I use to take the greyhound over the pass back and forth from Ellensburg to Seattle. I started to notice that a lot of my fellow passengers were veterans headed to Seattle to get medical treatment.
There aren’t that many facilities for veterans in the Pacific Northwest. That’s why it’s great to see a new outpatient clinic in Walla Walla. I’m sure a lot of veterans will save hours on the bus (and get treatment faster!) with a new clinic in Walla Walla.
The Seattle Times has the story:
Obama signs law to OK Walla Walla VA renovation
President Barack Obama has signed a law authorizing the Department of Veterans Affairs to build a new outpatient clinic at the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center in Walla Walla.
By The Associated Press
WALLA WALLA — President Barack Obama has signed a law authorizing the Department of Veterans Affairs to build a new outpatient clinic at the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center in Walla Walla.
The VA has said it will spend $71.4 million to design and build the clinic, which will serve veterans from Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, who pushed to save the Walla Walla center and helped approve money for the new clinic, notes that just six years ago the VA proposed shutting it down. Now, the hospital not only will remain open but will be modernized. Murray says that’s a victory for thousands of veterans.
As you can see, the credit for ensuring this clinic is open goes to Sen. Patty Murray who fought for years to get this clinic open.
Now, let me get to the point. Did Doc Hastings help? Did he do anything? Nope. Nada. Nothing. In fact, the vote in the House on this appropriation was November 2nd and Doc Hastings missed it. Yep, you heard me. Missed IT! See for yourself here.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Central Washington has one lazy congressman. It’s time for him to go….
It was reported on NPR this morning that the facility serves close to 70,000 veterans. Hastings apparently feels those people are insignificant, and their sacrifices not worthy. Tax breaks for the wealthy are much more of a priority in Hastings’ narrow mind, than caring for our veterans.
If they had to ride the bus to Seattle they will have to ride the bus to Walla Walla too.
The distance to both is about the same from Yakima.
Don,t get me wrong here, I think the clinic is needed badly but would be better in the tri-cities area as it is more central to Eastern Washington overall.
I have had to take family to the Seattle hospital before, it is a nightmare to get anything done as the place is huge.
One more thing, I agree that Doc is along with many others from both dems and reps, is a poster child for term limits
Well said stick, it would be better for people in Yakima, but how about people in Idaho, Oregon and elsewhere–it is help for the most people, most conveniently—and the Wainwright center is already established there with all the staff and experience. You nailed Doc…he is a no goodnik. I was served very well by the WW facility.
Except stik forgets there is a mtn pass in between that is closed to traffic occasionally due to bad weather. Stik, don’t forget Doc signed the term limits clause in the Contract On America. The repugs came up with the idea and dropped it later on, just like Doc has let the veterans down.
mainstreet
Stick did not forget about the pass.
The contract with America is old news that everyone but you has forgotten, you need to get over it.
Why should we forget it? Newt said it was something Americans could count on, yet it is was over and done with in a year, largely because cons couldn’t keep the commitment. When Hastings says he supports the troops, it’s actually another failed commitment, by yet another con. Do you think Hastings should get a pass on this?
lets not be so harsh on Doc, after all he served as a great lapdog to Tom Delay and he was outstanding delaying any investigations of his fellow house party members. And of course he has great ideas about providing universal health care!
Google Doc Hastings+Jack Abramhoff
Doc did not vote on a number of veterans bills that were passed just this month:
H RES 868: Honoring and Recognizing the Service and Achievements of Current and Former Female Members of the Armed Forces
S 509: To Authorize a Major Medical Facility Project at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Walla Walla, Washington, and for Other Purposes
H RES 291: Recognizing the Crucial Role of Assistance Dogs in Helping Wounded Veterans Live More Independent Lives, Expressing Gratitude to the Tower of Hope, and Supporting the Goals and Ideals of Creating a Tower of Hope Day
H R 1168: Veterans Retraining Act of 2009
Yes and he had the audacity to show up for Veterans events in his district.
More reasons why the execrable dick Dick Hastings, needs to go: He collects Medicare but is against public financing of health care. (see Anthony Weiner http://weiner.house.gov/news_display.aspx?id=1364) He also has the cadillac Congressional healthcare package and the various percs that go with that. I just despise Hastings, the lying lazy ass.
Well, based on your diatribe in here, I’m sure he shall surely lose the next election…
Although I’d be willing to bet $300.00 he doesn’t….any takers?
I doubt it…just mouths with keyboards.
neal, it’s pretty simple here- given Dick Hastings’ poor record of funding things like the Walla Walla VA facility, shouldn’t the citizens call him out when he claims to be a flag-waving supporters of our troops? Like other cons, he’ll take credit for the funding for something in his district, even when he did not vote for it. Bluesky is correct when stating that Hastings enjoys one of the best health care coverage plans available to Americans today, at YOUR expense, but that not everybody is as deserving as he. He enjoys socialized medicine, but tells the microphones it’s bad for America.
Drew
I saw you wrote that Doc Hastings has socialized medicine….how so? We are his employers, and therefore we pay for his health care insurance, but it is not a government health care system…he gets his insurance from the same companies that provide us with health care insurance…he gets to pick and choose what plan is best for him, but it is not government insurance, it is private insurance that we pay for. Nice try.
Actually jason, you are half right. Just the wrong half. Dick Hastings gets to choose from 32 different plans, which is a lot more than pretty much anyone else in America. The costs of that care (which you are paying for) is kept low in two ways: first, because there is so much competition when you have 32 plans to choose from, they naturally fight to get their plans accepted by the individuals. Secondly, the companies have to bid openly to the government, by offering their lowest prices in the first place, which results in even more cost savings. But it is insurance with mandatory cost-controls, no deductibles, no co-pays, and none of the “pre-existing conditions” exclusions that your insurance has. Don’t try to sell us on your wet dream that Dick Hastings has the same insurance coverage as you, because that would be a lie. Moreover, millions of Americans have NO health insurance coverage, yet are paying taxes so people like Dick Hastings can get his.
And yes, it is socialized medicine, according to the definition provided by Newscorp, because it is taxpayer-subsidized.
Care to guess which country has the exact same system for all of it’s citizens, without exception?
Drew…what exactly is your argument here?
Doc Hastings gets the same health care as does the entire legislative branch of the US government, most of whom now are DEMOCRATS. The same coverage the new candidate would get if he were elected (obviously not something drew believes will happen)
So what’s the beef here?
As drew has chosen to fall back on 3rd grade name calling here, I guess this message is approved by:
Barack Hussein al-O’Bama
neal, it’s too bad that you haven’t been paying attention. Why don’t you go back and read the comments again (or for the first time).
And what name calling occurred here, neal? Newt?
Doc still has the same plan everybody in Congress has. And when all of them decide to take the same plan they’re trying to ram down my throat, I’ll be a little bit appeased. Until then, it’s a red herring.
That’s the same “plans”, neal. Plural. As in many. It’s called choices, and when you’re watching Neil Cavuto, and he’s trying to tell you that the government is trying to take away your choices (or doctors, or MRIs, or medications, or any of the thousand other lies Fox News is spreading to protect the health care industry), he won’t be telling you that Dick Hastings gets 32 plans to choose from- you don’t. Neither Hastings nor Fixed News will tell you the truth that you are paying for their health care.
neal, jason couldn’t answer the question above, so it’s yours, and it’s really easy- Which nation, with a democratically elected government, has a health plan for every citizen, regardless of their income, that is a mirror image of the one that the 535 members of the U.S. Congress have (and refuse to give up)?