Welfarizing the VA

January 13, 2005

“Welfarizing” the VA

The selling of VA benefits as welfare

Opinion by Larry Scott

It’s a disturbing trend. All around us we see the not-so-subtle positioning of the VA as a gigantic welfare program. The VA is not a welfare program! It’s just that simple. The idiomatic definition of welfare is: Receiving regular assistance from the government or private agencies because of need. Veterans receive benefits not because they “need” anything. Veterans receive their VA benefits because they earned them by their service to our country.

In testimony before the U.S. Senate last year an AMVETS representative said, “As a nation, we owe veterans an enormous debt of gratitude—for their service, their patriotism, and their sacrifices. The benefits to which they are legally entitled are not the product of some social welfare program, as some might argument. Rather they are yet another cost of freedom that unfortunately is too often forgotten.”

Disturbing trend #2 is that those in Washington who have been the most vocal defenders of veterans are being removed from their positions of influence. VA Secretary Anthony J. Principi was asked, or forced, to resign after he publicly expressed dismay that the Bush administration cut $1.2 billion from the FY 2005 VA budget request. Arlan Specter (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, moved to the Judiciary Committee and was replaced by Larry Craig (R-ID). Craig supported the administration’s $1.2 billion cut.

But the biggest blow to veterans came when Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) was removed as Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Smith was universally respected as a friend to veterans and a fighter for increased benefits but strayed from the official Party line one too many times. Not only did he lose the chairmanship, he was removed from the Committee.

Smith has been replaced by Steve Buyer (R-IN). In his first few days as Committee Chair Buyer has managed to offend every veteran’s group in the country. At a time when every veteran knows the VA needs more funding Buyer said, “I want to modernize the system. I am not a defender of bloated bureaucracies.” Buyer then went on to paint a perfectly clear picture of the VA of the future by saying, “Some of the veterans service organizations, they are having this belief that everyone should have open access to the VA system, when in fact I believe that the VA system should follow its core constituency and the intent of Congress when we laid out our priorities, and that was in fact to take care of our disabled and indigent veterans first.” (emphasis mine)

This was NOT an off-the-cuff remark by Rep. Buyer. He was placed in his position by the Republican Party leadership and speaks for the Party who answers to the White House. Buyer speaks the gospel and gets his sermons right from the Top.

The most important part of Buyer’s remarks is his deliberate “welfarizing” of the VA healthcare system. By telling us the priority of the VA is to care for “disabled and indigent” veterans first, he minimizes and denigrates the sacrifices made by ALL veterans. The VA was setup to serve ALL veterans including the “disabled and indigent.” This careful positioning of the VA healthcare system creates the impression that the VA is a welfare program and veterans are just looking for a “handout.” Also, it’s easy to talk about the “intent” of a previous Congress when your goal is to undo what they have done. And the remark about “core constituency” is just plain outlandish. The VA serves ALL veterans.

Buyer’s remarks are clever, well-planned, well-delivered and approved at the highest levels. Buyer’s remarks also point to a dismal future for the VA. The VA healthcare system is about to be changed and there may never be any going back. Priority Group 8 veterans have now been cut from the system. Outgoing VA Secretary Principi has indicated that Priority Group 7 is the next to go. Under-funding means veterans wait months, and sometimes over a year, for necessary surgeries and other medical procedures. Yet Buyer talks of “bloated bureaucracies.” That’s code for: More budget cuts. Funny that there was no mention of “bloated” bureaucrats. They always seem to survive.

Don’t think this “welfarizing” of the VA won’t fly. Using carefully chosen buzz words in the proper setting can sell this in a heartbeat. “Bloated bureaucracies” are hated by all even though the VA is hardly bloated. “Modernize” is another good word because new is perceived as being much better than old. A phrase like “intent of Congress” coming from a member of Congress has the sound of authority. Then there are the two key words. “Disabled” is easily construed by many to mean unwilling as opposed to its true meaning of unable. “Indigent” just plain means homeless to most people and a majority of Americans feel the homeless choose to be that way.

Often, this type of campaign to change public perception is referred to as “demonizing.” By “demonizing” the VA and not veterans the onus has been placed on a governmental system that can be viewed, by some, as “bloated” and out of control. You will notice there is no “demonizing” of veterans in all this rhetoric. To do that would be political suicide. The only way to “support veterans” and cut their services and benefits at the same time is to portray the VA system as broken when it is not. The VA just needs to be funded properly.

So, get ready for more. The only effective way to keep cutting the VA budget is to sell the concept to the American people as a form of welfare. As an old broadcaster and public relations guy, let me tell you how it’s going to be done.

REMOVE DISSENT. Principi, Specter and Smith are gone. Those with a say now speak with one voice. Unity is important. Say we support veterans.
USE DEFLECTION INSTEAD OF FACT. When asked about under-funding at the VA, President Bush has never directly addressed the issue or answered the question. He uses deflection. Like this statement on October 13, 2004: “We've increased VA funding by $22 billion in the four years since I've been president.” The dollar figure is accurate and it appears to paint a rosy picture. But it’s just a number taken out of context and does not take into account that veterans seeking healthcare have increased faster than the budget increases can handle them. Don’t worry. Just say we support veterans.
SAY IT AND SAY IT AND SAY IT. If you say it enough people will accept it as the truth. This works for everything from political campaigns to advertising widgets. Just keep saying it. Say we support veterans. Then say it again. Say we support veterans.
GET IN LOCKSTEP. Make sure everyone is saying the same thing. This is only slightly removed from #1 but can only be implemented after the dissenters are gone. Say we support veterans.
FLOAT A TRIAL BALLOON. Once all the proper players are lined up have one of them say it out loud. The Steve Buyer statement about “disabled and indigent” veterans is a perfect example. Say we support veterans.
GAUGE REACTION. Did anybody squawk when you floated the trial balloon? Did the Senate march, en masse, into the Oval Office demanding an end to this? No? Did the veterans’ groups moan and groan? They did? Don’t worry about it because we’ll just go back to #2 and #3 until they believe. OK, it looks like it’s going to fly. Say we support veterans.
REPEAT #3 WITH HELP FROM THE MEDIA. Get the talking points out to the talk show hosts and have them beat it into the ground. Many Americans say they get their “news” from talk shows, so what better place to sell a concept that people will think is factual. Say we support veterans.
PROPOSE LEGISLATION. Use all the right phrases like “bloated bureaucracies” and “core constituents” and “intent of Congress.” Cut the VA to the bone and wait for veterans to yell. Say we support veterans.
LET THEM YELL. Give the other side of the aisle lots of time to scream bloody murder then call them “tax and spend liberals” and move on. Let the veterans groups raise heck and tell them it is for their own good. Say we support veterans.
DISREGARD #9 AND PASS THE LEGISLATION. Hey, we listened, right? Pass the bill and forget about it. Oh, yeah. Don’t forget to say we support veterans.

Right now we are in the midst of #6. The rest will come faster than you think. As the VA is carefully positioned as a welfare program public support for more funding will fade away. Is Priority Group 7 next? The Clothing Allowance? Benefits for spouses? How about a dollar cut in monthly benefits? How about longer waits for medical treatment?
We can sit back and watch this happen or we can do something about it NOW! It is time for a new level of activism in the veteran community. If we accept this deliberate and willful destruction of the VA we dishonor every American veteran. Let us not allow this to happen.