Battle for VA hospital keeps moving along
By TRETO GARZA
Veterans from the Rio Grande Valley have met with Ana Maria Garcia, a member of Sen. John Cornyn’s office, to discuss the Veterans Affairs Strategic Capital Investment Plan — known as SCIP — and what it means to South Texas veterans.
Garcia, Texas regional director and Community Outreach Advisor for Cornyn, said she would relay the veterans’ concerns to Cornyn’s Washington office of Military and Veterans Affairs person, Dave Hanke.
She also listened to other suggestions presented to her and advised the veterans they must continue their efforts, that too much work has been done. Cornyn supports the efforts, she added.
The SCIP mentionsthe Surgical and Ambulatory Medical Center in Harlingen. Veterans are asking the senator’s office to find out if the Harlingen center will be on thepriority list of projects to be addressed.
The SCIP was made possible with the passing of PL No.112-74 on Dec. 23, 2011. This is the end result of the Military and Veterans Affairs and Other Related Agencies Construction Appropriations Bill 2055 that U.S. Rep Henry Cuellar had attached to his bill (HB 1318), which calls for the expansion of the surgical center in to a full medical servvices center, to legislation in June of last year.
“It is not a done deal,” said Joe Ibarra, “but as least we know where to concentrate our efforts and the target is Lt. Gen. Eric Shinseki, secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Pete Garza, commander of DAV Chapter 121, also said “that a lot of work needs to b don to keep up the progress made on the VA hospital. We need to move forward on this, not backwards.”
Among those present with the meeting with Ana Garcia, were Ibarra,(U.S. Army war veteran retired) Pete Garza(USMC) Arturo Treto Garza (USMC) and IreneT. Garza.
This is not going to happen. There will be no hospital. We have what we are going to get. Laredo will have a Clinic, CC will have a clinic, Mcallen will get a new clinic and that is it. El FIN. What a waste of time by our veterans thinking they could beat the VA.
And what a waste of money it would be to build a VA hospital down here when we have the facilities already in place. There needs to be a new way of looking at this. The Vets should be served, and served well…but there are more efficient means to this end.
i wrote to this general shinseki some time back, never heard from him, very busy, very busy. Im sorry to say but i really now beleive that the Va really has no and never had any intentions of building a hospital here in the RGv even when i had a land doner who was willing to give them 30 acres close to harlingen, yet when i traveled to washington dc, no one was willing to listen to me. i have given up but i still have hope and pray to God that our prayers are listen to one of these days and maybe just maybe i can see a VA hospital before i die.
What’s the difference between a VA hospital and a regular hospital where the vets have their bills paid?
After World War I ended it was referred to as the world war to end all wars. Then came World War II, another great victory and with the Atom Bomb, no more wars. Then came Korea, a police action to prevent the Chinese Communist from taking over South Korea. A decade or so after came Vietnam. Recently we have had Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. And those skirmishers or two that our military has been involved like, Beirut, Kosovo, Panama, Grenada, etc. All of these actions have repercussions that affect our troops long after they are released from active duty. Does the government have the responsibility to care for them? Hell yes! A VA hospital is needed here in south Texas for our Veterans. The VA system understands the anomalies faced by our veterans better than most medical providers. The VA hospital is long overdue! It’s not a given our Veterans deserve it.