Senate

‘Shockingly Unethical Misuse Of Funds’ Prompts Senate Demand

Senate

Benjamin KrauseFour members of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs sent a demand to Secretary Bob McDonald for answers on unethical and unlawful misuse of funds by at least two senior VA executives.

These senior members of Congress are investigating the actions of two Veterans Affairs executives who manipulated staffing to allow for ridiculously high moving allowances to supplant bonuses Congress prohibited years ago. Executives Kim Graves and Diana Rubens were implicated in the charges and allocated themselves $125,000 and $270,000 in moving allowances, respectively. The new positions were essentially a demotion but both executives maintained their high level salaries.

RELATED: VA OIG Takes Action Against SES Employees

The bipartisan demand came from Chairman Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Dean Heller (R-NV). In a letter, the lawmakers stated:

“Our committee confirmed your nomination to fundamentally overhaul and reform this struggling agency… But, unfortunately, it is clear… that your well-intentioned and meaningful efforts to change the culture of VA have not yet taken hold.”

The senators went on to demand documentation of “any actions you are taking” to stop the unlawful acts in question. They also sought input on the plan to stop fraudulent relocation schemes. Last, they requested any documentation showing federal personnel taking demotions cannot also have their salaries lowered.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2015/10/13/lawmakers-demand-answers-from-va-on-shockingly-unethical-misuse-of-funds-by-executives-who-abused-their-positions-to-get-plum-jobs/

Similar Posts

46 Comments

  1. IF DIANNE RUBINS is “STILL” at the V.A. That in itself tells the Whole Country What a Blatant Sham, Of putrid Corruption V.A. IS STILL Plagued with, It`s time To CLEAN THE DAMN HOUSE, And these people CALL Themselves Americans. They should be dragged out and PUBLICLY HANGED! And I have a WHOLE bunch more on the list as well! Let`s make it a great day out for the whole Family, Free Hotdogs & Pop corn! And I ain`t kidding. SOB`S Rotten to the Damn Core. That`s BS.

  2. Hey! A bit off-topic, but you all can google this, as it was just a few minutes ago on national news: The State of Illinois announced they cannot pay-out any lottery winnings above $600. until further notice due to “budget shortfall”….anyone find it alarming that you see the same lining of pockets/greed, with now a few States, where like the VA, are entrusted to invest and bank a certain % of lottery income, let alone lottery commission workers that make just under $100,000. a year…now the cannot pay, no money. Holding the winners hostage. In the same sense, the VA holds some Veterans ‘hostage’ when they become an impasse and embezzling and LOSS of Billion$ (VA has no idea where Denver $1.1 Billion went)…this corruption is so thick that our Founding Fathers would have quite possibly preferred the oppression of England if they had to choose between they and the VA. Scary.

    Sorry for off-topic, but this is not the first State to have this happen recently, so something does not smell right in the wood piles.

    1. namnibor, The wife and I just watched that article on Illinois’ lottery. Sad, just like the VA.
      Also,
      Google the following article,

      “ISIS threatens medal of honor recipient”

      His first name is Dakota. Can’t remember his last name. It’s got a great video.

      Now, after you watch that video. More videos should come up with Putin. Y’all should be aware he’s accused the U.S. of many acts. One that’s struck me is the stupidity of our government. Y’all gotta watch them all.

    2. Namnibor, IL is in the sewer and has been because of political corruption in both parties at all levels. How many governors have gone to prison? Years ago I heard IL had an $11 billion deficit, but when public pension fund liabilities are added in, it’s many billions more. I believe IL is easily in the top 5 states in the nation for how badly in debt they are.

  3. If you are a VA troll, maybe you should read this: It is a federal crime to abuse a disabled or elderly person, which is what many vets are, one or the other or both. Mental abuse, including pretending to be supportive of the disabled person/veteran, is a crime. Stay off this site or you will be found out and reported. Maybe you can settle by brown nosing at some anti-American communist leftist site that hates vets. Or, go to any VA Patient Advocate Office and give them some cookies, because they are the biggest trolls of all.

