VA Shamelessly Seeks Donations Despite $15 Bil Budget Increase

VA Donations

Benjamin KrauseJust when I did not think anything could get any stranger, I just learned VISN-4 Stars & Stripes Healthcare Network has the audacity to seek donations after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) received a $15 billion emergency budget hike.

And they are doing it online via Pay.gov, a website that apparently helps agencies raise monies for a variety of purposes for which they should already have sufficient funding. If agencies like VA need more money, why do they not tell Congress how much they need?

[Visit VISN-4 Donation Page Here]

Oh wait, Veterans Affairs just did exactly that at the beginning of the summer and they received a staggering $15 billion budget increase. Now what exactly would donated funds go to support that the $15 billion does not already cover? How will these donations pull away funding from veteran organizations?

The depth of VA shamelessness has no bottom. Whether it is covering up fraudulent records or being frivolous with taxpayer funds or committing crimes that result in veterans dying, the ostentatious and shameless behavior continues.

VISN-4 Stars & Stripes Healthcare Network is supposedly home to 1.5 million veterans between Pennsylvania, Delaware, and several counties in West Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, and New York.

Here is something they leave out of their flier. VISN-4 is also home to one of the most scandal plagued VA medical health care centers in VA, located in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh VAMC is home to the legendary Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak where numerous veterans were killed in a preventable outbreak. VA then attempted to cover up the scandal on the taxpayer dime and even misled Congress. Let’s also not forget the rooms full of documents that the Philadelphia VA attempted to shred when no one was looking.

It makes you wonder what exactly those jokers are doing with all that cool hard cash American taxpayers keep throwing at the agency such that VA still needs donations?

I know where. It went into the bloated salary of one VA doctor who earned over $400,000 in just base salary last year not the mention any additional pay incentives not mentioned.

The VISN-4 motto should be, “We know we suck, and we might kill you, but can you spare some change?”

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15 Comments

  1. Ben that $400,000 salary you may want to find out their specialty prior to bashing them. That salary may be below the private sector average.

  2. Fact: “Why in 2009 were we still using paper?” VA Assistant Secretary Tommy Sowers “When we came in, there was no plan to change that; we’ve been operating on a six month wait for over a decade.” 27 March 2013

    Fact: Two tax cuts, especially for the wealthy! Growth in corporate subsidies as their profits soared, think cheney/secret meetings/energy corporations!

    Fact: “If military action is worth our troops’ blood, it should be worth our treasure, too” “not just in the abstract, but in the form of a specific ante by every American.” -Andrew Rosenthal 10 Feb. 2013

    Fact: To Those 99% Served, ‘Build the Veterans Administration Promised!!’

    Under Gen. Shinseki, with a target on him after speaking Military Truth and the bushco firing him with the political ideology/greed within the agency helping those in power targeting him, finally with help from this Executive Branch and it’s Cabinet, like the Department of Labor – Veterans, The Department of Housing and Urban Development – Veterans and the Department of Justice – Veterans Courts and Related to name but only a few Veterans issues were finally addressing decades long ignored issues with some even denied they exist. Long Ignored by those served, other VA Secretaries and Executive Administrations, especially Conservative, and Especially Congresses who Represent the People Served, or are supposed to, and control the Nations purse strings. Across the VA and all issues of the us Veterans and especially from our Wars and long Occupations of others, not just Care Issues!
    Already started but an agency can do only so much and at the pace the people served allow with what the agency is budgeted, still grossly under funded with two more long wars and the budget mostly borrowed with interest payments to cause problems thus feeding the conservative want to privatize for corporate profit off the peoples treasury, and country served willing to pay for:

    “He would update the VA software program for scheduling called VISTA, a program first used in 1985.

    Nabors also calls for the VA to hire more doctors and nurses, and build more physical space that will be needed for veterans in the future.”

    What the VA Needs is Those Served Actually Sacrifice, Not Poser Patriotism from Congress and those, 99%, People Served!!

    Build the Veterans Administration Promised from the beginning with Real Patriotism not the decades of, cheap, empty rhetoric and Unfunded Congressional Legislation, putting their names too for that patriotic feel and praise, just like the unfunded flag waving patriotic wars with two tax cuts and no offsets mentioned, still unpaid for, used only to attack the VA personal for not rapidly addressing what was passed, Poser Patriotism!!

    Fact: Sen. Bernie Sanders told Conservatives: “If you can’t afford to take care of your veterans, than don’t go war. These people are bearing the brunt of what war is about, We have a moral obligation to support them.” February, 26th, 2014
    {Neither of these recent wars have yet been paid for, let alone the results from!!}

    Fact: The five Republicans in the House of obstruction, especially in paying for the wars and the long term results of, DeJa-Vu, who voted no on the still obstructed and grossly under funded needs, decades and wars from now, watered down once again, bill: Rick Crawford (Ark.), Walter Jones (N.C.), Jack Kingston (Ga.), Mark Sanford (S.C.) and Steve Stockman (Texas). Joining these Senators: Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) , who had voted ‘Nay’ weeks back while the House delayed after!! None having any problems, Poser Patriots, in rubber stamping All the war costs, no mention of offsets, including the no bid private contracts, off the books till administrations changed and all borrowed, yet to be paid back!!

