One for the warrior
Posted:
Coeur d’Alene Press - Sunday, January 20, 2013 12:00 am
| Updated: 1:08 am, Sun Jan 20, 2013
One man's war on the ravages of Agent Orange claimed a small but
important victory recently during a trip to Washington, D.C.
Dick Phenneger is a local veteran, pilot and businessman who has
been working feverishly to raise awareness and, ultimately, responsibility for
the devastating effects of Agent Orange on generations of U.S. military and
their families. Phenneger's campaign to help veterans has been featured in The
Press, including a story last June about Phenneger and his nonprofit
organization, Veteran Services Transparency, launching a survey campaign in
North Idaho that brought in more than 100 responses from local veterans who
believe they suffer from the effects of Agent Orange.
A number of those surveyed have been denied
benefits for medical help, and that's the prime impetus for Phenneger's
mission: He believes the federal government, starting with Congress, should be
far more accountable in treating a host of Agent Orange-related diseases and
illnesses that mounting medical evidence suggests should be the government's
responsibility.
Maybe U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, a former state legislator and governor
now in the fifth year of his first term as a U.S. senator from Idaho, doesn't
think so. For his trip to our nation's capital Jan. 8-12, Phenneger had a
twice-confirmed personal appointment with Sen. Risch and a key member of his
staff. Instead, a young underling was sent out to meet with Phenneger, who
offered to come back later in the week to meet with the senator. The offer was
declined and no effort was made by staff to apologize or attempt to reschedule.
Phenneger still made the most of his trip. He had what he
described as productive meetings with key staff from U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo's and
U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador's office. Phenneger's most promising contact, however,
came with two committees of the nonprofit Vietnam Veterans of America
organization. Leaders of the committees were so impressed with the data
Phenneger has gathered and the manner in which he's running his grassroots
campaign that they indicated an interest in creating a national program modeled
after what the Post Falls resident is doing.
We are disappointed that after having agreed to meet, Sen. Risch
did not believe the message was worth hearing from a constituent who took the
time and trouble to travel all the way across the country to meet with him
personally. We encourage the senator to review the material Phenneger left
behind and to discuss it earnestly with the rest of the Idaho delegation.
Failure
to do so won't dissuade Phenneger, but it's likely to disappoint Idaho's
136,000 or more veterans. And yes, they vote.
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