PAX Centurion - January / February 2015

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • January/February 2015 • Page 27 Expires December 2014 P resident Pat Rose has asked me to continue this section of the PAX which he started to address topics and issues of con- cern to those members of the BPPA who are alsoVeterans. I was a little more than apprehensive. I always look forward to, and enjoyed reading Pat's article. However, I was just not quite sure what to write about. Then the Federal Budget came out. President Barack Obama submitted his FY2016 Budget on Mon- day, February 2 nd . In what can only be the most cynical political ploy since delaying amnesty until after the general election. TheWhite House has now announced plans to gut and reallocate funds for the Veteran Choice Card Program. A program he worked for and signed into law inAugust of 2014, just six short months ago. ConcernedVeterans for American issued a statement in part, Given his consistent refusal to propose meaningful reforms to how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates – or to demonstrate bold leadership in fixingVA health care – we weren’t expecting much from the president’s FY2016 budget. What we didn’t expect was for him to outright undermine reforms he just signed into law.  It is outrageous that President Obama is proposing to reallocate funds away from the Veteran Choice Card Program and instead move those funds into the VA’s broken single-payer healthcare system. This budget action would have the effect of denying many veterans the choice to access private health care, thereby forcing them to stay in a VA health care system that has failed, for too long, to provide care in a timely manner – sometimes with deadly consequences.  With this proposal, President Obama is placing preserving the current VA system over the needs, and preferences, of our veterans. He is undermining the very reforms he signed into law before they are fully implemented, making it quite clear that he has no desire to truly reform the VA. The Veteran Choice Card Program allowed veterans experienc- ing problems getting treatment like living more than 40 miles away from a VA facility the option of seeking medical care at other medical facilities. Sen. John H. Isakson (R-GA), the Chairman of the Senate Committee onVeterans' Affairs stated, “It is unacceptable to me that the president would begin to dismantle the Veterans’Access, Choice andAccountabilityAct of 2014, that he just signed into law last August, by taking the resources allocated to enact this legislation for use elsewhere.” We all need to know the issues manyVeterans have been dealing with the Veteran’s Administration around the country. Here in Mas- sachusetts, a VietnamVeteran was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2011. He was seeking treatment at the BostonVA facility but in 2012 requested a switch to the Bedford facility which is closer to their Ac- ton home. He died four months later without a response. That is until 22 months after his death when they got a letter stating he could call for an appointment. The letter ended with an ironic “We are commit- ted to providing primary care in a timely manner and would greatly appreciate a prompt response.” FortyVeterans died in a PhoenixVA facility waiting for health- care. The VA Office of the Inspector General found in May of 2014 elaborate schemes to falsify records in order to hide waiting times for medical appointments at VA hospitals across the country. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans reports that about 40% of all homeless veterans areAfricanAmerican or Hispanic, despite only accounting for 10.4% and 3.4% of the U.S. veteran Veteran’s Corner: Dennis Murphy Obama to gut Veteran Choice Card Program population, respectively....Why are veterans homeless? In addition to the complex set of factors influencing all homelessness – extreme shortage of affordable housing, livable income and access to health care – a large number of displaced and at-risk veterans live with lin- gering effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse, which are compounded by a lack of family and social support networks. Additionally, military occupations and training are not always transferable to the civilian workforce, placing some veterans at a disadvantage when competing for employment. The VA estimates at least 15 percent of veterans returning from the wars in Iraq andAfghanistan suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, with some surveys suggesting that figure could be as high as 30 percent. These are a shocking statistics that highlight the need for more support for our Veterans, not less. But what else should one expect from an administration that has, after so much empty words of support, always shows contempt for our warriors in it's action. Let us never forget the Department of Homeland Security issued a report in 2009 that identified return- ing combat veterans as worrisome terrorist and criminal threats to America. Veterans generally do not complain, as a group, or as individuals, because we were not trained that way. We take quiet satisfaction in our service, and pride in our abilities as independent individuals. It is that very mindset that is making it difficult for our fellow veterans that need it to get the support the deserve. If you are not involved as a member of one of the many national veterans’ groups, you should seriously start thinking about joining one today. Sports trivia… From Sports Trivia on page 25 1. The oldest franchise in the NFL that has never played in the Super Bowl is the Detroit Lions. 2. The Denver Broncos have lost five Super Bowls in the history of the game. 3. The first outfielder to be namedWorld Series MVP is Orioles right fielder Frank Robinson in 1966. 4. Johnny Gaudreau who played at Boston College was named the 2014 winner of the Hobey Baker Award which is given annually to the best player in college hockey. He currently plays in the NHL for the Calgary Flames. 5. The last two players to share aWorld Series MVPAward were pitchers Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling for the 2001Arizona Diamondbacks. 6. Yankees Hall of Famer Whitey Ford holds the career record for strikeouts in theWorld Series with 94. 7. TheAtlanta Hawks were the first NBA team to reach forty victo- ries this season on January 31, 2015. 8. The only player in MLB history to score five runs in a games without getting a base hit is Cincinnati Reds second baseman and Hall of Famer Joe Morgan who accomplished the feat on June 30, 1977. 9. In golf, the club commonly referred to as a “Texas Wedge” is a putter. 10. The MLB record for most RBI in a season by a rookie is held by TedWilliams who knocked in 145 runs in 1939.