Cosby, in Newark, tells vets they deserve better health care

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby wears many hats these days: supporter of education, scourge of gang violence -- even critic of the way some young African-Americans speak.

Add veterans' advocate to the mix.

Cosby told about 100 veterans at a rally in Newark yesterday he doesn't think the federal government is doing enough to support the men and women who have fought in America's past and current wars.

"I can't believe they bring home our warriors and then turn out the light on them," said Cosby, a Navy veteran. "People coming home sick and not allowed to be. This is a cause no one can deny."

The veterans responded to Cosby's words with shouts and applause.

Their rally was organized by Operation Firing For Effect, a national grassroots organization that's pushing for increased funding for veterans' medical care. The organization's members argue that the roughly $27 billion the federal government plans to spend this year is not enough to care for all of the estimated 26 million who served. Some higher-income veterans are denied care and others often must wait weeks for appointments at Veterans Administration hospitals.

Although all of the nation's long-standing veterans groups, such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, advocate increased funding, organizers of Operation Firing For Effect believe they can make their case forcefully on Capitol Hill because they are not congressionally chartered like the other major organizations.

"We don't have to worry about losing our charter if we make somebody mad who doesn't want to listen to us," said Jere Berry, a Vietnam veteran from Ohio who traveled to New Jersey for the rally. "We believe care of veterans is a national security issue. ... How are they going to recruit a kid whose father has post-traumatic stress from 'Nam and can't get into the VA because the wait is too long?"

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6th Dist.), who spoke at the rally, said that the best way for veterans to get and keep Congress' attention is to keep raising their issues.

Cosby, who flew in from Los Angeles to speak at the rally, said he agreed to fit it into his schedule because he believes veterans issues have been lost as the debate in Washington remains focused on the current wars.

"When we were attacked, all the politicians sang 'God Bless America,'" Cosby said. "Then they went in a back room and said 'Let's make some cutbacks (to veterans programs.)"

A spokesman for the Veterans Administration in Washington yesterday declined to address any specific criticisms of the agency's budget yesterday. Instead, he cited a speech President Bush gave to the American Legion last week, in which he noted that the budget for veterans' health care has grown 75 percent since he took office.

Veterans advocates counter that the increases haven't kept pace with a patient population that has grown from 4 million to 7.5 million last year as many Vietnam veterans have begun to use the system for the first time and are joined by veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

 

Wayne Woolley covers military and veterans affairs. He can be reached at wwoolley@starledger.com or 973-392-1559.