veterans affairs

NY POST – Veterans Affairs Death Toll Will Rise

veterans affairs

Benjamin KrauseNY Post just called out Veterans Affairs secretary Bob McDonald for claiming he is making “great progress” rooting out corruption while only firing 3 employees, again.

“Don’t believe him,” as for his great progress, says the NY Post columnist Betsy McCaughey. I agree. Do you?

McDonald claims he is making headway battling mismanagement and corruption. But is this true? No way. The agency is neck deep in scandals that are growing more abhorrent and disgusting ever day.

Recently, McDonald looked clueless in front of a Senate Committee while trying to claim he is responsible for firing over a hundred thousand, “We’ve terminated over 140,000.” Senator Johnny Isakson called him out.

McDonald then stated he terminated 1,800 dysfunctional employees linked to the wait list scandal. He shifted his number to 1,400 – then back to 1,755 – then down to 755.

Really? I know very few people who could mistake 3 people for 140,000 people.

At that point in the testimony, Senator Isakson gave Bob McDonald a pass, “I’m not good with numbers either.” McDonald may be a lot of things, but an engineer is clearly not one of them.

@deptvetaffairs #mcdonald needs a math tutor asap to save #va Click to Tweet

The reality when compared to McDonald’s false indications is stupefying. Three. Bob McDonald has fired three employees linked to the deaths and frauds occurring across the country after an 18-month investigation.

I have some advice for McDonald that goes back to kindergarten. Grab your big toe and say, “This little piggy went to market.” Grab your next toe and say, “This little piggy stayed home.” Grab the middle toe and say, “This little had roast beef.” Stop there because you are failing your job after firing only 3 VA employees.

Apparently, based on McDonald’s brand of accountability, no one killed those vets and unlawfully misrepresented their performance numbers to get higher bonuses except three employees. All the other cases are a figment of our imagination.

The NY Post article claims the death rate can only increase as a result of the failure to hold employees accountability. Next to no accountability spells disaster for veterans and the death rate.

Is it time for McDonald to step down, like reporter Betsy McCaughey suggests? Or, will replacing McDonald only result in another incompetent fool taking his place?

Have you ever mistaken 3 for 140,000?

Sources:

https://nypost.com/2015/09/14/why-the-veterans-administration-death-toll-will-keep-on-rising/

https://www.creators.com/conservative/betsy-mccaughey/time-for-vas-mcdonald-to-step-aside.html

Similar Posts

47 Comments

  1. Dear Mr. Krause:

    If Bob McDonald doesn’t know how many employees he fired then he better start with himself before firing anyone else.

    Yours for God and Country
    Frank P. Calderon

  2. I read in one of the articles that came up when you google “veteran affairs news” That Bob McD doesn’t expect the VA to get better at all for veterans using the VAHC system, and that it’s because of the Vietnam veterans who are over 65 and need more health care now. He says he would like to shift the health care to “community resources”. Yea, that will take decades at the pace the VA operates. Vietnam was one of the most stupidest wars we ever had, and now the VA healthcare system is strained to take care of all that were drafted to go fight it. Nice planning. Don’t expect improvements though. With the medical situation in the U.S. these days, I’m sure we will be welcomed with open arms for what crumbs the VA will pay to doctors and hospitals in your community. That will relieve the VA hospitals and put the onus on the rest of the world to do what they can’t. Bob’s slippery, alright.

    But, I find things like this written by non-veterans about the govt all over the internet:

    Reasons why Vets and current military don’t trust VA or the govt.
    1. The govt rarely enforces its laws on the VA and rarely investigates them
    2.Govt charges those who served in the military the same Medicare Tax as all other individuals and charges those vets the same for Medicare upon retirement as everyone else yet medicare will pay no part of a Vets medical bills at a VA facility. Thus those that don’t use the VA find their medical care less expense than vets using VA.
    3. Congress passes laws and refuses to enforce them.
    4. The govt has to many exceptions and immunities from our laws and Constitution. None of which were ratified by the states or people.
    5 The govt cant be trusted!

