Recently, San Joaquin County received correspondence from the Veterans Administration notifying us that the properties around the County Hospital, which we had offered for the location of the proposed Regional VA Facilities, had been eliminated from consideration. We were astonished at this revelation.
We had believed the area around the County Hospital to be a prime location for these facilities due to their visibility and accessibility, among other positives. The French Camp area is centrally located in the County, in addition to being well positioned for veterans coming from Alameda, Stanislaus, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Amador counties.
Additionally, our properties have completed Environmental Impact Reports and are approved for healthcare facilities. This along with the fact that infrastructure is in place, would have saved the federal government (taxpayers) a significant amount of funds and preparation time. The VA could have broken ground within weeks, putting people to work and providing a much needed punch to our local economy.
This endeavor has been personal for me, starting when I testified before the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) Commission in October of 2003 at the Livermore VA Hospital. County Staff prepared intensive documents making the case for San Joaquin County and local Veterans Organizations rallied behind us and attended important meetings. These documents, including dozens of letters from veterans organization’s endorsing French Camp as the preferred site, and the testimony I gave to the CARES Commission can be viewed at my county webpage at www.sjgov.org/board/.
San Joaquin County has suffered numerous casualties in the “War on Terror” and my heart goes out to the families of these heroes. Although some have gone, many remain including those warriors of previous wars. We must provide these men and women with the best care and in convenient locations.
We had believed the area around the County Hospital to be a prime location for these facilities due to their visibility and accessibility, among other positives. The French Camp area is centrally located in the County, in addition to being well positioned for veterans coming from Alameda, Stanislaus, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Amador counties.
Additionally, our properties have completed Environmental Impact Reports and are approved for healthcare facilities. This along with the fact that infrastructure is in place, would have saved the federal government (taxpayers) a significant amount of funds and preparation time. The VA could have broken ground within weeks, putting people to work and providing a much needed punch to our local economy.
This endeavor has been personal for me, starting when I testified before the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) Commission in October of 2003 at the Livermore VA Hospital. County Staff prepared intensive documents making the case for San Joaquin County and local Veterans Organizations rallied behind us and attended important meetings. These documents, including dozens of letters from veterans organization’s endorsing French Camp as the preferred site, and the testimony I gave to the CARES Commission can be viewed at my county webpage at www.sjgov.org/board/.
San Joaquin County has suffered numerous casualties in the “War on Terror” and my heart goes out to the families of these heroes. Although some have gone, many remain including those warriors of previous wars. We must provide these men and women with the best care and in convenient locations.
