Another story gleaned...

...from my scan of the local papers is provided by an Upper Left favorite, the Seattle P-I's Joel Connelly, who writes about the proposed closure of the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Walla Walla, WA.

Wainwright has provided medical services to veteran's in eastern Washington and Oregon for 80 years, and for most of its patients it's literally the only VA hospitial within hundreds of miles of their homes. Last year the hospital served 11,800 patients. For most, the nearest alternatives would be 160 miles away in Spokane, 250 miles away in Portland or 300 miles away in Seattle. That's a fair jaunt to the doctor's office.

The closure has become a political hot potato, since it's located smack in the middle of Rep. George Nethercutt's eastern Washington district, and Nethercutt is challenging Patty Murray for her US Senate seat. If Nethercutt can't protect such a vital federal resource in his district (in addition to the thousands of veterans served, the hospital contributes 300 jobs and a $20 million payroll to the community), why should we trust him to protect the state? Obviously, we shouldn't, but we can expect Nethercutt to use distracting attacks to cover for his legislative ineptitude.

As Joel writes, "In the upcoming Senate race, Murray is sure to get hit for voting against the $87 billion Iraq occupation package, which included about $10 billion to rebuild the ravaged country.

"We hear daily the upbeat reports of U.S. occupation authorities on the reopening of hospitals and the construction and supply of medical clinics across Iraq. Fine! Why aren't we able to invest in an American hospital that serves an area that is home to 67,000 veterans? And the number is increasing.

"About 4,500 soldiers and reservists from Eastern Washington will see service in Iraq, 1,000 from eastern Oregon, according to estimates supplied by the VFW."

Of course, veteran's services are a major issue in John Kerry's Presidential campaign, as well. No matter where you live, this is a story worth tracking.