  3. Here’s how we as members of the veterans community should look at VA pay and benefits.

    The VA is eliminating older veterans by denying claims for compensation forcing them to appeal and go to the BVA DEATH CAMP to die before a decision is made saving thousands of $$$$$$.

    VA pays huge bonuses to employees. These bonuses should be called BOUNTY’S based on the number of veteran denials at their respective facilities..

    Is the VA just a huge holding pen designed by the political establishment to hold those of us they send off to fight their dirty wars? A place designed to keep us in line by promising security while expediting our ultimate demise? Think about it brothers and sisters, do you feel secure, are you being cared for, have the promises of care and benefits been forthcoming? Do you think Secretary Bob, Allison H., Senator McCAIN, the heads of the DAV making 300K a year have the same trouble you and I have getting their full VA benefits? probably not. Theirs are protected using the old theory, scratch my back I’ll scratch yours.

    To those of us who are being taken care more power to you, to those who have been left out in the cold, keep up the fight.

  4. Before anyone goes off on me, please read my full comment.
    1.) Yes, to a complete outside CPA firm to conduct an audit on VA.
    Why, it just might find where the billions of $$$$ went. Who had there hands in the cookie jar, so to speak, etc., etc., etc.
    2.) Yes, to stripping all bonuses away from all VA employees top to bottom…
    It’s been proven bonuses do NOT improve anything. At most, it does allow graft, corruption and illegal acts to happen.
    3.) Yes, to a government shutdown. I’m talking about one that will last more than a month, possibly two or even three!!!!-
    Why, because of a number of REASONS.
    a.) It might cause more VA employees to become “Whistleblowers”!
    b.) It could cause the American Taxpayer to get involved more.
    c.) I believe it will definitely cause veterans who are “sitting on the sidelines” to become involved. Y’all know them. Their the veterans who want “the few to do the work for the many”!
    d.) It might even shake up all those worthless “elected” and “appointed” officials enough to make them realize their time in Washington, and State Legislature, is short.
    e.) It might even get those worthless “Veterans Organizations” off their proverbial asses and really do something FOR veterans! You all know them. The ones who have HUNDREDS of MILLIONS of $$$$$$$$$ in their “coffers”, yet don’t do hardly anything for veterans.

    That’s my f##king take on a worthless government and all the “entities” under it!

    1. Like I’ve said. Something HORRENDOUS has to happen for VA to be made to go to their knees. Nothing else will work…

  5. I was just notified by a fellow Veteran in another State, Indiana this time, that without ANY notice, when he did NOT receive his meds in mail as per usual, that his Indy VAMC without notice removed him from his collective of meds he has taken for years, and we are talking Psych Meds and Gastro…not even the usual pain meds thing…is this how cash-strapped he VA is and how they deal with it? Take the meds away from Veterans while I am DAMN SURE those VA Employees are still getting paid and receiving bonuses!!!!!!!!!! That is SO messed-up and he has friends this has recently happened to as well. Is this even legal let alone remotely following any Hippocratic Oath M.D.’s are supposedly to abide by?
    What’s next? Turn the electricity off at VAMC’s??? I am thinking this is the VA playing serious Passive-Aggressive Game…nothing less than push-back for being exposed for mistreating Vets.

    He also relayed that neither Sec. McD nor Under Sec. Hickey are returning calls.

    1. My congressman is on the veterans affairs committee and cannot get an answer out of Baghdad Bob or Alison Hickey in 7 weeks now.

      Brendan Sheedy works for Alison Hickey and claimed to be their put out the fires guy…he works only on Thursday and Friday. Zeldin’s office has been trying for three weeks now to find him.

      If a congressman can’t get answers out of them and the top echelon feels so immune from their power how can any of us little people stand a chance?

      It is past time to start dismantling the beast.

  6. This letter is in regards to the mistreatment I have endured by the VA as a form of retaliation due to complaints filled by me, which went to Washington, DC.

