Lip-Service vs. Real-Work

State Rep. Doug Ericksen (R) 42nd LD recently issued a press release saying:

Ericksen plans to send a letter to appropriate federal and local officials requesting that a new Community Based Outpatient Clinic for veterans be established in Bellingham. Ericksen has worked with veterans and veterans' groups on the issue, including a public forum, and the concept is overwhelmingly supported by the community. Veterans currently have to travel to Seattle and other areas to receive basic and specialized heath care

That sounds nice, but I happen to know that U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (D) WA-02 has been working for years to get a VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) up here. In his April news-letter Larsen said:

The 2nd Congressional district is home to over 75,000 veterans, many of which travel up to 100 miles to receive medical, dental, and mental health treatment from the Seattle VA Medical Center. This cannot continue to be the only health care resource for veterans living in northwest Puget Sound.

I am dedicated to securing a Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Northwest Washington. During the veterans' healthcare workshops it was encouraging to hear that the Puget Sound Department of Veterans Affairs understands these concerns and will submit an application requesting a CBOC in the north Puget Sound area. I have been working hard to make this CBOC a reality. I am excited by this development and will continue working with the VA to bring health care closer to where our veterans live.

At the beginning of this month, the Bellingham Herald ran an article "Veterans closer to getting clinic in area". It talks about Larsens efforts but doesn't mention Ericksen at all.

In that light, Ericksen's press release starts to sound like he's jumping on the bandwagon after the works been done. But to be fair, I thought I should see if Doug had been doing good thing for Vets in the State Legislature.

I checked back and found that in the last session of the State Legislature there had been many Bills passed that help Veterans and military families.

The bills include:

• - Veterans Innovations Program (HB 2754): provides crisis and emergency relief resources for veterans who are returning from military action. (Linville co-sponsor)
• - Home sales/military relocation (HB 2439): provides an exemption from real estate excise taxes to members of the armed forces who are required to relocate due to military orders, if the selling price of the property is no more than 8 percent greater than the price paid for it. (Linville co-sponsor)
  
• - Veterans/discrimination (HB 2564): prohibits discrimination against active military personnel or veterans as it relates to employment; credit and real estate transactions, commerce, and places of public resort, accommodation, or amusement. (Linville co-sponsor)
  
• - Property tax exemption (HB 2432): provides property tax relief for veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces with 100 percent service connected disability with income of $70,000 and below, by freezing the assessed value of their home. (Linville co-sponsor)
  
• - Tuition waivers for Veterans (HB 2233): will make waivers available to all eligible veterans; in addition, Higher Ed institutions must reach out to veterans.
  
• - National Guard Business Loan (HB 2497): reduces the financial burden on members of the National Guard who are small business owners. (Linville co-sponsor)
  
• - Check cashers & sellers (HB 2881): A payday lender may not threaten to contact the military chain of command of a military borrower in order to collect a delinquent loan. The definition of "military borrower" will now also include the legal spouse of a member of the armed forces, National Guard, or reserves.
  
• - Military status/defendants (HB 3074): This bill creates a process to serve a notice on the defendant, which will give a service member an opportunity to assert his or her rights.
  
• - WW II oral history project (HB 3078): By transferring the responsibilities for the World War II History Project from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to the Department of VeteransÂ’ Affairs we can make sure our veterans are a critical part of this project. (Linville co-sponsor)

Kelli Linville (D) 42nd LD co-sponsored six of the nine Bills, but Ericksen didn't co-sponsored any of them.

I searched some more and finally found a Bill (sort of) related to the military that Doug Ericksen (R) 42nd LD had co-sponsored: HB 1065 - Authorizing the armed forces license plate collection.

So, Congressman Rick Larsen (D) has worked to bring a VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic and to block increases to TRICARE health care premiums, deductibles, and co-payments.

State Representative Kelli Linville (D) has co-sponsored legislation to help veterans and military families.

State Representative Doug Ericksen (R) held a meeting, wrote a letter and tried to get credit for other peoples hard work.

- - It's time for Doug Ericksen (R) 42nd LD to GO. This isn't a partisan view, (unless actually supporting our Veterans has become a partisan issue). The Democratic candidate running against Ericksen is Jasper MacSlarrow