"Death by a Thousand Cuts"

Our VA continues to dwindle. The cutting continues while ads on TV state that the government cares. "Please call. Get help, etc., etc."

Let me count the ways.....We had 7 primary physicians in 1998, while today we have 2, soon to be zero, zilch, Nada. One is retiring and one is being forced out. Neither will be replaced. In the past we had 17 pharmacists. Today, far less. We had 3 psychiatrists. Today we have none. Is it any wonder that veterans kill themselves from lack of proper monitoring of their drug usage?

For over 100 years we have housed the South Dakota State Veterans Home for retired veterans. Today they are improving it so our veterans can live out their years in the peaceful serenity of the southern Black Hills. One advantage for our veterans was the use of our VA across the town for most of their medical needs. Now these veterans are told that they can no longer have use of the VA hospital since they no longer have the personnel to service them. Of course, they don't have the staff since they have been making cuts for the past years.

The VA made many promises they continue to un-make. One of their promises was to keep the VA at full capacity until after the EIS study was complete. It is not completed but they continue to deplete the resources.

Promise after promise is ignored, while they continue to make the cuts. Our veterans have to travel further and further to receive medical care. Oh, yes, the VA said they could receive help at our local hospital. We are all aware about that decision. Some veterans will go there with costs to the hospital that they will not be able to absorb. The VA can treat for less cost. Eventually the local guys will have to refuse the veterans without private insurance or Medicare/Medicaid because they will not be able to afford their care. In addition, most of our veterans do not wish to go to a non-VA hospital.

Let me get this straight.....our men and women served our country with one of the benefits being life-time health care. Okay, the government says they will continue to honor that promise in large city VA facilities, or in the regular community hospitals. Our veterans from rural areas do not wish to, or cannot  travel to the cities and they do not wish to go to public hospitals, or, in the long run, will not be able to go to them without private insurance.

The rural VA hospitals will continue to vanish, along with the hopes and trust of our veterans. The future is grim for those who served. There are more of us than just the veterans who are losing hope in our VA administration with their distorted data and a stream of broken promises.

Some say that our community is made up of more than 50% veterans. Many moved here because of this extraordinary VA. Many live here because they work at this VA. As cuts are made, more people move away to follow the jobs. Where will the veterans who live here and shun the large cities make their homes?

Does anyone in power in Washington really care? It is long past time for wondering.