    I have had to fight and complain to Allison Hickey in Washington DC just to get my wheelchairs in Prosthetic, but now I’m going through the same issues in Physical Therapy. It is a money thing. That’s what some of the VA doctors and staff tell me. Not that your pain is controlled with this item and it allows you to live a semi decent life, so we will do what it takes to obtain it for you, so you can live a semi decent life. This is even after obtaining several letters from different VA treating doctors about the item I need, and having an outside non-profit provide 20 unbelievable treatments with this item reducing pain so much that it almost completely eliminated the spasticity and lowered my pain level substantially. I even had letters sent to them by a doctor at the VA Center for Excellence and had letters of MEDICAL NECESSITY sent to them by my VA Neurologist and my Primary Care Provider, stating I’m a special case, do to being treated with 240mg’s of Oxycodone, 3 times a day, and having a Neuro Stimulator in my back, which I had to get a letter for DEA Waiver to take that high amount of medications (a condition that my mom and brother have). The doctors stated that do to these conditions and the injuries I sustained while serving along with approximately 8 disk herniations and multiple impingements combined with the fact that I have Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain and Fatigue this item is needed. They still refuse, even having the new head of the Department, David Blount calling me at home to tell me they won’t order it for me, and When I stated well I’m taking it up in complaint, his response was, “sorry to hear that, but we won’t get it for you.” I have had the Social Worker working on it and she thought maybe the letters of necessity and explanation would do it. Unfortunately not here, the mighty dollar rules, unless they are sending you to War, then it’s how much can we spend. But when you come back to a horribly changed life because you went, they state, “SORRY BUT NO WE CAN’T HELP YOU.” The VA then questions why the suicide rate is so high? Just talk to the Veterans that take the pain and insults daily. The will give you the straight answers. Not saying that all VA workers are bad, but if you’re looking to change the VA. You have to get rid of more than one bad apple. You want a list of people they need to look into?Just ask the highest rated Service Connected Veterans at each hospital. They are usually the ones who deal with the majority of the departments, due to their injury and illnesses. It’s not rocket science.

    This not to mention Heather Harding at the Prescott, VA, has so many things screwed up here, the other employees want her looked at. She is the one that sent me a letter the day clothing allowance came out to say I needed to make an appointment with my pcp to consult me to Physical Therapy to see my equipment on September 1st even though I submitted it on April 19th. Then the Chairs I talked about, the Bounder was broken while in her care at her office. So they said they were going to order the part and fix it. Four months passed and she never even approved the part for order. She had the nerve to call me and say she got around to ordering it 2 weeks ago, with her assistant there. I called the company who stated they sent her quotes months ago but hadn’t ordered it yet. Then the next day they called and emailed me to say she just ordered it. They apologized for her being here. By the way they just called and said I am finally getting an appointment to pick it up. So many people are having issues with her here and the VA does nothing even though she has had numerous complaints filed on her. She is a snake.

  7. Let’s take a look at the dilemma Secretary Bob and Under Secretary Allison H. may be in as far as firing the top crooks in VA. I would suspect that most of them are pretty well entrenched in the political pockets of their local state political leadership and are therefore immune from any attack from the Secretary i.e. being fired. If true then any movement on Bob’s part to get rid of these animals will be fruitless, assuming they are truly trying to clean up this cancer called VA.

    To date their track record isn’t looking very positive, example, blaming the backlog on Vietnam Veterans. What he’s saying is the 40 YEAR DEATH PLAN didn’t work we’re still alive, consequently plan “B” has been implemented, denying claims of those 65 and over sending us to the BVA DEATH CAMP. (Deny Deny until they die)………………Will it ever change, wish I knew the answer.

  8. Here’s a fine example of “VA Counting”: Today in my email that the VA has on file I receive as part of an obvious mass emailing, on Sept. 17, the very MIDDLE of MONTH, the VA declaring and reminding that “September is Suicide Prevention Month”…and the email message only then wants to send you off in 20 different directions for the “beef” of whatever their message was…aaggghhhhh!