    1. In my State of Oregon there is a law on the books that extends the protection of Protective Restraining Orders to ANY disabled person who is threatened by ANYBODY with a termination of their medical care. It’s called The Elderly and Persons With Disabilities Protection Act. I used it.

      When the VHA clinic manager called me at home and threatened to put me on the red flag list (violent PRF) because I was faxing complaints about missing meds, he said it would terminate all local care and I would have to travel 120 miles round trip to continue getting care. He threatened my healthcare openly. He did flag me for speaking on the phone in a manner he disapproved of (PRF statute forbids use of the statute for any behaviour that does not take place on federal VHA property).

      I went to the District Court, family court law section, and told the judge what he had threatened. She immediately had me follow her clerk who filled in the right form and that Judge issued a Restraining Order against that manager, ordering him to cease all communication with me and to cease contact with me at the clinic.

      4 days later, citing the Restraining Order and my complaints on the phone, the VHA terminated all local access to care and declared I was to be followed by an armed guard. The only reason the manager got terminated from government service was that he showed up in court with my medical records in which he copied off a portion where I had used the “f” word in a voice mail twice. I didn’t realize that in trying to get the Restrainong Order dismissed they could take my records xeroxed off to court. HE SHOWED UP IN COURT TO ATTACK MY CHARACTER WITH COPIES OF MY OWN MEDICAL RECORDS!

      His attorney had me read one sentence with the F words in it and when the judge realized they were using my medical records halted the proceeding immediately and dismissed the case saying his opinion was that the statute was not meant for “this kind of abuse”. He nearly fell of the bench when he realized a Department of Justice Attorney had handed me my own medical record in court (releasing my medical record in open court without my authorization). He gave that lawyer a sharp rebuke then immediately told him, “Sir, shut up now.” when the lawyer tried to explain.

      He disagreed with the first judge, and if I had a lawyer I would have easily prevailed. The clinic manager had the assistant Department of Justice Attorney representing him. He used my own medical records to attack my character. I pushed the record issue showing up in court – no redactions, and suddenly the manager was “no longer available to ask about this matter, and no longer works in federal service so we cannot substantiate your claim.”, according to the Director of the facility.

      The Director that wrote that got retired too, but this all took years to unwind, and now 3 years later, though they were forced to rescind the flag, they entered into my record that I am never to be seen in private by any provider. No flag. No PRF. My last medication review was held in the conference room because the doctor wanted two extra people present!!! I told each I did not consent. Each just laughed and said they didn’t need my consent and the doctor continued.

      But they have a teensie little problem now. My friend, whom I am allowed to have with me, is a reporter. a 30 year reporter who did two consequtive issues in Sunday editions of the regional paper to document the abuses they visited upon me. VHA was informed my reporter friend would be with me given the circumstances of the “extra required clinicians”. That reporter, my friend, was there to take notes for me.

      As soon as I uttered the words, you do not have my consent to provide medical care to me to the two extra people, their decision to stay constituted agreement to be interviewed and reported upon. Their claims that the VHA does not require informed consent could not be confirmed by the reporter – so story number 3 is in the works. I just got a letter from the Chief of Staff, unsolicited, that said he had instructed his staff to listen to any voice mail I leave for my doctor for a maximum of 90 seconds then hang up. He also copy and pasted a quote from my own medical record into this letter, defending the statement in the newspaper in which I said I was still escorted against my will. He said that since they are not armed, the VHA does not consider it an escort.

      Any guesses what I did? hehehe – he put quotes around the statement my doc entered into my medical record, said that Dr. Daly had a perogative to do as she saw fit, and identified the quote as, “perhaps you are referring to this entry into your medical record…”

      Since I did not authorize a release of my medical records, I filed a Privacy Act complaint for a willful release of a portion of my medical record without authorization. Now the Chief of Staff gets to explain why he too is releasing medical records without my authorization. It’s hardly a routine use.

      Make a friend of a reporter, then take them with you. They get unhinged.

