The Badger Herald: Opinion: Veteran funding must be made a national priority

Updated Tuesday, December 8, 2009, at 2:14 a.m.

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Opinion

Veteran funding must be made a national priority

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Also by Danny Spirn:

Changing politics (November 8, 2004)

Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:00 a.m.

2 Vote 0 Votes

We see it every day. Pictures on the news of brave individuals who chose to give up their freedoms in order to serve, fight and possibly die defending our country. Soldiers are given highly respected status within communities; it is considered noble and honorable to serve.

But for politicians this is a much bigger game. Service in the Armed Forces (or lack thereof) was a major premise in the attacks against both major presidential candidates. Kerry’s service in Vietnam was a centerpiece at the Democratic National Convention, while Bush railed the Senator for his voting record on defense legislation. Candidates strive to look strong on defense, and public opinion can be influenced by even the perception of criticism or lackluster support for the military.

So to show respect and compassion for our men and women overseas, how has the president repaid these patriots? By cutting their health benefits in the new $2.5 trillion budget.

Campaign promises to support the military might make the public feel better, as if they are somehow safer from terrorists, but standing for “finishing the job” and “staying the course” do not address a deeper problem our soldiers face today.

This situation forces many veterans to pay a new fee of $250 a year for the right to use government health care, more than doubles the cost of prescription drugs, and forces veteran clinics and hospitals to limit or terminate their services. This comes at a time when our military is engaged abroad with several peacekeeping operations, rebuilding Afghanistan and fighting a bloody ongoing insurgency in Iraq.

In Michigan, veteran clinics have thousand of patients waiting daily for vital medical services, some recently returning from Iraq, unable to obtain the care promised by our government. A Pontiac, Mich., veteran hospital recently put a cap on the number of new patients it can accept this year. An Altoona, Pa., veteran treatment center has begun turning away veterans, forcing them to seek out (and privately fund) alternative treatments. Reports of the same situation are found nationwide.

It is unfortunate for our military that while the Army has been failing to meet recruiting goals, we continue to send a message to potential soldiers that our government is unable to fulfill its obligation to those who serve. It’s an issue that the president ignores, the Republican-controlled House and Senate have yet to correct and the public seems to know little about.

These cuts are an attempt by the Bush administration to reduce the budget deficit, an issue caused by its runaway spending from previous years. Instead of delaying a multi-trillion-dollar social-security privatization plan or repealing a razor-thin margin of the tax cuts for wealthy Americans, President Bush’s budget puts the weight of the problem on the backs of those who already carried this nation far enough.

Democrats and veteran organizations have rightfully opposed the funding cuts and should continue fighting. In response to the opposition, Vice President Cheney argues the administration judiciously identified the programs that would be cut or reduced. “It’s not something we’ve done with a meat ax, nor are we suddenly turning our backs on the neediest people in our society.” Apparently injured and sick soldiers are not needy enough for this administration.

For a president whose campaign relied so heavily on being seen as fully supporting those in combat, this is yet another catastrophic failure and broken promise to the American people.

Danny Spirn (spirn@wisc.edu) is a freshman majoring in political science and communication arts; he is chair of the College Democrats Foreign Affairs Committee.

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