Anti-union extremists and billionaires want to slash the federal budget to fund tax breaks to billionaires like Elon Musk. Those reckless cuts include slashing veterans services and Medicaid.
AFSCME member Mark Curie, a licensed practical nurse (LPN) at Grand Rapids Veterans Home in Michigan, is himself a veteran. A member of Local 261 (AFSCME Michigan 925), Curie cares for his fellow veterans, most of whom are senior citizens.
But Curie is worried about what could happen to them if these cuts become law. Veterans would be robbed of the care they need and their dignity in the twilight of their lives.
*This interview was edited for length and clarity.
How long have you been an LPN?
I’ve been working here for 10 years and have been in nursing for 30 years. I originally came to Veterans Affairs because I was looking for something more career-oriented … and to have the benefits that come along with it working for the state.
I was 18 when I joined the Army. I did airborne infantry training at Fort Benning in Georgia, my first duty station was at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, then mechanized infantry in Germany. I did my combat medic training through the Reserves, then got my LPN degree and am now serving veterans like myself.
What does it mean to you to help veterans like yourself?
It’s an honor to serve World War II vets, Vietnam vets, Korea vets — they all have their own stories. Being a veterans home, we take a lot of pride in caring for them.
What are the kind of services you provide?
I hand out the meds. I do the treatments. No matter what their background or their history, I treat everyone with respect. I try to make things as positive as they can be. We make sure they get to their activities, they get to their doctor’s appointments. We’re taking care of them mentally, physically and, in some cases, spiritually.
A lot of them don’t have a family seeing them all the time. Sometimes we’re all they got. So we often become part of their family and vice versa.
What do you love most about your job?
Being able to put a smile on a veteran’s face. Being able to keep them as happy as possible. Their end days don’t have to be so negative, or dreary — there’s still room for enjoyment.
What would happen to them if there was no one there to do your job?
We’ve had some guys in the past who were basically homeless. We’ve had folks who had nobody. These folks would have nowhere else to go. The only option would be to find placement in the commercial industry. They wouldn’t get the same care and attention as they do here. They would just be another number there.
What would happen to veterans if Congress makes reckless cuts?
Some people’s care needs to be funded through Medicaid. For example, if you are hurt really bad during your service, you are 100% service connected — that means all your care is funded through the (Department of Veterans Affairs). But if you have an illness or injury outside of military service, the rest of your care has to be funded by something else — usually Medicaid or Medicare.
(Michigan) is duty bound to take care of our veterans. But if we’re in a pinch, lawmakers will make cuts. And since we’re already understaffed, that would be devastating. It would be less funding for activities and fulfillment at the end of life for our veterans. They deserve to be thriving at the end of their life, not just sitting alone in their rooms.