      1. Thank you very much for all the details. It certainly provides a way forward in fighting these hacks. Do you have links to news articles? They might provide even more detail. Thanks for finding the path for others to follow.

  4. So much outrage for such a small change! Bravo Zulu to the VA’s Damage Control/Propaganda Team for a job well done. You see my fellow veterans, the VA wants everyone to watch the little clowns, not the main characters who steal billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money. The billions of dollars of cost overrun at the Denver, New Orleans, Orlando, and other VA projects has been largely forgotten. These Senators and Congressmen who gave more money to the VA to complete the projects want you to erase your memory about the billions of dollars and concentrate on the clowns instead. Everything is a charade! VA said they will never be able to find out where the billions went. Please, Mr. Senators! Put me back in and I promise you I’ll find where every dime went.

    1. ^ “[So much outrage for such a small change!]”

      $400,000. would go a LONG WAY for all our fellow Veterans that are Homeless, getting the severe circle-jerk VA BVA Appeals Runaround and see, that’s “THE BIG DEAL”…Veteran’s are regularly denied even the very Travel Pay they are entitled to, yet, the VA can dish-out $400,000. in relocation expenses to just -2- VA employees?

      “Small Change” is indeed a very relative thing…not so much subjective in this light, is it?!

      1. Well said namnibor.
        When, or if, these two are prosecuted, then the federal court systems can move on to the bigger fish.

        That $68 million, 4,000 page report WAS NOT the kind of “report” veterans AND taxpayers want to see.
        I believe an outside CPA firm, in high standards, needs to be brought in to “audit the VA’s finances (basically a complete financial audit)! If one company were to “take the case” under certain conditions, I believe we would see corruption at the highest levels.
        One might say, how would that company get paid. The answer is simple. We have a law here in Florida where “Whistleblowers” receive a percentage (%) of what is found. So if they find billions of taxpayers monies being spent. That % (finders fee) can turn into millions of $$$$!
        Do y’all remember a blog on here concerning a “Mr. Frye”? Remember, he spoke in front of the Congressional Committee concerning the “illegal expenditures” in the tune of $5 to $6 billion each year for at least (10) ten years on “illegal contracts”!
        If that CPA Firm can collaborate that. Just think what else they might find!
        It wouldn’t take them no year to do it in either. Maybe, just six or seven months. Once they start finding illegal sh!t, they continue. Bet that would scare the crap out Ol Bagdad Bob McDonald!

    2. Adelino, you are so right! I point out this same tactic often here. It’s like, “Watch my left hand steal $200,000 so you don’t notice the billion I stole with my right hand.” Clown thieves!

      1. I agree, somewhat Bruce. Yet first one has to catch the smaller thieves to get to the bigger crooks. It’s that way with all law enforcement agencies nationwide!
        Think of it this way. These two women just might turn over lots of other names of bigger fish, to keep from going to prison. They don’t want to go down alone.
        If we had a DOJ with balls, that would be the way to proceed with this.

        As far as Trump is concerned. Every time he talks, he mentions two things specifically. “Building up our military” AND “taking care of our veterans”!

        Today, on U-Tube I watched a video of “Former Gov. of Minnesota Jesse Ventura”. He’s considering running for President. According to American History, he IS the only Governor in the past 50-60 years to get his state out of the red, and into the black when it comes to finances! Did you know he has a very high degree in politics! I believe a Master’s or possibly even a PHD!
        y’all, or some of ya, are from that area. What do you think?

      2. namnibor&crazyelf

        The VA had brazenly cheated on their financial audit in the past. The audit firm did its job and found MATERIAL deficiencies. “Material” means that the deficiencies are so big that the VA’s financial statements cannot represent the true financial standing of the agency. So the VA had the VAOIG’s own financial auditor and the VA’s CFO massage the audit report (by a lot) and voila – the failed audit turned into a Clean Audit. The “clean audit” was signed by then SecVA Shinseki and then sent to OMB. Do you think the SecVA did not know what he was signing? I sent a copy of this “clean audit” report to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs but as far as I know this evidence and all the other criminal evidence that I sent are still sitting in the committee – I guess waiting for the public to forget all about the BILLIONS!

