Altoona-area veterans facing more travel for VA care (to Pittsburgh)

[RamboLiberal]

And this area votes Bush - when will they learn! And as someone who travels to Altoona in the summer and worries about the weather then - that will be one miserable trip off that mountain in the winter or during bad weather.

Veterans may be forced to drive more than two hours for some medical procedures that had been done locally in the past, according to Veterans Affairs officials.

Major spending cutbacks at Van Zandt VA Medical Center in Altoona forced the outsourcing of orthopedics, dermatology, neurosurgery and other treatments to VA hospitals in Pittsburgh, said Van Zandt spokeswoman Cheryl Thompson.

Veterans Affairs officials say the effect will be profound for an untold number of former soldiers.

There are 21,000 veterans in Cambria County alone, but the center in neighboring Blair County treats veterans from several surrounding counties, as well as from West Virginia and Maryland.

<snip>

U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., said the Bush administration has underfunded the VA every year.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04364/434353.stm

[bleedingheart]

1. You would think they would figure it out...but nope....

perhaps one day the ones that vote republican will figure it out...

[Wheaty]

2. The Sad Thing Is

The sad thing is: The VA cuts were top news here in Blair County before the elections. In fact the whole VA hospital was threatening to shut down completely.

The problem is the local joke news media turned it into a big "Yay!!! The VA Hospital Won't Close the Gov't is our Hero" story.

One didn't have to be a rocket surgeon to figure out they were going to have to make some serious cuts in services to stay open.

Despite that these blind fools voted for Bush 66%

Total Pct
DEM-JOHN F. KERRY / JOHN EDWARDS . . 17,972 33.44
REP-GEORGE W. BUSH / DICK CHENEY . . 35,422 65.91


http://www.blairco.org/election/2004General/accum.htm