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UAW CHIEF SAYS PRESERVING VA SYSTEM REPAYS DEBT

TO VETERANS -- "...Veterans know that the oath of allegiance

has no expiration date, and in return our allegiance must also

never expire. Active military service may only last a few years,

but the consequences can last a lifetime."

Story here... http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.
dll/article?AID=/20071102/OPINION01/711020357/1008

Story below:

   Learn More about how to get a VA Loan today -- Click Here

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Labor voices

Preserving VA system repays debt to veterans

Ron Gettelfinger

All too often, we take our democratic freedoms for granted.

When we vote for a candidate for school board, on a ballot issue, or whether or not to ratify a union contract -- as UAW members just did at GM and Chrysler -- we don't think twice, because it's a normal way of life for us.

But democracy doesn't happen by accident. Protecting our rights requires great struggle and sacrifice -- and nobody has sacrificed more than the veterans of our uniformed services.

When members of our union help organize new workers, or bargain labor agreements, or advocate in the political arena, we know we can only do so because of the umbrella of freedom that has been defended and protected by the men and women who have served our country.

That's why Veterans Day is more than just another holiday. It's a time to honor those who have protected us -- and a time to give back to those who have given so much to our nation.

In our country, military service crosses every possible barrier. Our veterans did not have the option to say "no" when called to arms because the president happened to be a Democrat or a Republican. They did not get to decide "yes" or "no" to the mission -- whether it was in World War II, or the war in Korea, Viet Nam, Lebanon, Bosnia, Afghanistan or Iraq. Bullets and bombs don't ask if you are white, black, brown or red or Jewish, Catholic, Protestant or Muslim.

Most importantly, veterans know that the oath of allegiance has no expiration date -- and in return our allegiance must also never expire.

Active military service may only last a few years, but the consequences can last a lifetime.

That's why giving back to our veterans is a top priority for our union -- whether it means building a wheelchair ramp for a disabled vet, building a home at the VFW campus in Eaton Rapids for struggling families of veterans, or building support for full funding of veteran's benefits.

Every American was disgusted earlier this year when reports surfaced that our military personnel were receiving substandard care in deplorable conditions at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

But not everyone knows the whole story. The debacle at Walter Reed was not, as many assume, a failure of a publicly-funded hospital. Instead, as Rep. Henry Waxman has discovered, many of the problems there occurred after the Department of Defense decided to outsource key operations to a company run by a former Halliburton executive -- even though the original bidding process showed that government workers could run the facility more cost-effectively.

Walter Reed is run by the Department of Defense, not the Veterans Administration, which continues to operate one of the most highly-regarded medical systems in the United States. The VA demonstrates many of the benefits of single-payer health care, with a sole source of funding that creates accountability, and the capacity to record and retrieve patient information at VA facilities throughout the nation.

The VA health system consistently receives high satisfaction ratings from patients and is a recognized leader in the use of technology to improve the quality of care. In 2004, the VA health system won the Malcolm Baldridge Prize for quality and patient safety improvements.

Even a well-designed medical system, however, needs adequate funding to provide quality services. That's why our union strongly supports a new approach for VA health services, which would replace annual partisan bickering over the budget with a mandatory funding system that requires the government to meet the medical needs of our veterans.

When commanding officers order their troops into battle, compliance isn't voluntary -- it's mandatory. Every day of our lives, in ways large and small, Americans benefit from the courage and dedication of those who served. Taking care of these brave men and women is not optional. It's our duty. Congress must put in place a funding structure that guarantees permanent, stable funding for veterans health care. Our military personnel who served our nation in uniform deserve no less.

Ron Gettelfinger is president of the United Auto Workers.

-------------------------

Larry Scott  --

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