Then, on the other hand, are the numerous suicides, and recent Phoenix VA scandals, VA backlogs and rural VA closures around the country. What is wrong with this picture? We send our soldiers to other countries to "protect our freedoms," but when they return they wait months for care, become homeless, lose jobs and get lost in the cracks of our "freedoms".
We in the Veterans Town face this reality daily. The VA is trying to close one of the best VA facilities in this country for PTSD, substance abuse, brain trauma and other emotional issues located for over 100 years on the hill overlooking our town. They have been bleeding services over the past 15 years as I have written about in my book, Reveille in Hot Springs.
Recently I wrote about the VA cutting the funding for our veterans in our domiciliary to enjoy the facilities of our local health club known as The Plunge. Our city, which now owns the Plunge, decided that these veterans should not be penalized from the use of our healing mineral waters, and told the veterans that they could gain access for a $2.00 fee. The VA (funded by taxpayers) would pay nothing. We thought it was a win-win for the veterans and the VA.
Guess what? Are you ready for this? This week two of the employees at the VA called the Plunge to tell them (tell them--not ask, not negotiate, not talk to the mayor who is in charge) that veterans could no longer show their meal tickets as identification for the reduced fee for use of all of the facilities of the Plunge health club. They used some lame excuse such as confidentiality. I say lame because only recently the VA paid several thousand dollars a year for the veterans to make use of the Plunge by showing proof of their being in treatment in the Dom. The veterans who may have been concerned about confidentiality would pay full price for admittance or would not go to the Plunge. It was their decision.
What is wrong with this picture? Does this show a caring VA? Are they really interested in helping our veterans regain a place in society? This VA was built here originally because of the serene, beautiful valley with the warm, flowing mineral waters. Now the veterans who cannot afford full rates, many of whom are homeless at this time, will be denied a support to their healing.
The VA is not choosing win-win, but rather, it seems to me, a lose-lose. But someone must win in all of this. We know it is not the veterans, the town or the taxpayers. Who stands to gain from this mess?
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