Veterans Travel Equity Act

[Friday]

For half a second, when I first read this, I thought it was an Onionesque joke and that my Congressman had a sense of humor.  Then the second half of the second kicked in.   

[message from my Congresscritter]
Co-Sponsored Legislation to Help Veterans with Soaring Gas Prices

On Tuesday I stood with New Hampshire veterans and I announced that I would co-sponsor the Veterans Travel Equity Act, bipartisan legislation that would increase the mileage reimbursement rate for veterans traveling to receive health care. This came after learning last week that the Bush Administration would not support a full service VA Hospital in Manchester and as New Hampshire veterans continue to grapple with record high gas prices.

With gas prices setting new records again and again this year, it is costing New Hampshire veterans more to drive those long distances to get the care they desperately need. Veterans are paying more and having to drive further to get important medical coverage and that is plain wrong. [editorial emoticon:  ]

The Veterans Travel Equity Act would increase the mileage reimbursement for veterans seeking health care at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities, so that it is the same as the mileage reimbursement rate available to federal employees—currently 50.5 cents per mile.

The bill also eliminates the income and pension eligibility requirements and service-connected disability rating requirements. [editorial comment: WTF?! ] Under current law, only veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 30 percent or more qualify for or receive the reimbursement.

The Bush Administration is adding insult to injury to New Hampshire veterans by not upgrading the Manchester facility to a full service hospital. The least we can do for New Hampshire veterans is to help with record high gas prices so they can receive the care they have earned.

[Russell Kanning]

free "healthcare" ... why not free gas as well?

if it wasn't for those US vets ... how high a gas price would we all be paying? $1 or $2

[Lex]

50 cents per mile?!?!?!  That means these veterans are driving 8 MPG vehicles?? Even a Hummer gets better gas mileage at 10 MPG in the city. These veterans must be driving their tanks to their doctors appointment. 

[John Edward Mercier]

The rate is set for deductible 'wear' on a vehicle.

The price of gas without the veterans? Not sure what that means.

[Pat K]

It's for the veterans is the next it's
for the children, rally cry of tax and spenders.

[Puke]

If it's that much of a problem the vets need to move closer to the hospital.

[Lloyd Danforth]

The rate is set for deductible 'wear' on a vehicle.

The price of gas without the veterans? Not sure what that means.

He probably means that had not veterans enabled the federal government's efforts to invade and occupy other countries, both our economy and our reputation among the countries that supply oil would be in better shape.

[John Edward Mercier]

Imagine you have a product I want... do you price it higher or lower if I have a gun to your head?
What happens when you are free to set the price and a higher price is in your best interest?

Its really a complex tactical equation as to whether Iran would try to increase the price of crude by restricting passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

The focus of oil markets at this moment is based on demand growth in China and India... along with supply restrictions in Nigeria and Brazil.

[Friday]

I wrote to this !@#$%# joker to ask him to please oppose House Concurrent Resolution 362, the effort to push Iran into going to war with us by imposing economic sanctions a la Japan pre-Pearl Harbor attack. He wrote back to let me know he's a cosponsor.   Shit, my rep in California was better than this (at least on foreign policy). 

Addendum: On second thought, I was too kind.  This isn't an effort to "push Iran into going to war with us"; it's an act of war against Iran.
http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/06/23/iran-war-resolution-may-be-passed-next-week/

[John Edward Mercier]

I wouldn't worry... economic sanctions against Iran generally don't work. Too many countries willing to 'cheat'. China and France would both tell the US where to go... China might even show us where.