VA HIRING FREEZE CRISIS: National phone in union meeting tonight. They will discuss the three EOs signed by Trump and what they mean. Also, the 2019 budget has passed committee and they will talk about how it will effect pay and retirement. OPM office of personal management has stated that 7200 people retired last year and 9600 this year and it keeps ticking up every month. With hiring freezes, you know what this all means. Stacy York, who works at a VA Hospital.

TO SENATOR LINDSAY GRAHAM:
I am a veteran volunteering at the VA in Charleston. I am dedicated to working in Palliative Care with the really hurting Vets. I have watched staff retiring and transferring, and NOT being replaced, because of hiring freeze you GOP burdened the VA with last year. This increases the load on remaining staff which leads to professional dissatisfaction, and decreasing service to us Vets. This VA saved my Marine Father's life in 1982, and mine 3 x in last 4 years. Please do not spend 30 million plus dollars on a third world type Military parade just to stroke Trump's ego. As he was a draft-dodger and none in his family have spent any time in the Military. Besides that he promised to donate 6 million to us Vets. at start of his campaign, and when confronted on this later, he immediately wrote out a Million dollar check which I heard went back into his charity? Whatever he did not follow through. We do not consider him an ally, and we are very concerned about his relationship with Putin.
He continuously makes friends with our adversaries and makes enemies of our allies. I have inteviewed over 50 veterans for the Veterans History Project, most of them WW2 Vets in their last years, the ones who were lucid toward the end of their lives, could not understand his put down of POW McCain and the Gold Star Families. PLEASE DO NOT PROVIDE MONEY FOR THAT PARADE. Use it to open up hiring at VA and to help the homeless Veterans Thank you very much, Ron Alexander

Steve Piper: My CT scans and other tests I need before heart stents have now been delayed three times due to staff shortages at Bay Pines VA.

Stacey A. York: This is so true, Ron. I work at the VA. The president recently signed three EOs undermining the union. He has arbitrarily reopened our contract to cut our benefits. This is death by as thousand cuts to the VA. If they cut benefits I fear staff will leave. Most in my area travel an hour or more to work here. We vets will be the ones to suffer. Cherie Waack; They are also cutting back on supplies and meds. I know a vet with service related diabetes. They cut his test strips and his syringes then sent less insulin. He has to call everytime he is short shipped to get the full order. He was told they cut back to prevent Vets from selling excess

Michael Joseph Allison Jr.; The doctors at the VA are being overworked. After not seeing my PCP for over a year I was told to only list 3 problems because she didn't have time to talk about anything more. Trump and the Kochs trying to destroy our healthcare!!!!
VA HIRING FREEZE CRISIS: National phone in union meeting tonight. They will discuss the three EOs signed by Trump and what they mean. Also, the 2019 budget has passed committee and they will talk about how it will effect pay and retirement.  OPM office of personal management has stated that 7200 people retired last year and 9600 this year and it keeps ticking up every month. With hiring freezes, you know what this all means. Stacy York, who works at a VA Hospital.



Now looking for new Action Team to take our grievances to D.C. in latter part of Sept. CAN DO or supportersL Definitely support. D. F. "My husband is a Vietnam vet in bad health. He is in danger of a pulmonary hemorrhage from exposure to Agent Orange. He has bronchiectasis and other medical issues. Traveling anywhere is hard for him as his breathing is compromised. I don't like leaving him for any length of time, but I will do all I can."