Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Privatization a disgrace to veterans, Says Michigan State Senator.

Today I found an interesting article in my email box. A monthly news letter from Michigan State Senator Vincent Gregory.

Here is what he has to say about it.



Sen. Gregory Demands Better Treatment of Veterans at Grand Rapids Home
I was appalled to find out recently that the private company that took over care for our veterans at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans have resorted to posting online ads to fill some positions. Governor Snyder pushed for the privatization of the home and a private company, J2S, took over staffing operations at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans in March of this year. Since the privatization has been allowed by Republican legislators and Governor Snyder, there have been multiple reports of daily understaffing and residents not being attended to or going unfed and uncared for.

Our veterans, the men and women who sacrificed so much to protect our country, deserve the highest quality care available. Instead, Governor Snyder’s administration is leaving their care to the lowest bidder. This is an outright disgrace. The state decided against privatizing our prisons. Why should inmates receive better treatment than our veterans?  (emphasis is blog owners).

The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) authorized an amendment to the J2S contract to allow it to immediately begin soliciting subcontractors to help the company fill the workload. After laying off 144 hardworking union employees, J2S has desperately tried to find more certified nursing aides to fulfill its obligations, even going so far as to post on Craigslist to find more staff.

Governor Snyder needs to call on the Republicans in the Legislature to restore the funding that was cut from the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. In the very short period of time since the home has been privatized, the quality of care has greatly decreased. We owe our veterans our deepest gratitude, and we can show it be restoring the quality of their care.

Now Mr. Gregory needs to look at the administration of the home too.. He missed that part.

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