Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
RGV ValleyVets: HELP VETERANS GET VA HOSPITAL
RGV ValleyVets: HELP VETERANS GET VA HOSPITAL: "South Texas veterans especially those in the Rio Grande Valley need to continue their fight for a Full Service Medical Center. This long so..."
HELP VETERANS GET VA HOSPITAL
South Texas veterans especially those in the Rio Grande Valley need to continue their fight for a Full Service Medical Center. This long sought after facility keeps getting out of range for the veterans. Its always the same excuse, something more important has come up. And its happening again.
This legislative session, veterans have two (2) bills in Congress. They are basically the same but a little different wording and in the request. HB 837submitted by Congressman Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15) simply call for an assurance that the Veterans Administration expand its present facility at Harlingen into a full service medical center. HB 1318, submitted by Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-25) also asks for an expansion of the present facility to a Full Medical Service Center. In addition it asks that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall include in the Strategic Capital Investment Plan of the Department of Veterans Affairs a project to expand the Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility, by adding the following: An urgent care center; Inpatient capability for 50 beds with appropriate administrative, clinical, diagnostic, and ancillary services needed for support; The capability to provide full range services to meet the need of female veterans; and, The capability to provide caregiver support services, including an adult day care providing caregiver respite.
This bills have a sister bill in the Senate filed by Senator John Cornyn (SB 396) and its wording is identical to HB 837. This sister bill was filed first.
So now that there are two bills, how do veterans go about making sure that this time around one of them gets out of committee with a favorable vote? It is going to be difficult seeking legislative relief because of the rising debt crisis and calls for budget slashing cuts. Also, the political shifts in Congress have changed and are creating difficulties. But, the fact of the matter is that we must tackle the problem straight on. Veterans in south Texas have launched what is called Operation 10,10,10 which is a letter writing campaign targeting the Senate Veterans Affair Committee, House Veterans Affairs Committee and the sub-committee on Veterans Health of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Two batches of letters have gone out already (each batch consists of 100 letters). These efforts were initiated before HB 1318 was filed, so it only speaks of HB 837. There has been no response to the letters as far as we know since individual responses will come directly to veterans and not a central letter bank. The office of Senator Isakson states that it takes time to communicate via slow mail. But, not too many veterans have computers to email or fax correspondence to Congress members. Veterans feel that it is something that has to be done. Hopefully other Congressman will join in as co-sponsors of the bills.
In the meantime, veterans must ask their Congressional delegation to designate someone from their office to work on getting these bills passed. It is understood that they have a lot of work on thousands of other issues, but veterans feel that they have been cast aside too many times already. It is real easy to sacrifice the veterans requests due to the fact that veterans are not well organized. At the national level, the American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans have their agendas addressing national level issues affecting veterans as a whole. They have not address our local issue. Local chapter and posts should write their higher up commands and ask and demand support. Again its been a long time and south Texas veterans efforts for obtaining a VA hospital have hit a brick wall. How long will veterans be used, exploited, promised, cast aside, etc. by our elected officials? It is coming to the point that maybe we need to express our displeasure at the polls.
This legislative session, veterans have two (2) bills in Congress. They are basically the same but a little different wording and in the request. HB 837submitted by Congressman Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15) simply call for an assurance that the Veterans Administration expand its present facility at Harlingen into a full service medical center. HB 1318, submitted by Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-25) also asks for an expansion of the present facility to a Full Medical Service Center. In addition it asks that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall include in the Strategic Capital Investment Plan of the Department of Veterans Affairs a project to expand the Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility, by adding the following: An urgent care center; Inpatient capability for 50 beds with appropriate administrative, clinical, diagnostic, and ancillary services needed for support; The capability to provide full range services to meet the need of female veterans; and, The capability to provide caregiver support services, including an adult day care providing caregiver respite.
This bills have a sister bill in the Senate filed by Senator John Cornyn (SB 396) and its wording is identical to HB 837. This sister bill was filed first.
