Valley veterans praise Proposition 8's expected passage

A measure touted by Rio Grande Valley veterans as another step toward landing the veterans hospital they say is sorely needed here was headed toward passage by a wide margin late Tuesday.

With 85 percent of the state’s 7,468 precincts reporting, almost 75 percent of statewide voters were in favor of Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment that authorizes Texas to partner with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to build and operate hospitals.

Valley veterans pushed the measure with the argument that allowing the state to contribute resources in the form of land donations or construction funding gives the area’s congressional delegation the leverage it needs to push the VA to fund the hospital’s operation.

The strong Texas-wide support for the amendment’s passage — and its even stronger showing in the Valley, where support ranged from 80 percent in Cameron County to 93 percent in Starr County — indicate the state is behind the cause, said Homer Gallegos, chairman of the Veterans Alliance of South Texas.

Nearly 81 percent of Hidalgo County voters had approved the measure, with 90 percent of the county’s 140 precincts reporting.

Now, advocates of the project will have to convince the federal government to join their efforts.

“There’s no ifs and buts about the message we sent,” Gallegos said. “It was a tremendous victory for our veterans community, but this is far from over.”

Valley veterans have pushed for years for a veterans hospital with widespread support from both the public and their elected officials.

However, despite some legislative successes in getting bills written in favor of their cause, the veterans hospital has seemingly been out of reach.

Emilio De Los Santos, director of veterans services in Hidalgo County, said Proposition 8 motivates two key players — the state government and the federal government — to discuss how to build a veterans hospital here.

The constitutional amendment gives the state authority to contribute money, property and other resources to establish, maintain and operate veterans hospitals.

Every candidate for statewide election in March’s primary who stumped in the Valley backed the measure.

Their support is crucial as veterans now plan to ask the state to actually partner with the federal government on a plan for a hospital here, De Los Santos said. Continued lobbying efforts by South Texas veterans groups pushed the VA to sign contracts with local hospitals to administer care to the area’s veterans.

The contracts eliminated many of the trips to San Antonio to visit the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital, De Los Santos said. But a veterans hospital here would provide the centralized Valley veterans need and would be a place to call their own.

“For us, the hospital is the solution,” De Los Santos said. “It wouldn’t be the Band-Aid. It would be the solution.”

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Jared Janes covers Hidalgo County government, Edinburg and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4424.