This 2d week of the VETO session contains the last authorized of our 90 days and officially ends on Saturday. Many have been working to iron out agreements for a budget that we can support and adjourn and return back to our homes and families.
I hesitate to report on the proposals as the components change almost hourly and as we say there are many moving parts. I have heard the legislative process described as being akin to making sausage. The process is pretty ugly but hopeful the finished product will not leave a bad taste or upset the stomach too much.
Believe very little of what you hear, most of what is reported in the papers and even less of what you see on television. I will keep you posted and perhaps by this time next week the whole process and results will be revealed. As of this writing NOTHING has been finalized!
Thanks to all the constituents, lobby groups and interested individuals that chose to contact me with their many requests for not allowing their project to lose funding. Very few took the opportunity to offer solutions to the cash shortfall, the message I heard loud and clear was; “ cut others but do not cut our funding”.
This week after taking his oath of office Governor Parkinson addressed a joint session of the House and Senate. He pledged to put politics aside and work in the best interest of all Kansans. He gave a motivating speech asking us all to join him and work together for the greater good.
I actually felt pretty good after listening to him and believe he is sincere in his effort to work with the legislators and move forward, a feeling I did not often get from his predecessor. I have been pleasantly surprised with some recent actions taken by him, especially his move to work for a compromise on the coal plant issue. Time will tell.
On a recent trip to Washington D.C. as a member of the Kansas delegation to the National Conference of State Legislators and the Military Sustainability Task Force I was privileged to have a tour of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and spend a half day at the Military Advanced Training Center (MTAC). Www.wramc.army.mil.
Dedicated to the care and rehabilitation of America’s sons and daughters recovering from injuries, the MTAC is a 31,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility. Supporting the fighting spirit of these Warriors in Transition are the MTAC’s high tech computer and video monitoring systems, sophisticated prosthetics and latest in athletic training equipment.
The total focus of MTAC’s expert staff is to match the drive and determination of these service members and build their strength, skills and confidence and return them to the highest level of physical, emotional and psychological functional ability. A major goal of the MTAC is to enable the Warriors to make their own choices and not let their futures be dedicated by an IED or sniper.
A total of 36 personnel work with the service members at the MTAc. More than 15 specialities, including physicians, nurse case managers, occupational and physical therapists, psychologist, social workers, benefits counselors and representatives of the Department of Veterans Affairs works closely with the MTAC patients and their families.
The rehabilitation has a profound effect on those closest to the service members. Walter Reed welcomes and encourages families, from the time of injury, to participates in the patients’ care, therapy and reintegration into independent life. The DOD provides financial assistance for these families to accompany their Warrior.
Through emersion into the healing process, families learn how to cope with new and often overwhelming responsibilities and have the opportunity to heal themselves as well. In the physical therapy area the Warriors are given a wide range of exercise equipment along with an exercise track to use in their rehabilitation.
Seeing and talking with these Warriors, many with multiple amputations, going through their therapy sessions with their family members at their side was awesome. I saw one individual with two prosthetic lower legs running laps while holding a medicine ball. Not only did he jump hurdles he could jump up on a platform and then jump, back down and continue his run.
Possibly the most inspiring scene was an individual lying on a therapy bench with his wife at his side, while he did bench presses using his 5 year old son as resistance weight! Early-on it was quite difficult to watch these men without being totally inspired beyond words. We did visit at length with several of them their stories were quite revealing.
They are not looking for sympathy and a motto could be,” I’m a Warrior in Transition. My job is to heal as I transition back to duty or continue serving the nation as a Veteran in my community> This is not a status, but a mission. I will succeed in this mission because..I am a Warrior and I am Army Strong”.
Believe this; we all need to be very thankful for their service to our country and we can take pride in that we are treating our returning soldiers with the respect they deserve.
I consider it an honor and privilege to be your Representative in Topeka and I want to know what you think. My contact information is johng@carlisleinc.net, 1115 Rim Rock Road, El Dorado 67042 or call 316-321-2087. Thanks, John.
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