        You guys should put your real names out there so us real people can do a little fact-finding on you. I won’t be surprised to find someone who frequents veterans websites is actually a paid troll or employed by the VA. Like I told the VAOIG and the VA Committee, the VA is stealing BILLIONS, the mere tens or hundreds of thousands paid to their Damage Control Team is nothing! Actually it is not “nothing” – it’s actually free money, courtesy of the taxpayers.

        Again, I’m signing with my real name. Google it together with the name “Glenn Haggstrom”.

      3. @Adelino,
        First, not too many know you sent documents to the VAOIG concerning a financial audit of that magnitude. Or that you attended a committee meeting. At least I didn’t, until now!

        Secondly, Mr. Ben Krause knows my real name, address and email address.
        I use this “nickname” for anonymity. That is my choice and my reason. I have previously stated both of my military services on here many months ago. Here they are again.

        U.S. Army 1966-69, Vietnam 1968-69 (Jan. to Jan) stationed outside Pleiku attached to the 4th Inf. Div. in II Corps. My MOS was 11B & then 72B20. My “enlistment code” was “RA” not “US”! I lost many friends when I joined the Army. Some over there and some back home because they were very antiwar. My own sister, to this day, refuses to communicate with me over my going there!

        U.S. Navy 1975-82, Beirut, Lebanon, June, 20, 1976, “Operation Fluid Drive” (the evacuation of civilians from the airport, held by the then “gang” Hezbollah!) while on board the USS RALEIGH LPD-1. After ‘her’ I went to Orlando to get my NEC. Which would then be “torpedoeman” as a “Subroc Tech”! Since discharged in 1982, I had been rated at 50% until 2005. Then at 100% T&P. I have fought VA many times since 2005 over fubar’s they have committed against me AND my wife.

        If you believe I’m a “troll”, there would/will be no way I could change your mind.
        I’m on here to help.
        If you don’t want it say so!
        I can’t speak for namnibor, or anyone else on here, about what they have been through.
        I have contacted Ben when I have suspected something. Especially when someone has posted a negative comment. He then took the appropriate action. I have also sent him news articles when I have found them and believed, or hoped, he might be interested in them. If you don’t believe me, contact him!

        Thank you for the vote of confidence.

      4. @Adelino
        Not ever about to use my real name on here and my internet electronic footprint is also very scant. hell, I do not even use Facebook or other forms of social media as it’s not healthy for my PTSD and very physical health.

        I would think that any person with an ounce of common sense would understand why most of use do not use our real names on here and anyone ASKING or SUGGESTING same is viewed as highly suspect in my book. Sorry, but it is what it is.
        My trust has been seriously violated and I cannot get that back.

        Asking any Veteran to place their “Real Names so people can look-up info on web about us”, makes me highly suspect of why you would even suggest such a thing if you had any idea just how adversarial and retaliatory the VA is and can be.
        Matter-in-fact, it would JUST be something a VA Troll would suggest, and in all due respect, cannot extend my trust. I have written on here more than a few times of what I have gone through with my specific plight and nearly dying due to the Military and VA’s incompetence, and all one needs to do is read threads to find this…I need not PROVE nor QUALIFY any of this for someone coming on here with a passive-aggressive suggestion of making it even easier for VA retaliation for helping with Veteran Advocacy.
        My VA 100% VA Service Connected Disability P&T should be all that’s needed as a qualifier and between me and the Man Upstairs.

        So, my “Trust” does not extend to someone coming on here suggesting we all use our real names…that’s PSY-OPS at it’s finest. Nothing less.
        Sorry if I offended you, but it is what it is and self-protection because I do not suffer fools easily.

  5. A little known secret at the VA is:” SCREW UP MOVE UP” It’s been going on for years. VA directors and management found violating the law get transferred and never are held accountable. Lower level employees are the ones that are suspended or fired. It hasn’t been fair for a long long time. I know.I’m a Retired VA employee.