    Wouldn’t it make more sense to NOT wait until a Month is half over to tell a Veteran such a thing? Then, the info that they wish to have available for the veteran to look at/read is literally scattered about on several seemingly not connected sites…that is piss-poor management of resources in my eyes and mind.

    It’s also crappy counting…the month is half over and make it look as if announcing the month is abut to begin…WTF?

  9. He needs to be fired! O’Bama ain’t going to do that though. So, I guess we’re stuck with McDonald from now on and that means more and more veterans will die while waiting for care.

  10. Today, I went to my VA appointment at my very small clinic. All four people I saw (check-in & out person, registered nurse and PCP) had nothing good to say about VA upper management here in Central Florida.
    As a matter of fact, they also, had nothing good to say about McDonald or anyone else in Washington.
    Basically, they want VA to fail. Each stated they would be able to find a job on the outside easily. I don’t know about you, but I find it strange veterans employees (at the bottom) telling it like it is. One actually said, quote, “with the truth coming out about VA, what goes around comes around!”
    I hope y’all find this interesting…..

    1. My PCP was also very critical over every “elected” and “appointed” official in Washington.
      He’s also voting for Trump.

      1. I forgot to add. They seemed angry over “upper management not being held accountable for their misdeeds”! As one VA employee put it!

    2. Do not discount the possibility that VA Employees may have been groomed and briefed to try to connect with Veterans about the reports and accusations being brought forth, “appearing to be your friend and at your level”, when quite possibly they are literally phishing for information from you…spies of another bred, if you will. Maybe I am just a tad paranoid …no…my levels of trust have been seriously affected…but I still think it’s a good idea to sleep with 1 1/2 eyes open with ANYTHING VA…remember, they do not play fair by any means and are very good a “crocodile smiles”.

      1. Yes sir, I surely do agree, namnibor. VA has been trying, but I’m not biting. I think some, not all, may be sincere. The guy who checked me out, also said, “I gotta be careful on what I say!”
        I believe some of the ‘hourly waged employees’ of this VERY SMALL CLINIC may be unsure of what’s going to happen October 1.
        I don’t believe they really understand the “Who, What, Why or How” this possible government shutdown will happen. Or, how it will affect them- financially. Most are lost over veterans coming in and saying how bad their healthcare is.
        Veterans are also talking about the billboards that just went up down here. Or, veterans are talking about what McDonald said about Vietnam vets.
        I think VA hourly waged employees are scared because they can’t afford a shutdown. Remember, psychologically, when people don’t understand something, they become angry, confused and will usually spout off about something in a negative way. I’ve seen this happen many times as you probably have.

      2. What is also ‘worrisome” about the looming Government Shutdown is the fact the VA is without a doubt acting like they are seriously “Cash-Strapped”, and WAY more “Cash-Strapped” than the 2013 government shutdown.
        Why is this potentially relevant?

        Is there *any* guarantee that the VA would even have the cash to pay Disability Compensation this time around if there was another shutdown? If they cannot, how the hell can we rely on the VA “getting the math correct” if they have to pay Compensation in retro? Scary indeed!!!

        I mention this because it seems Sec. McDonald is coming across more than a “tad desperate”, as revealed in today’s article.

        AUDIT. Eliminate the bonus system!!!

  11. Still trying to use Veterans Choice, get surgery in my own town. Waiting for phone calls that don’t come. Calling back. Trying to make sense of a complete SNAFU. Last visit to Reno VA the PCP was almost hostile! I just read her notes and sure my blood pressure went up. “Patient says” blah blah sounds like “She’s old and fat and wears cheap clothes and I don’t believe her.” Getting someone to sign me out and having somewhere to recoup for a week so I can drive 75 miles home. That compared to being signed out and driven one block to my home! She says, “it would be the same problem.” No, bitch, not the same problem! I have lots of friends and neighbors to sign me out and help me go one block. Sitting in those waiting rooms, you realize every single one of those people was once 19 and gorgeous — and they wanted us! We gave them our best years! Damn their eyes! Why are they digging in?

