V.A. Dom Prepares For More Returning Soldiers

We've all heard the term "too big to fail" when it comes to huge companies and millionaires. We've heard about the fact the rich are only 1% of the population, so the other 99% say they are really the ones "too big to fail" but congress doesn't seem to want to believe them. The Republicans in the Senate just voted down the tax breaks for the workers of this country.

Republican leaders shifting stance on payroll tax cut
By Tom Cohen, CNN
updated 5:31 AM EST, Fri December 2, 2011

House Speaker John Boehner concedes that extending the payroll tax cut would help the economy.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: The Senate blocks Democratic, Republican plans on a payroll tax cut extension
NEW: President Obama says Republicans voted for higher taxes on the middle class
House Speaker Boehner concedes the payroll tax cut helps the economy
Republicans differ with Democrats on how to pay for a one-year extension
Washington (CNN) -- A top Republican leader agreed Thursday with President Barack Obama and Democrats that extending the payroll tax cut would help the economy, but the parties remained divided over how to pay for the move.
Later Thursday, the Senate blocked competing Democratic and Republican proposals from moving forward, setting up negotiations on a possible compromise.
The Democratic plan to extend and expand the payroll tax cut set to expire at the end of the year would assess a 3.25% tax on income over $1 million to pay the cost of more than $200 billion for the extension. Taxpayers with an income of $50,000 would benefit by $1,500 a year.
Senate Republicans prevented Democrats from getting the 60 votes needed to proceed on the measure, which was blocked on a 51-49 vote.
read more here

But that is really nothing new since the GOP has been fighting to protect the wealthy while the men and women risking their lives everyday end up coming back with the burden of war for the rest of their lives.

V.A. Dom Prepares For More Returning Soldiers

December 1, 2011
By Sharon Ko


WHITE CITY, Ore. -- The Department of Veteran Affairs new data shows more and more combat veterans are seeking help for post-traumatic stress disorder. Thousands of veterans are flooded hospitals, according to the Department. This increase is putting stress on several of the V.A. hospitals across the nation. As soldiers are expected to return home from Iraq near Christmas, more soldiers are going to need help.

The V.A. Dom in White City says they had a meeting Thursday to talk about how the hospitals are going to handle the influx. Doctors say they don' t have a set game plan quite yet. They say the PTSD clinic is still fairly new, starting up about seven months ago and with only five PTSD staff. They'll probably have to hire more staff, however, and start changing how they're going to admit patients into the hospital.

Those treatment groups and educational classes help combat vets cope with their experiences. Staff there says many returning soldiers can't cope with it by themselves and their spouses or family can't always help. The staff also say about 30 to 40 percent of their residences at the hospital are treated for PTSD.
go here for video

As bad as it has been for the troops coming home, it is about to get a lot worse when Iraq and Afghanistan wars are coming to an end and more will leave the military.

Wouldn't you like to see someone in congress fight for the troops and veterans as hard as they fight for the rich? Will congress ever get the fact that when it comes to them, they are "too important" to fail them?