Bill Richardson on Healthcare for our Soldiers

Governor Bill Richardson has sent out a worthy email about the disgustingly negligent treatment of our soldiers when they are injured. He hits the nail on the head: we should be ashamed of the way Bush has sent our soldiers to fight in a war with no purpose and no exit strategy, and when they are injured in the course of this war, we do not take proper care of them. When I diaried about my disgust at the way this administration is viewed by the world and how badly Bush behaves abroad, I was accused of celebrating. But celebrating is not what I am doing. I am expressing anger at the embarassment we have to go through with this administration and with the Halliburton Republicans who support war profiteering over the suffering of our soldiers.

I am not endorsing Richardson, but I have highlighted things said and done by John Edwards, Tom Vilsack and Barak Obama. I am now happy to highlight something good being done by Bill Richardson.

Here is Governor Richardson's message:

We should be ashamed. When our government sends our military men and women to war, we enter into a covenant to provide care for the injured and protection for those in harm's way. Our soldiers have been sent into a war we cannot win with insufficient equipment; and now, when they return wounded in the line of duty, our government has failed to provide the quality care our service people deserve. Our government has broken the covenant, and shamefully failed our troops.

I am tired of being ashamed of the failings of this Administration. Our veterans need help now. I will not wait for this Administration to do right thing. I will not wait for Congress to hold their hearings and assess blame. I am taking action.

And I am asking you to do the same.

Call on your state's Governor to join me in finding state funding for the care our returning soldiers deserve, but our federal government seems unwilling or unable to provide.

This week I asked the New Mexico Legislature to increase the state funding for services for the 180,000 veterans here in my state. We will:

* Fund $1.65 million in facility upgrades at state-run veterans' centers.
* Add $650,000 to the Telehealth program, increasing access to veterans unable to get care at a local center.
* Pass funding for additional veterans' services officers.
* Double the budget for training therapists in effective treatments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
* Add a new primary care clinic to the new nursing facility being built at Fort Bayard in Silver City.
* Convene a task force to better coordinate all of these services.

I'm not sure what is more outrageous-the conditions at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center or the anemic response by President Bush. Regardless, our military men and women need proper care immediately. And if we can't count on the federal government to meet its responsibilities to our service people, we must turn to the states. If we can do it in New Mexico, we can do it across the county. It is time to stop waiting and start getting things done.

Contact your Governor now.

I will add that we have to bring our troops out of this insane war with no purpose and no exit strategy. Jerry Nadler's bill, HR 455, is the best way to do this, protecting our troops, preventing a surge and requiring a withdrawal. So far there are only 13 co-sponsors of this bill. Please contact your Congressional Rep. (Dem or Rep!!) and ask him or her to co-sponsor this bill.

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