  12. I overheard a Medical Resident (“TRAINEE”) at the West Los Angeles VA refer to veterans as “FRESH MEAT”!

    For medical education purposes, Veterans are “FRESH MEAT.”
    For VA bonuses, Veterans are “FRESH MEAT.”
    For Job security with limited work, Veterans are “FRESH MEAT.”
    The list goes on and on…….

    VA Patients Rights, VA Mission Statements, VA propaganda on the walls, VA kind words thanking Veterans for their service, etc. are pure bull.

    There is a small group of dedicated Physicians and staff at the VA who are subordinated to the majority. This small group is very much appreciated by Veterans.

    As many are advocating, lets close down the existing VA, provide Veterans with healthcare outside of the VA until a new, contemporary VA structured and dedicated to provide care for U.S. Veterans can be developed and implemented.

    1. The problem with the so called resident in a hospital is that they are usually either a resident or a student and most times are not a faculty Doctor. The thing that gets me every time I have procedure is the person that comes in says I’m Doctor so and so. I will usually ask…So your a faculty Doctor and have an MD.

      It would be surprising to everybody how many say they are a student, then I go into my bit about a doctor having an M.D. Or D.O. or whatever they are credentialed in and that it is not legal to portray yourself as a Doctor if you are not.

      Do remember that you do have a choice, if you do not want a resident to work on you then you have the choice of saying no I want the faculty Doctor. or most known as hospitalist although I have seen some hospitals use that term in reference to students they have on the hospitalist employee sheet so you have to be careful there also.

      The thing that is worse, most of these medical students, have to go to school and also work to make ends meat as well as do there residency at the hospital. I have known some not to sleep for days and this is not an over exaggeration by any means. I worked at one hospital were they were on a five day rotation basis in E.R., this is not bad because they get to sleep, but what about overly busy times such as flu season, trust me they do not sleep much and usually wake to make life and death situations before they are even fresh. You just hope you have a qualified nurse that will step in for you when they know something is not right.

      On the other hand I do enjoy have a third year resident sometimes because they take the time to get it right and the teaching doctor is supposed to be watching there every move.

      Point is you do have a right in who cares for you under federal guidelines.

  13. The main problem I can see by reviewing this the word Termination.
    I am or was a Nurse, if I was found accountable for a death at the hospital by a group of peers, a few things would happen. One I would have a Nursing board hearing where they would revoke my license and Two they would refer the case to the District Attorney and I would spend a couple of years in a state penitentiary.

    Am I over reacting, no because being a Nurse for over 20 years, I witnessed other Nurses losing there license and being imprisoned for there misconduct.

    Now with medical there are some differences in how you would be disciplined.
    For example, and this is a true case scenario, the first scenario is made up and the second is what actually happened.

    Betsy the nurse was on workman’s comp so she was at a desk job.
    Betsy accidentally had two charts on her desk and labeled one a discharge and one
    an admission, by reversing the order, the one that was discharged should of been seen three times a day for blood glucose levels and was not so four days later her family found her dead and the autopsy revealed it was do to hypoglycemia.

    The peers reviewed this and found Betsy was at fault.
    The board reviewed it and suspended Betsy license.
    No further action was taken.

    What actually happened,
    Betsy was working a desk job because she was on workers comp
    Betsy was on narcotics for pain at the time of work, revealed by a blood test.
    Yes the narcotics were prescription but Betsy was impaired, Texas Nursing laws as
    well as all the other states are very vague on this, they allow use of narcotics but state if your impaired then your found responsible.
    So the peer group found her negligent.
    The nursing board took the license.
    The grand jury indicted
    and the jury sent her to prison. Two years at Jesse Dawson in Dallas Texas.

    Why is it when it’s white collar they think termination is fair. If you are responsible for taking a life from not doing your job because it was too much trouble, should it not be held accountable in a court of law as manslaughter.

