Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Veterans Meet with State Rep. Lozano
Veterans Affairs Committee comes to South Texas
October 21, 2011
Veterans in the Rio Grande Valley failed to take advantage of a scheduled trip by Congressman Jeff Miller, the Chairman of the U S House Veterans Affairs Committee. Miller was invited to a summit sponsored by Congressman Blake Farenthold (TX-27). The Summit was held at the Del Mar College Campus in Corpus Christi, TX.
Valley veterans send hundreds of letters to the House Veterans Affairs Committee asking that Congressman Ruben Hinojosa's HB 837 be placed on the agenda for a markup. Congressman Miller is the one that decides what appears on the agenda to be discussed and voted on. At this time it is not known when the next Markup Session will be held, but it should not be that long.
Valley veterans could have met with him in person and made a personal requests. Also, Congressman Hinojosa could have let valley veterans know about the summit and Miller's visit and requested veteran representatives be allowed to meet with Miller. Farenthold has signed as Co-Sponsor of HB 837. Another opportunity like this will probably not happened during this Session.
Veterans must be more vigilant on happenings at the Veterans Affairs Committee. Miller was also instrumental in assisting Congressman Henry Cuellar get his HB 1318 attached to HB 2055. This bill called for an expansion of the Harlingen VA Surgical Center to a Full Service Medical Center using the Veterans Health Administration Specific Investment Capital Fund. HB 2055 has passed both Chambers in Congress and is set to go to the President.
Maybe this is why veterans in the Valley feel like they have won the battle for a Veterans Affairs Hospital. They are optimistic about it and hope that it is allowed to spend funds for HB 1318. The SPIC plan was accepting applications for funding from the different VA Health Care Systems throughout the nation. The first cycle would receive application by October 1, 2011. The local VA Health System did not submit one and it is hoped that the proposal will be ready for the second cycle with a deadline of April 2012.
Some veterans feel that pressure must still be placed on Congress Veteran Affairs Committees to markup HB 837, which is the sister bill of S 396 filed by Senator John Cornyn.
Veterans in the Rio Grande Valley failed to take advantage of a scheduled trip by Congressman Jeff Miller, the Chairman of the U S House Veterans Affairs Committee. Miller was invited to a summit sponsored by Congressman Blake Farenthold (TX-27). The Summit was held at the Del Mar College Campus in Corpus Christi, TX.
Valley veterans send hundreds of letters to the House Veterans Affairs Committee asking that Congressman Ruben Hinojosa's HB 837 be placed on the agenda for a markup. Congressman Miller is the one that decides what appears on the agenda to be discussed and voted on. At this time it is not known when the next Markup Session will be held, but it should not be that long.
Valley veterans could have met with him in person and made a personal requests. Also, Congressman Hinojosa could have let valley veterans know about the summit and Miller's visit and requested veteran representatives be allowed to meet with Miller. Farenthold has signed as Co-Sponsor of HB 837. Another opportunity like this will probably not happened during this Session.
Veterans must be more vigilant on happenings at the Veterans Affairs Committee. Miller was also instrumental in assisting Congressman Henry Cuellar get his HB 1318 attached to HB 2055. This bill called for an expansion of the Harlingen VA Surgical Center to a Full Service Medical Center using the Veterans Health Administration Specific Investment Capital Fund. HB 2055 has passed both Chambers in Congress and is set to go to the President.
Maybe this is why veterans in the Valley feel like they have won the battle for a Veterans Affairs Hospital. They are optimistic about it and hope that it is allowed to spend funds for HB 1318. The SPIC plan was accepting applications for funding from the different VA Health Care Systems throughout the nation. The first cycle would receive application by October 1, 2011. The local VA Health System did not submit one and it is hoped that the proposal will be ready for the second cycle with a deadline of April 2012.
Some veterans feel that pressure must still be placed on Congress Veteran Affairs Committees to markup HB 837, which is the sister bill of S 396 filed by Senator John Cornyn.
VA Hospital
State Representative J.M. Lozano (District 43) discussed the possibilites of getting the State to partner with the Federal Government in the development of an expansion of the Harlingen VA Surgical Center to a Full Service Medical Center. Veterans are looking for help from any of the Funds from the Texas Land Commission, the Military and Veterans Appropriations Committee and the Committee of Health. Proposition 8 (HJR7) passed in 2009 but has not being allocated any funds. The new law is not functional.
Lozano states that he will seek the assisstance of the other local representatives to get their ideas and suspport.
Lozano states that he will seek the assisstance of the other local representatives to get their ideas and suspport.
Veterans met with Texas State Reprentative District 43 on October 20 in Harlingen. Rep. Lozano wanted to know how he can help veterans. The conversation centered around Proposition 1 and the VA hospital issue. He agreed to future meeting for updates to and from him. He sounds real committed to helping.
C O L A increases
2012 COLA Increase
It’s official, military and federal civilian retirees, survivor benefit annuitants, disabled veterans and Social Security recipients will see a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment in January, their first since 2009.
The 3.6% COLA will be effective Dec 1 and will be reflected in January retired pay, SBP, Social Security, and VA disability compensation checks.
COLA is calculated by comparing the average inflation (as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI)) from 3rd quarter 2011 (223.2) to the baseline of 3rd quarter 2008 (215.5). The 2008 baseline must be used because the baselines for 2009 and 2010 were below that figure, and the law doesn’t allow a negative COLA.
For the month of September, the CPI figure is 223.688 -- a 0.2 percent increase from August.
For the Jul-Sep 2011 baseline period, the average CPI was 223.2. That is 3.59% above the 2008 baseline of 215.5, which rounds to 3.6% under the COLA law.
It’s official, military and federal civilian retirees, survivor benefit annuitants, disabled veterans and Social Security recipients will see a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment in January, their first since 2009.
The 3.6% COLA will be effective Dec 1 and will be reflected in January retired pay, SBP, Social Security, and VA disability compensation checks.
COLA is calculated by comparing the average inflation (as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI)) from 3rd quarter 2011 (223.2) to the baseline of 3rd quarter 2008 (215.5). The 2008 baseline must be used because the baselines for 2009 and 2010 were below that figure, and the law doesn’t allow a negative COLA.
For the month of September, the CPI figure is 223.688 -- a 0.2 percent increase from August.
For the Jul-Sep 2011 baseline period, the average CPI was 223.2. That is 3.59% above the 2008 baseline of 215.5, which rounds to 3.6% under the COLA law.
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