    1. You are correct about them going after the little guy, I had to defend some of those employees and I collected every regulation I could find and when they (management) would see exactly what I had, those employees that were being railroaded were set free!

      Management hates when someone puts them in their place! This fighting had made me some enemies, but that’s their problem!

      They hate anyone that rock’s the boat and will retaliate against people like me that defends injustice!

      They did go after me, after I had to retire and had to seek care from the very same people, I had to defend employees against and they were successful in the retaliation, by reporting me to the disruptive committee!

      Now I have no one to defend me! Ironic, I stood up for people and in my hour of need the department of veterans affairs choose to retaliate and refuse to provide any evidence of this supposed disruptive behavior!

      Every agency I contacted to assist me, in clearing my good name, did make inquiries to higher management and higher management let the very same employee making the allegation, answer the inquiry and the agency never stopped her or made her furnish any proof of the said disruptive behavior!

      Senators Bennett’s office told me, they can’t make the VA do anything, only make an inquiry!

      The VA lyed right in their face and the response they gave was a lye!

      The director of the Denver VA told Bennett’s office the VA never took any action against me due to the disruptive allegations!

      Not only did they take action they threatened me with arrest, federal charges and banishment from all VA care, the records were Red Flagged and I was punished and advised that if the VA (EVER) hears that I am EVER disruptive again, I will be arrested and federal charges placed upon me!

      For someone who was never disruptive can be threatened with jail and banishment and then lye to a senators office and the senators office, stands by knowing it’s wrong and did nothing to ensure my safety and wellbeing!

      The senators representative by the name of Hal, retired military officer condones VA illegal tactics or else a senators office are ineffective and hold no power of helping a citizen and veterans, even when they hold the evidence that the citizen had been falsely accused!

      Why do we have senators if the office has no authority to make a government agency to either provide the proof or leave the citizen (veterans) alone and punish the employee or employees who falsely accused the citizen (veteran) !
      Do we citizens have anyone that has the authority to force the VA, to provide proof and when found out, the veteran was falsely accused, that employee be fired and or jailed for false reporting!

      1. AMEN on those who dare to whistle blow on anything that is government or government related AS IN CONTRACTORS. Your life is ruined and not one legislator will really help you and in most cases just ignore you and or send you off on a wild goose chase to another dept that will not address your legitimate concerns against willful fraud, corruption and any other high malfeasance. Why they are even there in n office that claims to care about their constituents. It seems to me that they get into office for their personal gains or for family members financial gain or even to help friends in other countries. This apparatus called America, a democracy with freedom & justice for all, it is anymore just about who or what will profit and that goes for the DOD & the VA. It’s amazing that those on top don’t have a problem declaring war which is extremely profitable for those on top and as citizens it is we who pay for it all AND pay for it all with our , yours, lives, limbs and wallets. It is like being an ATM machine that keeps spitting out cash with no stopping. That’s what has come out of my analysis in trying to find someone in D.C. or states who should be doing their job for us but don’t. What I am not is a corporation or government agency or an elite who or what gets it all. And for these who make the rules and carry the purse to all of this is called congress. Bernie Sanders said right, congress doesn’t run corporations, it’s corporations who run congress, Therein lies most of the vets problems.

  6. This is about two people! I contend this has been going on for years!!!
    If Congress would hold joint Sentate Veteran Affairs hearing and televise this BIG OUT OF CONTROL AGENCY and hand out REAL penalties and punishments, then and only then will I believe this rouge agency fixing themselves!!!

  7. NO VA or Social security Cola’s, but this outright corruption still goes on and the two political parties are ALWAYS at gridlock with themselves, damn the people who elected them. This whole government is at its worst under the Obama regime !

    1. Don. Please answer this one question. What proof do you have that this just suddenly started happening out of the BLUE on OBAMA’s shift? This has been going on for years under BOTH parties watch. Get a clue. The WHITE HOUSE WILL BE WHITE once again in a few more weeks. Then you can relax knowing the power is in the hands of a white man or woman. Maybe.

