quex would be the tricare -- trigger for more restricted access. just to make sure they do not become gridlocked. >> we would propose that the plan works really well. everyone has a tradition. we do not have to talk right closures. san francisco has the experience. you remember the central freeway experience. everybody got notice and caltrans was good in getting the word out. the have boxes of donuts. there was a 5% bomb. that was because we had advance marketing and we did a great job of people in the region. they 18 c process variants -- they mass market. working with tmasf will be -- they are willing to fly the flag. the cbuilding -- they're working in advance. the clipper card can be a terrific tool. >> cannot not reach out to those folks. there is a lot of people down there. >> if i could, what i would like is to make sure i am working with the groups. i did work again with the friends of golden gate. >> the business community is unique. it is not set up like that. it makes it harder to outreach to them. i did my straw poll. they were very int

now, i could also tricare for life but that is not the bold. in fact, it only looks at the 20% that medicare does not pay. so i don't get military retiree benefits based on my military service. i get them right now based on the fact that i'm 65 years old and i'm eligible for medicare. so i which is kind of backed out of here and listen to your response on the bigger. thank you very much. >> guest: thanks, john. you bring up the good point in terms of the fact that the military's retirement costa, out of the pentagon budget. i think that sort of the source of the problem have is that we have this choice, it appears we have a choice between retirement benefits and current active duty payroll and current military capability. but i think it's a little bit difficult to move those over to the general fund partly, i mean, that would be an extra in a policy change but also different retirement systems. the retirement system the military has is a completely different program than what federal civilian employees would have. and as far as the health care

they're going up in tricare and veterans' care. indeed, secretary gates has said, "health care costs are 'eating the defense department alive'." eating the defense department alive, health care costs are. and if you're in private insurance, whether it is kaiser or united or blue cross, pick your insurer, the costs are going up dramatically. our own hospitals in rhode island, which provide health care, are watching their health care costs accelerate at significant rates, far above a multiple of our rate of inflation. this problem of rising health care costs is creating real strain. it is not just creating strain on the federal budget. granted, it is created strain on the federal budget. but it's also creating incredible stress on seniors, on small business owners who can't afford health insurance for themselves or have to whittle away at the health insurance that their employees have in order to keep it affordable, or have to give it up entirely as they face the stresses of this economic downturn. as the presiding officer officer kn

that would have significant effect on reducing the cost of medicare, medicaid, tricare, the other day secretary gates said that his budget is, quote, being eaten alive by health care costs. it would have, i think, a very significant lift on american exports which now carry a huge health care cost in their pricing which our european competitors and some other foreign competitors dodge by having a national health care system and a tax system that exports dodge because they're not picked up in the v.a.t. tax method. and that creates a huge differential, a huge competitive burden on an american export product compared to a competitive product exported in the same international market. and so it's frustrating to me when we have a panel of experts who talk about our economy and nobody talks about health care. and we've had this discussion before, what everybody has said is, well, that may be true but because of the nature of the reforms that are required to begin to unload those excess costs, the $18 -- 18% versus 12% of g.d.p. differential that we carry as a load in our health care economy

membership say about him raising, in particular, $200 annual fees if people want to continue with tricareell, the issue would be is what is -- what is the cost of a volunteer armed forces? what is our country willing to pay to protect our nation. basically speaking, i think that we need to really address that issue. the current administration, they've never served in the military. they're not familiar with military service. they are trying to equate it with a typical government job and it's not a typical government job. we have to have -- we have to have benefits that entice young people to be willing to stay in the military. 1%, less than 1% actually, served in the military and of that 1%, 10% of that 1% actually stay for 20 years or more. >> sure. >> what are we willing to pay for that to protect this country and keep it free? national security is the issue. >> it's such a good point. so not only would it hurt recruitment, you say, but also a lot of these men and women are on fixed incomes and for the government then to say hey, if you want to continue with this deal, we told you you'd

. >> jim -- her work in tricare in virginia and i had a question for colonel keesee about the vet centers how often do prospective employers come to your vet center and say they are interested in hiring a veteran? >> well, it by my silence i guess you can deduce that not very often but that doesn't mean we are not working within the state and within the state employment division. they have veteran representatives who work specifically to work with veterans. as far as employers coming to the vet center, they don't. >> i see it as a challenge to hire disabled veterans. i am one of 16 veterans on my fathers side and my wife's side of the family. and, i work for the department of defense and i reached out to hire some veterans. i wish more people would. i know we have veterans who used the g.i. bill and they go to colleges and universities. i wonder if that would be a way. i think we need a gateway to help these veterans. the unemployment rate is 15% and the rest of the country is nine. >> it is even higher when they go back to rural areas. >> and is a challenge for all of us to help these ve

. >> i work for tricare. and i had a question for the colonel about the vet centers.w often to prospective employers actually come to a vet center, or your vet center, and say they're interested in hiring a veteran? >> well, by my size i guess it you can deduce not very often. but that doesn't mean we are not working within the state and within the state employment division. and they have veteran representatives who work specifically to work with veterans. as far as employers coming to the vet center, they don't. >> i see this as an challenge to hire disabled veterans. on one of 16 veterans on my fathers side, and my wife's side of the family. and i work for the department of defense, and i reached out to hire veterans. i wish more people would. i know we have veterans to use the va bill endicott college and university. i wonder if that would be a gateway. i think we need a gateway to help these veterans, unemployment is what, 15% and the rest of the country is nine, twice -- >> even higher when they go back to rural areas. >> and just a challenge for all of us to try