(Environmental Impact Statement Study Group Ideas)
Property Owners Meeting April 29, 2014
1.)We will have to go to Fort Mead for treatment
2.)We won’t have enough people to run the fire depts.
3.)Won’t have adequate law enforcement
4.)Property values will go down / already people are selling in fear of the VA leaving
Elderly peoplewill have less equity in their homes, less chance of selling meaning less chance of moving into a retirement facility
Nursing homes and retirement facilities will no longer be here
Will the State Veterans Home Remain here
No reason for people to move here
5.)Taxes will go up
6.)Loss of services
No jobs
Decrease in jobs
Destroy employment opportunities and lives
Net worth of individuals will go down
Loss of Fire Department and Reduction in Police
Post Office lessened services or closure
7.)Increase in crime
8.)School:Loss of teachers
Decrease in studentsdue to loss of federal jobs
Loss of federal funds to our schools
Children will not return to live here
Quality of education, lower salaries for teachers, for kids to compete for colleges and jobs
Child services, social services will decline
9.)Care is not the best at Rapid City Regional for veterans
10.)Transportation costs increased for State Veterans homeresidents
11.)Currently there are 8.5 million active duty Veterans suffering from PTSD, where do they get treatment if we continue to shut down VA’s.
12.)What will happen to the National cemetery on the VA grounds
Police and Fire protection by whom for Cemetery?
13.)Local hospital cannot handle the influx of Veterans
14.)People that made Hot Springs their retirement home due to VA cannot do so / Veterans who are retired, retired here because of proximity to the VA
15.)Put the VA back to the level it was 10 years ago and offer long term care for our veterans
16.)Quit spending money on bonuses to CEO’s use the money to treat veterans
17.)Stop wasteful spending of sending veterans to other facilities and offer care here
18.)When you have outstanding facility already in place/ using the present facility is much cheaper
than building new even with remodeling / facility in Rapid City is a waste of money
19.)Hot Springs has the warmest climate in South Dakota
20.)Loss of rental income
Paying veterans to live in Rapid City
Decrease in employed families,
40-50% of Rental Tenants is VA related, values of property are dependent on rent ability
21.)Loss of identity to our community
Closing the VA in the Veterans Town will be socially traumatic, it is the integrated fabric of this town / loss of identity
Brain drain, losing diversity of Federal employees
22.)Hot Springs is a better place to heal
Healing waters is the reason the VA chose tis valley
23.)Services for our Vets is more important than changing location
24.)Spouses of VA work and own/operate local businesses
25.)Business Impact:
Decrease sales tax
Businesses closure
Less products available
Shoppers will go out of town
Labor pool decreased
Median income decreases with loss higher paying jobs
Ability to attract new businesses
Residents decrease
Fewer employment opportunities and on the job training, internships for local graduates
Businesses have already changed course after buying property here
No reason for economic growth
26.)Service clubs and non-profit groups will be hurt with less available donations, will lose service clubs
27.)We will lose at least 50 % of the population
28.)Chain Reaction: loss of post office, schools, businesses
29.)Veterans will be put in hardship if the VA closes
Veterans are dying from lack of services
Values of the staff and community makes our city a place of warmth and caring
Freedom to get out and be part of the community/would this happen in Rapid City
If VA closes they will not have a comfortable and safe environment
Quiet, peaceful for healing, everyone knows your name
Veterans WY, NE, SD will suffer
Kids seeing what’s happening/will they want to serve our country/negative impact
Veterans would be faceless in Rapid City
Increased wait times at other facilities
Increased travel expenses
VA Hospice Care
Veterans not only come here for the quality of the care, but the caring staff
Fewer resources in Rapid City to provide health care to Veterans
Feel that Hot Springs the Veteran Town is their home
Smaller personal VA is preferred by our Veterans
Slow paced rural environment is a better healing environment
Setting for PTSD patients is a perfect healing atmosphere/scenery
Veterans will receive less care and consideration
Lose Hot Springs values
Some Veterans will have to travel over 200 miles one way for health care
Veterans have to travel over 400 miles in NW North Dakota/will similar things happen to the SD Veteran
How many Veterans need to die on the way to Rapid City instead of Hot Springs
30.)Native American Veterans will suffer, Pine Ridge has some 3700 Veterans
Healing atmosphere for Native Americans/only VA with sweat lodge
Native Americans accept this area for healing
Open minded nontraditional form of healing
Native American relations have improved because of Hot Springs VA out reach
Treated as soldiers
Don’t want to go to Native American Health Care Facility
Discrimination is worse in Rapid City/Hot Springs working side by side
Fear of driving in Rapid City
Loss of tradition
Where do Native Americans go
31.)Quit sending Veterans to the Homeless Shelter in Rapid City, we are turning away Veterans who have PTSD and drug and Alcohol problems when we have plenty of room, closing down a program that was rated #1 for PTSD in the country
32.)County and City government services will be affected, including surrounding counties and cities
33.)Historic Preservation of Hot Springs will suffer
34.)Tourism will suffer along with decreased services and businesses
35.)Loss of Fall River Hospital, loss of doctors, dentists, and eye doctors
Loss of back-up facilities
36.)Our seniors will see an increased cost of living, how will they survive.