  14. Bob McDonald, stated he would insure veterans are taken care of and he would assist one veteran at a time resolve their complaints about the VA, I gave him all the information needed for him to see that the VA is letting management retaliate against veterans who were former employees, by using the Disruptive Committee and his office did nothing at all. He could not even give me a call or write a letter. His style is just like the rest, pass the Buck 1. He does not care if the VA is using illegal tactics to harm veterans. Even when the VA admits they are doing it without requiring proof ! and even when the director lied that nothing happened to me, because of a disgruntal employee! Thanks Bob for throwing me to the way side and not getting to the root of the problem !, how many more employees is he going to let falsely accuse veterans ?. Do your job BOB and listen to what the veterans are telling you, we have our rights and they are being ignored !, Grow up and stand up to those that dare betray our veterans !.

  15. Secretary McDonald will not admit that the big government union bosses will not permit him to fire anyone.
    Businesses have the same problem. If a union is representing employees, they will protect very bad workers, who really should be fired, but, as long as those union dues are paid , those employees rarely lose their jobs.
    We don’t need unions in the company of government employees, period !

    1. The AFGE union doesn’t represent members of management. They do protect the hourly workers from over-zealous managers that are quick to pat themselves on the back. They also help employees when it comes to nazi styled tactics of the VA police department.

      Managers have all the protection they need when they screw up.

      The AFGE represents employees regardless of if they elect to pay dues or not.

  16. The VA is responsible for my wife passing way sooner than she should have, She retired from the Navy four years after myself, and only live 2 years. She told TWO VA primary care givers she was concerned about a pain in her sternum – she had a mastectomy while on active duty – and one care giver ignored it, and another said “If it was cancer, you’d know’ Guess what, it was cancer, and it was metastasized breast cancer that made its’ way to her brain.

    Yeah, ‘premiere health care’ as the head of the Tucson VA, Jonathan Gardner says…

    We need someone, anyone, to step up and take charge of this mess, and get it figured out. Frankly, the best thing that could happen to the VA is to privatize it.

    1. Dave I am so sorry for your loss ,I have a family history of cancer both sides my PCP told. me they would not check me with anymore colonoscopy ,he asked me who was doing other cancer checks & stated some BS that they would not be performing anymore because studies showed it did not matter my hand to god & that they did not want me back until my annual they took me off 15 Meds pain & muscle relaxers Valium , I have this ringing in my head & I went from 213 to 178 quick. All I can say is this If they signed my death warrant or had took someone dear from me .Well I will make no threats But I do remember my training I was & still am a Soldier .Again I feel for your loss

      1. Doc, thank you for your condolence. My wife had a family history of cancer, and the Navy knew that…the VA didn’t care.

        VA medicine is, IMO, worse than military medicine, probably because those that have influence over the doctors are ‘reachable’. It saddens me that there isn’t ANY accountability, and in part that’s because our representatives are spineless to take up our cause.

        I’m sorry to hear how the VA is messing with you, although like most on here, not surprised. If you complain, too much or to representatives, you get your record flagged…and I can tell you after reading the Directive they do NOT follow it – even when they are pulling down near $200K for not doing their job.

        Hang in there Doc, and do your research…can you say hit the internet. You can get past this, and you may be, after time, better off being off the meds, especially if an incompetent VA doc/rn prescribed it

  17. This is just FUNNY!
    My message to CONGRESS: CUT COMPLETELY ALL THE BONUSES!
    Maybe this will FIX THE PROBLEM!
    MSG VAM

  18. In addition to long lasting issues with VA regarding health care and compensation, the education benefits department has now also collapsed. Tuitions, housing and book stipends haven’t been paid for Aug/Sep and many vets are being removed from school enrollments, evicted etc. I’m surprised the media hasn’t picked up on it.

    1. I fully believe after trying to hunt down the $$$ they were supposed to pay for SMC T that congress gave them and didn’t that a lot of money has been misappropriated if only between accounts as in borrowing from Peter to pay Paul.

      I would love to see a real time audit done today. What does Bob have in his accounts? What did spend it on if not what congress gave the money to be spent on?

      Paris vacations?

      That concrete glory hole in Aurora?

      Bonuses?

      His PR effort?

      A good attorney?