So now that there are two bills, how do veterans go about making sure that this time around one of them gets out of committee with a favorable vote? It is going to be difficult seeking legislative relief because of the rising debt crisis and calls for budget slashing cuts. Also, the political shifts in Congress have changed and are creating difficulties. But, the fact of the matter is that we must tackle the problem straight on. Veterans in south Texas have launched what is called Operation 10,10,10 which is a letter writing campaign targeting the Senate Veterans Affair Committee, House Veterans Affairs Committee and the sub-committee on Veterans Health of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Two batches of letters have gone out already (each batch consists of 100 letters). These efforts were initiated before HB 1318 was filed, so it only speaks of HB 837. There has been no response to the letters as far as we know since individual responses will come directly to veterans and not a central letter bank. The office of Senator Isakson states that it takes time to communicate via slow mail. But, not too many veterans have computers to email or fax correspondence to Congress members. Veterans feel that it is something that has to be done. Hopefully other Congressman will join in as co-sponsors of the bills.
In the meantime, veterans must ask their Congressional delegation to designate someone from their office to work on getting these bills passed. It is understood that they have a lot of work on thousands of other issues, but veterans feel that they have been cast aside too many times already. It is real easy to sacrifice the veterans requests due to the fact that veterans are not well organized. At the national level, the American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans have their agendas addressing national level issues affecting veterans as a whole. They have not address our local issue. Local chapter and posts should write their higher up commands and ask and demand support. Again its been a long time and south Texas veterans efforts for obtaining a VA hospital have hit a brick wall. How long will veterans be used, exploited, promised, cast aside, etc. by our elected officials? It is coming to the point that maybe we need to express our displeasure at the polls.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Legislation of interest to Veterans
At the Texas Legislature
HB 55 filed by Armando Mando Martinez relating to the use of Texas Enterprise Fund for Veterans hospitals. Testimony has been presented before the Texas House Committee on Defense and Veterans on April 7, 2011.
HB 833 filed by Gallegos relates to providing tax exempt status to spouses and children of a deceased veteran that is 100% rating or fully disabled.
SB 357 filed by Van DePutte and is the sister bill for HB 833.
At the U.S. Congress
SB 396 filed by Senator John Cornyn which asks the VA to expand the present Harlingen VA Surgical Center to a Full Medical Service Center.
HB 837 filed by Congressman Ruben Hinojosa and is the sister bill to SB 396 asking for the same thing with identical language.
HB 1318 filed by Congressman Henry Cuellar to direct the VA to expand the VA medical facility in Far South Texas with an urgent care center; 50 beds for inpatient care; provide a full range of services to female veterans; and, provide caregiver support services, including an adult day care providing caregiver respite.
Notes:
A letter writing campaign Operation 10,10,10 has been initiated to push for SB 396 and HB 837 to be placed before the agenda of their respective Veterans Affairs Committees in each Chamber.
HB 55 filed by Armando Mando Martinez relating to the use of Texas Enterprise Fund for Veterans hospitals. Testimony has been presented before the Texas House Committee on Defense and Veterans on April 7, 2011.
HB 833 filed by Gallegos relates to providing tax exempt status to spouses and children of a deceased veteran that is 100% rating or fully disabled.
SB 357 filed by Van DePutte and is the sister bill for HB 833.
At the U.S. Congress
SB 396 filed by Senator John Cornyn which asks the VA to expand the present Harlingen VA Surgical Center to a Full Medical Service Center.
HB 837 filed by Congressman Ruben Hinojosa and is the sister bill to SB 396 asking for the same thing with identical language.
HB 1318 filed by Congressman Henry Cuellar to direct the VA to expand the VA medical facility in Far South Texas with an urgent care center; 50 beds for inpatient care; provide a full range of services to female veterans; and, provide caregiver support services, including an adult day care providing caregiver respite.
Notes:
A letter writing campaign Operation 10,10,10 has been initiated to push for SB 396 and HB 837 to be placed before the agenda of their respective Veterans Affairs Committees in each Chamber.