37.)Changing and taking away investment opportunities / transportation costs for elderly
38.)What are the real costs of decommission, and city will be left with an unusable and unsellable property
39.)People with vacant land are hesitant to build
40.)Loss of federal agencies
41.)It is a National Historic Site
National Treasure designation
42.)Paid taxes here to have it become a ghost town
43.)Without the VA income the average income will drop dramatically
44.)Professional people will leave
45.)Dismantling our VA with protocol
Lying about facts to support their plan
Money hungry people have won, rather than promised delivery of quality care to the Veteran
Cause Veterans not to seek health care due to costs and inconvenience
Moral and Ethical breakdown of our VA and congress
46.)Mental and social impact on life goals and dreams for business owners, retirees, VA employees, citizens, children and Veterans
47.)Visitors to the healing Veterans are an impact on our economy
48.)Loss of community ambulance service, ambulances from Sturgis are already picking up patients
49.)Banning Don Ackerman from care at the VA
50.)Cost of Building a new facility in Rapid City versus remodeling Hot Springs
51.)Volunteer Base will be less
More volunteers in Hot Springs VA than will be the case in Rapid City
52.)People not buying real-estate
53.)Increased insurance rates with less Police protection
54.)Increased insurance rates with less Fire protection
55.)Upside down payments/foreclosures
56.)Support for VA in Hot Springs, greater than support in Rapid City
57.)All services except outpatient clinics will move to Sioux Falls
58.) More pollution with increased travel
59.)Local Newspaper will go out of business/Hot Springs Star
60.)Recent increase in Tourism interest would fizzle out
61.)Uniqueness of Hot Springs VA/offers more for health care
62.)Place to go for Mental Health Services
63.)Citizens of Hot Springs have become part of the healing process
64.)Law-suits will be filed in Federal Court
65.)VA controls certain water rights, what happens to those water rights
66.)Bank loans for housing and businesses will be affected
67.)Weather conditions more favorable in Hot Springs
68.)Room to grow
69.)Supportive Community
70.)VA staff genuinely cares deeply about their patients
Patients not just a number
71.)We are a financially depressed area anyway/even worse after VA leaves
72.)Need to expedite this process, before all services are cut
73.)Will leave affect politics in the area
74.)Rollercoaster for those who stay
75.)Dollars spent in town will not be spent/everything outsourced
76.)Decay of houses and businesses/Historical buildings
77.)Alcoholism, drug issues, and violence will increase
78.)Stress will cause increased health problems for John Q Public as well as the Veterans
79.)Basic rights of land owners will be taken away
80.)Loss of cultural activities/arts and entertainment
81.)Loss of Miss South Dakota Pageant/Loss of other important activities
82.)Many Government agencies may leave
83.)Not sure whether closing Hot Springs will save money
84.)State Chair for the American Legion/here will lose his Job
85.)Not Listening to our votes
86.)Hazards in travel during the winter
87.)Senator Tim Johnson needs to step up and do the right thing
88.)Our and the VA’s greatest asset is the staff at the Hot Springs Unit
89.)Plunge water rights given to VA