      1. @Greensborovet-
        The Presidential Election is Nov. of 2016. NOT in a few weeks. Basic Government Civics 101.
        Presidential Elections are every -4- years, hence the reason each Presidential Election is an **even number*…is ’15’ an even number? No!

        Obama has not provided ANY of that “Change I Can Believe In”. He also has failed miserably at any strategy with these Wars and will not even listen to his Generals…but he sure listens to the NAACP and sends his DOJ accordingly…screw the vets being killed by the VA…screw FACT Obama’s home town of Chicago has had no less than 70 mass shooting deaths in JUST the last few weekends!! Where’s the outcry?

        Time for another Revolution and cleaning of house. President Obama repeatedly continues to state he has “Full support and confidence in the VA and Sec. McDonald to do the right thing”! How’s that for dividing people?

        They want that oil over there in Middle East? I say to them, “Go fight these damn wars yourselves then!”

  8. AGIN VETS VA ONE BIG BIG FEDERAL RICO CRIME RACKET FROM AFGE UNION CONTRACTS HELL VETS YO ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SCREWED BY VA RICO CRIME RACKETS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  9. Yeah, I am sure they are very afraid of that hearing. Are they sending Alison Hickey out first to berate congress as she has done at hearings in the past? Or, maybe Baghdad Bob McDonald to beg for more money. His only message seems to be only more money will scratch his needs. Like a crack monkey. Maybe he can share some of his Special Forces exploits…oh wait he had to admit he really wasn’t SOF.

    After the warm-up show these two can plead the 5th and like Lois Lerner and the Benghazi crowd life will go on with no more pesky hearings to interfere with their well padded tax supported lives.

    Maybe while they are up there they can ask someone from the VA why Alison Hickey has been ignoring my congressman Lee Zeldin for two months refusing to answer his letters.

    1. She doesn’t have to by law thanks to all those VA lobbyist working congress like a doorknob. Everyone gets a turn.

      1. @Greensborovet-

        You think Under Sec. Hickey *does not* have to respond or reply “under law”?
        This is coming from a person that does not even know this is NOT a Presidential Election year. HA HA!

  10. AGAIN!
    Fire ALL SESs from the VA system and the rest of the Federal Government Agencies and Put instead, GS-15s (preferably E-7, E-8s retired, E-9s are too corrupt to do the job almost like the COs)
    MSG VAM

  11. From what I understand, the DOJ also is investigating these two individuals from one of Ben’s previous blogs. Or, did that fizzle out? So now four “committee members” are asking/telling McDonald to do something about it. That’s a joke, all on it’s own!
    Almost $400,000 in moving expenses. They get to keep their original pay, yet it’s a lower position. Man, what a freaking racket VA is.
    Why aren’t the taxpayers in an uproar over this? With all the;
    “With McDonald’s and Gibson’s threats to the committee on at least two (2) occasions now of stating, if we don’t get monies (from Congress or gutting other VA programs) tens of thousands of veterans won’t get healthcare”,
    “deaths of veterans waiting for healthcare which no one was held accountable”,
    “VA’s in many states destroying veterans claims or paperwork”,
    “the (NON)Choice Program that doesn’t work”, “the gutting of said program to use on the Aurora, Colorado black hole and other construction sites”, “beautification efforts at VA’s hospitals and elsewhere” (that ‘rock’ at Palo Alto and color changing walls at Las Vegas VA come to mind) , “overbudget hospitals and VA is planning to start more construction of hospitals and clinics”, “let’s not forget where someone forgot to add the parking lots at Aurora”, ”
    McDonald’s trip to Hawaii to allegedly stop veterans homelessness”,
    “or the illegal acts VAOIG & GAO has reported on VA and not one investigation has begun” and all the other “waste, abuse, nonaccountabily and nontransparency” by VA in decades. The list just keeps going on and on. Just like the “energizer bunny”!
    What’s going to be next? Is VA going to have another “$1,000,000 conference (like within the past two weeks when Miller was addressing the committee) to figure out their next $1,000,000 conference”? So far this past year, according to sources, VA has spent over $33 million on conferences. Can anyone see a stopping of this out of control government agency?

