Martha Robertson has no explanation for mangling VA scandal facts (#NY23)
Instead attacks Rep. Tom Reed for hating veterans, or something
I reported on Tuesday how Martha Robertson (Dem challenger NY-23) inaccurately blames VA scandal on underfunding.
The short version is that Robertson, challenging Tom Reed in my home district NY-23, repeated already discredited talking points about the VA scandal supposedly being the result of underfunding. A simple Google search would have revealed a boatload of stories discrediting the claim, including by Politifact.
WETM News has picked up the story after the Reed campaign pointed out Robertson’s inaccuracy.
The VA scandal continues to cause controversy locally with a back and forth of accusations between Rep. Tom Reed and Martha Robertson.
Reed and Robertson continue to hit each other over the VA scandal.
It began after comments Robertson made at a rally Sunday in Seneca Falls. “We see that it’s not a matter of the care that they get once they get access to the care,” said Robertson Sunday. “There’s no question that they are getting quality care and responsive care once they’re in the system. This is a problem of decades of underfunding the system altogether.
”Congressman Reed says that calling the system underfunded isn’t accurate. A Politifact article agrees.
“The VA is fully funded,” said Reed in Corning Wednesday. “They’re actually up 256% in their funding levels. Their staffing levels are up 52%. Last year they ended the year with $450 million left in the bank at the end of the year.”
Reed says he feels the VA scandal paints a troubling picture if the country adopts a single-payer health care system,which Robertson has said she supports. “I think this is the canary in the coal mine, the VA situation, that says that’s the wrong path, the wrong future for America,” said Reed.
Noticeably missing from Robertson’s response was any explanation for her inaccuracy.
Instead, Robertson attacked with irrelevant and inaccurate claims that Reed hates veterans, or something.
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Comments
And, please…
nobody…ever again…recite the canard about inept TEA party types.
Given the state of this country, this notion that GOP establishment incumbents and candidates and Tea Party candidates may be sorted and separated on the basis of competency is absolutely laughable.
IMO those that complain about TP candidates like the direction the country is moving in.
You are doing a good job of distorting the facts. You “Cherry Pick” your data and expect the rest of us to just believe you. You said that the funding tripled since 2001–that was 13 years and two wars ago. Veterans are being served from the Viet Nam era to the present Bush’s Wars that our president has ended or will be ending. The USA Today’s editorial of June 3 said that the VA “is grossly overloaded with veterans under treatment and seeking to get through the door.” There are 400 openings for doctors, the top pay for VAS doctors is less than half the median for doctors in the private sector. Don’t forget it was the Senate Republicans who filibustered the $20 billions to improve the VA system. Don’t worry, now that this ‘SCANDAL” and Bernie Sanders has re-introduced his bill for the VA, and John McCain has no co-sponsored a very similar bill, we’ll see who filibusters it.
I know you are doing your job—trying to shore up your base for Reed, but most people see through it.
Martha was right.
Go away, troll.
You are a liar.
OMG, someone brings up facts that you don’t like! Remain in your own echo chamber as our county continues to decline toward a third word status.
Point out one fact that I mentioned that is incorrect.
OMG, you brought up a lot of bullshit and other general lies.
Point out one “fact” that has any bearing on Jacobson’s piece, you lying POS.
BTW, I looked for a June 3 editorial in USAToday and didn’t find one.
NONE of the deaths of vets at Phoenix were attributable to a lack of funding or docs.
Where they, you lying SOS?
The editorial was in the Elmira Star Gazette on June 3, it was in the USA Today on June 1–here is the link. http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/05/30/veterans-health-scandal-resign-editorials-debates/9769541/
Did Fox News forget to report that information? If you believe that the Phoenix VA had all the doctors, space and equipment the needed, I have a bridge to sell you.
The fact is that the Republicans’ filibuster stopped $20 billion from going to the Veteran Administration to build more hospitals for the returning Veterans. That coupled with the other Bush war victims and those from the Viet Nam era needs a lot of support…and there is a lack money for these great Americans.
Maybe we’ll be lucky and get enough Moderate Republicans to join the Democrats to pass a bill to serve those who have served our country, instead of what happened last February.
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/199480-gop-blocks-veterans-bill
But while doctor shortages and increasing patient loads may be at the root of the delays, neither explain the corrosive culture at certain VA facilities. This culture thought it was okay to set self-deluding goals to see new patients within 14 days. It encouraged and tolerated employees who falsified records to cover up delays.
That goes deep into the DNA of an agency and will need to be changed before other problems can be tackled successfully. So will a top-down management style that made most decisions in Washington and ordered local facilities — in many different parts of the country, with different needs and different resources — to carry them out.|But while doctor shortages and increasing patient loads may be at the root of the delays, neither explain the corrosive culture at certain VA facilities. This culture thought it was okay to set self-deluding goals to see new patients within 14 days. It encouraged and tolerated employees who falsified records to cover up delays.
That goes deep into the DNA of an agency and will need to be changed before other problems can be tackled successfully. So will a top-down management style that made most decisions in Washington and ordered local facilities — in many different parts of the country, with different needs and different resources — to carry them out.
——————–
From your editorial. Which is, at best, an opinion piece.
And NO, lying SOS, Fox did not fail to report any of that. (You’d know if you watch, SOS.)
I understand that the demands are, in fact, DOWN from their peak, with vastly increased funding.
Phoenix was not an aberration, as you’d like to pretend.
Oh, and the wars were NOT “Bush’s wars”, again liar.
But I see you. You LOVE BIG GOVERNMENT. And the VA will always be what it is, maybe with some improvement at the margins, because it is, by its nature, a bureaucratic system afflicted by predicted and systematic FUBAR.
And, as always, your solution is to throw more money in the maw.
What a moron.
Ragspierre and all, The Senate passed the bill I spoke of earlier–you know the Bernie Sanders/John McCain bill that gave needed funds to the VA for Veterans health care.This is the one that the GOP filibustered in February. It points out the Martha was right–the GOP blocked the funding for the Veterans. You guys do a good job of twisting the truth.
BTW, there were only 3 NO votes this time (at least they got to vote, unlike last time when the GOP–may I repeat–the GOP blocked it. Of course the NO votes were from GOP.
The House passed their version with ZERO No Votes. The tow Chambers will meet and agree on the final bill.
Here’s the story incase FOX News forgot to let you know about it:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/06/11/senate-passes-veterans-bill/10330951/
Don’t bother thanking me.