October 19, 2010 07:17 PM UTC

Veterans Hit Buck on VA "Outsourcing" Support

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• by: Colorado Pols

That in the press advisory we got from the Colorado AFL-CIO, based on video of Buck’s appearance on Face the Nation late last month (right):

DENVER-U.S. Senate candidate Ken Buck has demonstrated some extreme views, but Veteran’s are up in arms about his stance on wanting to privatize the Veterans’ Administration Hospitals. He declared on Face the Nation that he was in favor of outsourcing the running VA Hospitals to private for- profit corporations. Care of veterans should be a top priority for this country and turning their well-being into a for-profit corporate care machine devalues their distinguished service in keeping America safe.

“Ken Buck’s idea to outsource the VA is horrible,” said Paul Doherty, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force who works for the VA as a program support assistant at the Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Colorado Springs and is the president of AFGE Local 2430. “People go into business to make money. We, workers at the VA, are in the business of taking care of patients–veterans. The veteran is the primary reason for our work. When dealing with a business, the almighty dollar is the reason, and not the patient.  That isn’t right.  It’s outrageous that Buck would endanger the care of our veterans by privatizing their care and services.”

…Tina DeSautels, a veteran of the U.S. Army says, “The VA provides critical services and care for those who have sacrificed so much for our country.  To protect our veterans, we must make sure we don’t have for-profit companies trying to make money off the backs of our veterans. This makes me sick.  The VA was set up so that private companies do not make a profit off of us. And that’s the way it should be. We have thousands of veterans, and we have candidates like Ken Buck who are continually attacking veterans.  While it’s outrageous, unfortunately it’s not surprising.  Right wing candidate after right wing candidate have talked about privatizing the VA, privatizing social security and ending the minimum wage.”

For more on this subject, including notes on the 460,000 veterans in Colorado who aren’t going to like Buck’s opinion of their beloved VA either, check out this recent diary.