The President and Veteran's Benefits

By Matt for the TIB Network:

This piece from ONN is a bit misleading.

Veterans in Ohio may soon see the cost of their benefits going up. President Bush's budget plan increases fees to help pay for services, and critics in Congress are not happy about it.

Among the most unpopular choices is a doubling of co-payments for prescriptions, and a $250 annual fee charged veterans seeking health care.
...
The Veterans Administration estimates more than 200,000 vets would leave the VA health care system rather than pay the higher fees.

[NOTE: What I cut from the blockquote above was Ted Strickland (D) politicizing veterans affairs.]

What has the President done and what is he propsing in the 2005 budget?

# The President is committed to honoring our Nation’s veterans, and has proposed unprecedented levels of funding for veterans. His Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) represents an increase in overall funding for our Nation’s veterans of almost $20 billion – or 40 percent – since FY 2001. It includes a 41 percent funding increase in veterans’ medical care spending since FY 2001. President Bush’s VA medical care budget increases enable the VA to meet its core medical mission – to serve our highest- priority veterans, including low-income veterans, those with service-related disabilities, and those who need the VA’s specialized services.

What the President would like to see happen, as I understand it, is a dropping the income level of those who qualify for veteran's benefits. Meaning that the rich, fat cat veterans who can pay for their own care would actually do that. The result of that is that more money would then be available for veterans who actually have a financial need for assistance.

Why is ONN throwing softballs at Strickland? I demand answers! Who's heard of ONN? Is there a GannonGuckertAquiddickGate going on here? Enquireing minds want to know.

Mark's Remarks

You see, Matt, this is all part of the liberal psychological disorder of fuzzy numbers. They will say "Veterans are going to be paying more!!!" when the reality is that those veterans who are NOT IN NEED will be paying more....Exactly as you said, more needy vets will have financial assistance. The facts, as is usually the case with liberals, do not back up their propaganda. Bush is committed to veterans and our folks who served/are serving. That is why he has increased military pay, why his budget is full of increased veteran funding. Of course, it must all be a secret HALLIBURTON!CHIMPERORshRUBbushKNEW!(tm) plot or something....if it wasn't so sad, it would be amusing to watch libs go off the deep end....

Islamofascism Delenda Est!