  19. Hey, Folks,
    Maybe that “Horrendous Act” I spoke about will come sooner than later that ‘Ol McD’ doesn’t want…
    It’s sure a fact the boy doesn’t know how to count (I’d like to know where he finished at ‘West Point’). It sure is fact the boy doesn’t know a thing about construction. It sure is fact the boy doesn’t know how to run a civilian business, government entity or anything else for that matter.
    I don’t want him to bail with that ‘Golden Parachute’, just yet. Why? Because he needs to learn a lesson on telling the truth, and, Hopefully, getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar! I also want all those pukes in VA, from top to bottom, to realize one cannot continue DUPPING the American public. Especially the American TAXPAYER.
    Maybe, this time, the taxpayers may wake up and tell VA “STOP YOUR BULLSH!T”.

  20. I put the comment below up in response to another comment but it fits here. Baghdad Bob McDonald is a man out for his own legacy and not the veterans he works for. Fired from Proctor and Gamble he has his own egotistical need to cement his legacy. A legend in his own mind. Engineer, Special Forces officer. And, I bet he claims more lies before he leaves. He just can’t help himself.

    I know at least one congressional staff is reading here Ben. I have a text message asking for your address on the Minnesota TBI scandal. Baghdad Bob and Alison Hickey are virtually stealing from veterans and killing them, maybe daily, and with virtually no consequences. They berate and ignore congress except when they are demanding and begging for more money like an endless supply of money will fix incompetent and evil.

    I am trying to find out how much congress gave the VA since 2011 the year I was told claims were first paid out for Special Monthly Compensation T versus how much the VA spent on giving the money to veterans qualifying for SMC T. Indianapolis VBA Director ignores all FOIA requests. The veterans affairs congressional committee can’t come up with numbers as neither can my congressman’s office and he sits on the committee.

    And, I would like to know if they didn’t give out as much as congress gave for the benefit where did that money go?

    Fake Special Forces Robert McDonald and his crew (and McDonald, Hickey, and Robert Reynolds have all touched his claim) denied my husband a 21 year REAL Special Forces officer and former NCO SMC T despite the fact he is already service connected for TBI and two doctors have filled out 21-2680’s.

    According to the IG reports I am collecting it seems virtually every regional office screwed up royally in approving SMC T and VSO’s and lawyers are telling me the VBA has no intention of giving that money out.

    My congressman Rep. Lee Zeldin thinks it is just fine to be ignored by McDonald. First it would take a month to answer him, now two months. He seems to have zero clue that his power is between now and October 1st. After McDonald gets his budget he has no need for a congressman.

    And, I know his office is reading here. His head of constituent services asked me for Ben’s web address on the MN TBI scandal.

    A lot of money has been stolen from veterans. And, I am sure McDonald and Hickey still sleep at night. Hickey safe in her religion thinking praying for being forgiven will punch her ticket to heaven and McDonald safe is his very own Rambo wet dream.

    May they both be very surprised by the dogs of Hell one day.

    1. Robin, Why not forward that email to Ben? I’m not sure how to do that. But, there’s got to be a way. What do you think that ‘representative’ wants with Ben’s address?

      On a side note: I really get tired of looking at McDonald’s face!!!!! He’s such a damn liar and cheat!!!!

      1. Rep. Lee Zeldin has been waiting for an answer from Bob for over a month. Now Baghdad Bob has shoved answering him off to Alison Hickey and crew and is telling him, not asking for another month to answer him.

        His head of constituent services never heard of the MN TBI scandal and my husband claim denial involves a related VBA scam of illegally denying SMC T to service connected veterans.

        I have cc’d Ben on my emails back and forth. Alison Hickey’s crew in 12 days could not answer whether or not a clinical psychologist could fill out the relevant portions of a 21-2680 related to TBI. Then I got an email back saying they answered each other but forgot to answer me. Are these people for real? Are they THAT incompetent?

