The GOP CUT VA Health Spending! [Ummm… no.]

dad whats math 2ECONOMICS 101: What is “Spending”?
I won’t name any names, but someone that stood beside me at our wedding used to think spending one hundred bucks on something on sale for 50% off didn’t mean she spent $100 that day, it meant she’d SAVED us one hundred dollars.

Reality: No… she SPENT $100.

Spending is what you pay out
Just spending less than you might have spent is not CUTTING spending.

WHICH BRINGS US TO DEMOCRATS
The hardcore Obama groupies say the problem in the VA scandal is the GOP CUT spending on VA Health. Easy enough to check. What are the Federal budget spending numbers for VA Health med care in 2008 vs 2013?

  • 2008: Hospital and medical care for veterans = $37 Billion (SOURCE)
  • 2013: Hospital and medical care for veterans = $52.5 Billion (SOURCE)

Hmm… so a 42% INCREASE is a spending CUT?

SIMPLE FACT: Throwing money at a problem isn’t a “fix
Increasing a budget CAN be part of a “fix”, but it isn’t a fix. Increasing cash to the VA healthcare doesn’t begin to suggest Obama was serious when he campaigned on his “sense of urgency” about this. As in the case of the most expensive non-working website in history, he threw money at it in huge numbers, and HOPED things would work without ever checking.

“Hope” is nice, but it isn’t a strategy, and it darn sure isn’t leadership.

MANAGEMENT 101: “Inspect what you Expect”
Leadership isn’t about money, it’s about obtaining favorable RESULTS.

  • Oversight is important.
  • Holding people accountable is important.
  • Setting an example of careful use of resources is important.

Obama knows none of this because he’s never run so much as a lemonade stand. He campaigned about how he’d fix this problem, but had no experience actually running things, so he just spent more money without oversight and without accountability.

And all the while the executive branch from the White House down spent money on lavish trinkets and baubles and giveaways to their friends like spoiled children with their daddy’s credit card.

OBAMA-MATH-IS-HARD-HOPE-IS-EASYFor the record… it’s not daddy’s card, it’s your unborn grandchild’s
Spending future generations into the poorhouse isn’t going to fix the problems we face. Electing experienced, effective leaders is our only chance.

The time is past when we can afford empty suits with the ability to read teleprompters. We don’t need leaders elected based on the joy of seeing “the first {whatever} elected president”. If you elect people based on anything but a track record of positive results, frankly you’re too stupid to vote.

 

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Obama heard it on the news… [Collectors Addition]

As mentioned earlier…

President Obama has a long and colorful history of  I heard it on the news at the same time you did statements. For your viewing pleasure, some kind person recorded a compendium or these, including such popular hits as the IRS scandal, the VA scandal, Fast and Furious and more.

Be aware they appear to have missed some, but you get the idea. As the meme goes… At NO point was the Obama administration aware of what the Obama administration was up to. See for yourself:

 

Being somewhat geezerlike, I recall going through this with Nixon

His ONLY defense to prove he wasn’t a dishonest scoundrel was that he was clueless and his subordinates ran amuck like larcenous monkeys.

Given that Obama actually campaigned in ’07 and ’08 on FIXING VA Healthcare and mentioned the long wait times, the idea this was a huge surprise seems odd.

PRESS RELEASE – Obama Discusses Plan to Improve Veterans Care  — LINK

The press release includes the following:

“It’s not enough to lay a wreath on Memorial Day, or to make a speech on Veteran’s Day,” Obama said. “When a veteran is denied health care, we are all dishonored. When 400,000 veterans are stuck on a waiting list for claims, we need a new sense of urgency in this country. And when we’ve got young veterans of a misguided war in Iraq sleeping on the streets of our cities and towns, we need a change in Washington.”

Obama said that he will improve medical care for veterans and help eliminate bureaucratic backlogs that delay disability claims by making sure that every service-member has individual electronic medical and service records that immediately transfer to the (VA) system. Obama also said he will hire additional VA claims raters and set up programs to get homeless veterans off the streets.

Obama said that he will improve medical care for veterans and help eliminate bureaucratic backlogs that delay disability claims by making sure that every service-member has individual electronic medical and service records that immediately work with the (VA) system. Obama also said he will hire additional VA claims raters and convert all veterans’ benefits paperwork into electronic records to speed up applications. Finally, Obama said he will establish a zero tolerance policy for vets falling into homelessness.

“As President, I won’t stand for hundreds of thousands of veterans waiting for benefits. We’ll hire additional claims workers,” Obama said. “We’ll bring together veterans groups and the VA to work out a claims process that is fair and fast. And instead of shutting veterans out, we’ll make sure that our disabled vets receive the benefits they deserve, and we’ll allow all veterans back into the VA health care system. And we’ll have a simple policy when it comes to homeless veterans: zero tolerance. We’ll expand housing vouchers. We’ll set up a new supportive services program to prevent at-risk veterans and their families from sliding into homelessness. We’ll stand with veterans in their hour of need, just as they have stood up for us.”

Senator Obama is a member of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

So regardless of when he learned they were cooking the books…

…He campaigned on fixing the wait times, so the idea he was unaware of issues trips the BS meter. What happened to the “new sense of urgency” he mentioned? Does he need to lay off a round or two of golf and review the list of stuff he promised to do if elected president?

And before we drag in a do-nothing-congress explanation…

…Bear in mind he had a majority in BOTH houses his first two years. I swear… if Democrats had the only car on the racetrack they’d still say they need a tailwind.

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I’m Rob Jones… and I approve this message.

Obama: I heard about it on the news. [again]

Can’t decide whether to be annoyed or disgusted that the leader of the free world, the man who arguably controls one of the greatest spying apparatuses ever assembled, never has a clue what his own administration is up to until he turns on the evening news?

This is for you.

Who knew it’d been going on so long?

Honolulu Sun Times

Fake you say?

Hey, watch it. Calling docs from Hawaii “fake” means you’re a racist.

I'm Rob Jones... and I approve this message.
I’m Rob Jones… and I approve this message.