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Irene T. Garza deposits a batch of letters down the mailbox at the Harlingen Post Office. The letters are from veterans directed at Representative Ann Marie Buerkele, Chairwoman of the Sub-Committee on Veterans Health of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. HB 837 filed by Rep. Ruben Hinojosa and co-sponsored by Rep. Henry Cuellar and Blake Farenthold has been assigned to this committee. Veterans are asking that HB 837 be placed on the committee's agenda for discussions and a vote. Prior bills submitted in other Congressional Sessions never moved out of committee. As a mater of fact, they were assigned and forgotten. Veterans hope to avoid that this time around. Especially since HB 837 does not ask for funding rather it is a mandate to the Veterans Administration to expand the Harlingen VA Surgical Center into a Full Service Medical Center (VA hospital).
Veterans will submit another batch shortly. This is the second batch and most of the signatures come from the American Legion Post 205 which were signed on April 11, 2011 at the Post. The Veterans Alliance also had a meeting that day and also contributed letters. A batch is 100 letters.
Donations for postage are coming in slowly but have been enough for the mail-outs. We hope that the community keeps sending us postage stamps. Postage can be mailed to 2722 Calle Condesa, Harlingen, TX.
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Veterans will submit another batch shortly. This is the second batch and most of the signatures come from the American Legion Post 205 which were signed on April 11, 2011 at the Post. The Veterans Alliance also had a meeting that day and also contributed letters. A batch is 100 letters.
Donations for postage are coming in slowly but have been enough for the mail-outs. We hope that the community keeps sending us postage stamps. Postage can be mailed to 2722 Calle Condesa, Harlingen, TX.
click link to view photo:
FlipShare - Private Video Sharing - Email
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Testimony before Defense and Military Committee in Austin
Veterans Alliance members meet with Representative Armando Mando Martinez after testifying before the Texas House of Representatives Defense and Military Committee in regards to HB 55. The committee met to discuss the bill which relates to allowing the Texas Enterprise Fund to be used for veterans hospitals. Martinez and Treto Garza told the Committee that the time is right to help in expanding the present VA OutPatient Clinic in Harlingen, TX to a Full Service Medical Center. The members indicated that they were favoring a good vote, however they did not vote on due to their busy schedule. It will be placed up for a vote at next meeting or when they resume.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
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.
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.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Open Letter to Chairwoman Senator Patty Murray via her chief of staff
Greetings; Mr. Mark Spahn, I approach you as Chief of Staff for Senator Patty Murray, as Chairwoman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committe, with the hope that you can relay this message to him. I do not have her email or for that matter do not know if members of Congress can be contacted directly via email. Please help me with this. Recently Senator Richard Burr's bill on setting a day aside to formally welcome home our veterans that served in Vietnam passed. Nowhere has it been received highly than our Rio Grande Valley in south Texas. Thank you Congress and Senator Burr. The best gift that our government can bestow our Vietnam Veterans is a Full Medical Service Center. This will avoid having to travel up to 250 miles for acute care at the nearest VA hospital. It will avoid having to be transferred from the VA Out Patient clinic to a local hospital. Along this line, veterans in south Texas would really appreciate if SB 396 filed by his colleague Senator John Cornyn, is passed. Most of the veterans in our area are Vietnam Veterans. Our WW II and Korea War veterans numbers are dwindling due to many passing away because of age, but also due to health problems. The bill calls for an expansion to an existing VA facility in the city of Harlingen, TX. There is the Ambulatory Surgery And Out Patient Specialty Center that has 120,000 square feet, and adjacent 5 story garage, and another building with in the proximity that takes daily intake of veterans. Our local Congressional delegation supports the idea of the expansion as well as most of the local governmental bodies, the medical community, the community in general and most of all the Veterans. Its the most common sense solution to a request that local veterans have made to VA for the past 4 decades. Would Senator Murray consider placing SB 396 on the Committee's agenda and call for a vote? I do not know if this is proper protocol, but it would be great for local veterans. We need to know where we stand. I sincerely hope that she does so. In the meantime, local veterans continue their quest for a Full Service Medical Center to serve its 117,000 veterans. For God and Country. Semper Fi, Arturo Treto Garza Vietnam Veteran 2722 Calle Condesa Harlingen, TX 7852 |
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