    1. The important thing to remember @crazyelf, is that the media is not putting it in the forefront of the news. If a campaign , backed by veterans were to start shaming the news organizations for its lack of coverage, then you will see some progress. For the most part, the public is not aware of this, if they are not engaged by media exposure.

      1. CorpsmanuP,
        The news medias are controlled by Washington. The only things they show are what our corrupt politicians want them to show or report!
        Getting them to tell the truth about anything is like pulling teeth on a male lion that is not under anesthesia.
        The only way I see our news outlets being brave enough to report facts. Would be for MANY attorneys to rally behind veterans and taxpayers and threaten them with multiple law suits.
        Where are the Woodward and Bernsteins’ of yesteryear? Every once in a while Woodward comes on the world news and blasts our Elected and Appointed Officials over something. Yet nothing gets accomplished.
        Now the U.S. is saddled with a $19 TRILLION DEFICIT. Other countries may cause us to default on our debt. Does our elected officials give a rats ass about it? NO!!!
        All they care about is what goes in their pockets and screw the taxpayers!
        Americans had better wake up!

        Here’s something for everyone to ponder. This morning the wife and I were discussing the upcoming Presidential Election. This is our question,
        “Let’s say the election comes down to two people. Possibly Trump and Hillary. Trump wins the “popular vote” by a landslide. Only, as has happened a few times in American history, Hillary is put into office by the “Electoral College”!
        What do y’all think will, or should, happen?

      2. In some respects I agree, but a good understanding of the media and their politics is needed. The media mentioned Trump and his support for veterans, but then dropped it quickly. Why? Because any continued discussion of that support highlights not only that no other candidate has mentioned veterans much, but it also highlights Obama’s unwillingness to do anything about the VA. I don’t support Trump, but his comments on Veterans garnered at least some media coverage about that support which is all too rare from any political candidate these days.
        As for Ben’s post, if the Senate is only going to demand something from McDonald, it may not mean much. If their demand is intended to truly uncover what happened with referrals to the DOJ for prosection, then maybe something changes. Otherwise it’s corruption as usual.
        It might be a good idea to contact each of those who signed the letter and thank them…and request they continue a thorough investigation. They might realize we are watching to see they do their jobs.

      3. @Crazyelf- This is a very hot-button issue. I am in favor of doing AWAY with the whole “Electoral Vote” and going by Popular Vote because corrupt politicians on *both sides* have actively manipulated the “Districting Lines” in order to manipulate the “Electoral Vote”…and almost always these redistricting are the deeds of the Republicans and if you take Texas as just an example, those “Redistricting Lines” look like a “Where’s Waldo?” poster, and you can pretty much pick the more poor neighborhoods or marginal middle class out by simply looking at those maps…they also run a deeper divide between ethnic groups and minorities.

        I do not think the Electoral College is a fair representation of the true vote. Most people do not even realize that the vote is almost always called before a huge amount of votes have yet to even be counted…and guess what…THAT includes MOST of the Absentee Military Mail-In Votes.

        I do not trust our current voting system and hat all started with me on the contentious Gore/Bush Vote…hanging chads, corrupt politicians owning stock in Diebold (Vice President Cheney for instance), and on and on.

        Our USA needs a serious “reset”…-1- vote per person and *every vote* should count, not as it is now and determined by these artificial “Redistricted Zones”…when I say our USA needs a “reset”, I am talking about the fact things are rather ripe for a Revolution.

        Did anyone happen to see on news over this past weekend that one of the Active Military Men that stopped that terrorist on the train in Europe, that it was caught on video footage a whole gang of “Obama Disenfranchised Youth” gag-attacked him and although he put-up a big fight, he’s in Intensive Care last I heard.
        Did President Obama come out and put this act of terrorism down on this hero? No. You can bet though, if it was one of Obama’s “Disenfranchised Youth” that got beat-up by a bunch of white punks, it would have had the DOJ involved….I am SICK…SICK of what this President is doing to our Country! It’s blatant reverse racism!!!

