannot tap into it because at the present it is not allowed.  Commissioner Jerry Patterson informed the Veterans Alliance back in October that in order for him to consider any proposals or recommendations that there had to be legislation introduced allowing the Fund to do so.

So far Arturo Treto Garza, Joe Ibarra, Pete Prax Garza, Sisto Barrera, Pete Herrera and Irene T. Garza are going.  A presentation will made and submitted as written testimony.  Ibarra and Garza will sign in and if allowed will present oral testimony.  The testimony to be presented revolves around allowing the Fund to be used to expand the Harlingen Surgical Center to a Full Service Center.

Jeff Milligan has in the past told veterans that they could use monies for ancillary needs.  If the Fund is not allowed to provide funds for construction of a wing, should one be needed, it can help by providing funds for equipment, staffing, beds, etc.  The creation of a Full Service Medical Center will greatly benefit the economic and employment development efforts in south Texas.  The Fund is set up for this purposes of developing economic development and employment patterns.

Some veterans have told me what are we fightng for, that the VA hospital has already been approved.  I am telling everyone that it is not a done deal.  No one at the VA has said that they are going to expand Harlingen to a Full Service Medical Center.  The local folks are the ones that have been promoting this plans and have done it loudly.  BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT IT IS NOT A DONE DEAL!
That is why we have had our Congressmen submit bills to tell VA to do it.  And, veterans asked Mando to file a bill for us at the State Level.  This follows up Proposition 8 (that has no money) and HCR 86 that were approved in 2009.  Proposition 8 became law because it passed by a majority vote at the Election Booth.  HCR 86 memorialized Congress that the state of Texas was in full support of a construction of a VA hospital for south Texas.

The Veterans Alliance voted at a meeting to concentrate on Harlingen being the flagship hospital for the south Texas Health Care System because of the new $40 million building that was constructed.  There is room there and most everyone agrees that it should be further expanded to a Full Medical Service Center.  Veterans must continue their efforts or we will have to wait 10 to 15 years from now, it at all.  We cannot take it for granted that the VA is going to help on their own.  They have not done it in the past 50 years, so don't go trusting them too much.  Elections are coming around and everyone is promising help.  Let us keep all those to their promises.