        I asked for very specific answers to violations of the law, Training Letters, Fast Letters, CFR, etc. My husband’s claim involved losing evidence from SOCOM, losing many pages of his VA medical record and even them admitting that going back to 1992, ignoring the law congress passed providing aid and attendance to veterans SC for TBI, Violating Title 38 duty to assist and even violation of his privacy, intimidation by VA employees, and CUE’s pointed out to the DRO Katrina Bone and Appeals Coach Sue Burke that were on the hearing transcript and virtually ignored by them and Alison Hickey.

        I get the very strong impression that this crew couldn’t run an ice cream stand successfully. For whatever reason congress is perfectly willing to let them continue as they are. That might be an impediment to some re-election in November 2016. And, I am sure a complete surprise to some who think they are really doing a great job helping their veteran constituents.

        They really need a news clipping service to keep up to date.

  21. No “great progress” as an end user of the whole nightmare. Here in Dallas, nope, no way.

  22. Bob could trade jobs with Crazy Kim of North Korea. Then what they do and how they do it would at least fit the picture and make sense. Bob: use your golden parachute now, while you still can.

    1. Bruce, Bob isn’t quit ready to go yet he still has a number of deals in the works such as the Pershing Hall hotel in Paris. The 5-star boutique 24-room hotel, restaurant and club in Paris owned by the VA located in one of the priciest sectors of Paris, and under McDonald’s control.

      That is my take on the Military Times article “McDonald: Let VA shed real estate”. In the article Bobbie claims he could come up with an additional $25 million if he is able to shed some real estate owned by the VA.

      Of course the price seems to have changed from before Congress approved the raiding of Veterans Choice Program funds to help fund that never ending cesspool of corruption called the Aurora VA hospital.
      When U.S. Representative Mike Coffman (R-CO) was urging the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to sell the five-star hotel to help fund the cost overruns at the Aurora VA cesspool the price he was quoting was $30 million.

      At least that is what Representative Coffman stated in his June 11th, press release titled “Coffman: Sell VA Hotel in Paris, Build Hospital in Aurora”. That was well he was being lobbied by Mrs. Jennifer Dionne and Helen C. Siracuse from the Atlantic Strategies Group.

      Multiple federal agencies valued the Hotel at $100 million in 1992 and in 1997 a $80 million reconstruction was started on the Hotel.

      1. Forgot to add that to obtain the $25 million by shedding some VA real estate, Bobbie says he would also need to go behind closed doors, without congressional oversight, and play a rousing game of pocket pool with the budget.

      2. I still can’t figure out why congress let’s the VA keep that hotel. Why don’t they just start the bidding process and evict Baghdad Bob and crew from the fancy digs?

        Other than having a wonderful place to grease his cronies and reluctant politicians what justification can he have for keeping a Paris glory hole?

      3. Robin,

        I think that it might have to do with the $100,000 payment the Secretary of Veterans Affairs receives yearly from the Pershing Hall Trust fund account. To sell the hotel it will take an act of Congress and that means the Secretary of Veterans Affairs would have to propose the sale to Congress for it to be approved.

        Maybe Jennifer Dionne and Helen C. Siracuse from the Atlantic Strategies Group could shed more light on the subject their contact information is:

        email: [email protected]

        Phone: (410) 271-2323

        But then again they are the ones lobbying Representative Mike Coffman to promote the sale to Congress at the price their client offered. Their client LA Partners put in the offer of $30 million for the property.

      4. Robin,

        It might have something to do with the $100,000 yearly payment the Secretary of Veterans Affairs receives from the Pershing Hall Trust fund. Since it will take an act of congress to sell the hotel it also requires the Secretary request to sell the hotel before Congress will consider it.

        The Lobbyists promoting the sale to congress are Mrs. Jennifer Dionne and Helen C. Siracuse from the Atlantic Strategies Group would certainly know more about it. Although they are trying to promote the sale to their client LA Partners for only $30 Million.

        Their contact information is “[email protected]” or by phone at: “(410) 271-2323”

      5. The lobbyist, Jennifer Dionne, is the former Deputy Director of Government Affairs for TriWest Healthcare Alliance. Triwest is one of the two administrators of the Veterans Choice Program.

Comments are closed.