        Sorry about my longer rant. I am all for the Popular Vote being the Law Of The Land.

      4. @Crazyelf-
        Another problem with the Main Stream News Media is they may as well be considered “Media Monopolies”, because what has taken place over last couple decades is take Murdock as an example with “Fox and Affiliates”, where they have bought-up even duplicate sister stations in order to control/monopolize the news. There’s three identical local news stations in my major city, and Fox owns even an ABC Affiliate and they have exact same news the Fox station has…and I am not even talking about the big Cable Main Stream News Channels…what has gone under almost all American’s radar of knowledge is this has spread like a cancer all across the USA so the News Media **is not** truly Investigative News Reporting as it used to be as in what took President Nixon down.
        We need people with serious balls to go against the stream. That Mainstream News Media ‘Stream’ is now nothing but the watered-down piss-trickle of what’s really going on…and the Koch Brothers are happy, so is Murdock and Co.
        “Red Pill or Blue Pill, Neo?”–“The Matrix” (metaphors in that movie are very applicable here)

  12. And just to think the jackasses in congress want to send more troop to fight another useless war and to be sent home and treated like second class citizen, they all can go to hell.

    1. John,
      Let’s not forget those two U.S. Army (one NCO & one Officer) who are being “drummed out” for beating a “child rapist” (pedophile) in Afghanistan as was first reported in “military dot com” and the “Army Times”!
      Have y’all noticed how VA isn’t putting out the military magazines/newspapers in their lobbies any more?! The wife an I have noticed it. Could it be because these newspapers/magazines are “negatively” reporting on VA crimes against veterans?

  13. It seems that the members of Congress more of less *enable* the VA’s bad behavior by not placing “real teeth” in any demands upon the VA.

    Is say this because here we are again and the ‘Senior Members of Congress’ are asking the VA to show “documentation of ANY actions you are taking”….well, I am now of the belief that McDonald could go before them with a stack of elementary reading test results in a binder and tell members of congress…”We are making every effort to investigate these issues…and we need $64 Million to do a study…and we need it today”, meaning it seems to always be a dance of circumstance and VA Spin Machine in a defensive/offensive stance.

    I do not mean to be Mr. Negative here but I will not be surprised if absolutely NOTHING comes of this and I am betting the AFGE Union will pull out some sort of protective clause that actually justified their “Demotion (and created job vacancy)” and over the top relocation expenses.

    I hope I am proven wrong because these relocation expenses are in no way realistic in the real world. Since these were the *ones caught*, it’s quite reasonable to believe that these type of over the top relocation expenses and created job vacancies have been going on for a long time and these two are just the very tip of the corruption iceberg.

    1. namnibor, those two women are probably laughing their a$$e$ off knowing not one damn thing is going to happen to them.

  14. I’ve had my lawyers for about a year now & theVA still not send them medical records! Maybe if theVA would quit playing games they’ed have more time to take care of the veterans!

    1. If you have signed a release of information then they have to release them. They can provide them in PDF or disc format. End of story.
      Contact the records section of your medical facility and give them a new release of information, request for documents, verify that they have your correct address or email and get two copies via whichever method works for you. Save your copy and send the other off to your attorney. PS – never, ever, never send anything to the VA, or any other governmental agency, without use of signed return receipt.

  15. Did they actually say that? Really? As in, “Your well-intentioned and meaningful efforts to change VA culture”. Try this variation of that verbal hat trick. “Blah, blah, blah, blaaaaahhhh. Okay, that’s the end of that. Let’s all go to lunch. The dumb taxpayers and those bothersome vets will never catch on to the game. We are prestigious Senators after all, from both sides of the isle no less. So, we’re all in agreement — if the media pushes this story any more we just fall back on the usual sound bites like, “I am truly outraged”, “Someone dropped the ball”, “Many veterans are happy with the VA”, you know, all the usual BS”.

Comments are closed.