    Fact:The Obama Administration, and it’s Cabinet, they don’t do the peoples purse strings, have been the ‘Only Government Branch’ consistently doing not only for Veterans but Military Personal and their Families since coming in!!

    Fact: “We are dealing with veterans, not procedures—with their problems, not ours.” —General Omar Bradley, First Administrator of the Veterans Administration

    Fact: Lets hope what Gen Shinseki, with the help of the entire Obama Admin and Cabinet, extremely little from congress as those represented still not sacrificing, had finally started addressing continues. But it only can when those served, through their representatives, decide they actually owe in paying for these cheered on ‘patriotic’ wars and the long term results of is their responsibility to fully address!!

    USN All Shore ’67-’71 GMG3 Vietnam In Country ’70-’71 – Independent**

  3. Looks to me like an easy way to make dirty money clean. Or a way to turn veterans healthcare appropriated funds into Use-On-Anything-Including-Bonus Funds. Or campaign Funds, Lavish Conference Funds….etc.

  4. Who is going to give money to the VA? More than likely, no one. But let’s assume that the VA knows what it is doing when it set up these “charities”. Then “donations” mysteriously start pouring in. So who’s going to audit these VA charities? Again, more than likely, no one. So if no one is going to audit the “donations”, how are we going to know if the “donation” is clean money or how much is coming in and getting spent? No way, never, no chance! The person behind these charities absolutely is a genius, in my opinion. But like everything else that the VA does, these VA charities smell like dirty laundry to me – pun intended.

  5. Wow, there was a phone number and an e-mail to contact Yolanda Waddles so I did. I asked her what was she doing trying to get more money from the American citizens after the $15 Billion (yes with a B) emergency budget increase. I am going to see if the others have a contact as we all should contact these people and let them know that we now know how low the VA will go to take money from anyone just as long as they get it. I am sure the contact info will be gone soon but why not ask? As Ben said What did they di with all of their money? I wonder what kind of a Christmas party will be had at VISN 4 and the others that collect money. It is just like Harold said “I guess we hadn’t see it all” This is a really good one Ben. In light of the fact that they have had the scandals, and the Phoenix killings (yes they did kill our fellow vets I don’t care what the OIG or the VA says in their twisted statement), and now the emergency budget increase and they still want more. Where do I sign over my first born to them or did I already do that when she was born in a hospital on base? I guess I will have to give her the bad news that she is now Government property. I am so sure she will like that. Does that mean they will have to pay for her college? Hmmm, part of this may work to my advantage. Just kidding, I love my girls and would lay my life down for them in a heartbeat.

  6. ” DISMANTLE & ABOLISH the VETERANS ADMINISTRATION, noW” !!!
    [ “OVER-HAUL” Veterans Administration ] seemed like an incedible possibility or path, road-map if you will towards intercepting years and decades of CRUELTY from the VETERANS ADMINISTRATION.
    Like an the time my former active ship was sent to the OVER-HAUL in Portland, Oregon: from the bottom- to- the- top: from the inside- OUT.
    HOWEVER, CONGRESS never required the VETERANS ADMINSTRATION- CONGRESSIONAL “RULE WRITERS” to come and sit in and be questioned and interrogated about the “WHY” and “HOW” good intended legislation Congressional SESSION after CONGRESSIONAL SESSION’ always but ALWAYS-
    seem to announce one GREAT BRILLIANT VET Program after – the NEXT.
    And every one of those Press Releases and beautiful multi-colored BROCHURES repeatedly got VETS ( such as, myself; all “HYPED” and excited, that finally HELP was – at hand, finally my / our TURN was arriving ). ONLY to be approved for Jobs Training, one program after the next: and THEN REPEATEDLY DENIED JOBS TRAINING/ over and OVER, again.
    The last go round was the V.R.A.P. ( Veterans Retraining Assistance Program ) I borrowed money to ride the mass transit public bus to get to various facilities, after the VA approved me for V.R.A.P. but denied my choice of UMKC, which is only two buses from front door. Calling the VA in their St. Louiis office sometimes had me wait two hours and twenty minutes, listening to horrible – horrible rock and roll and country and western music and repeated announcements about SELF-ELIMINATION referral numbers.
    I wouldn’t wish my worst and most serious ENEMIES the communications connection to the VA. I am still UNEMPLOYED, with horrible impressions embedded about mean and creul the VETERANS ADMINISTRAITON is or was/ in their denial of much needed THEN and NOW assistance to just get basic survival essentials.
    THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION with approximately $159 BILLION DOLLARS per year multiplied by TEN YEARS: could have easily helped me to get JOBS TRAINING CERIFICATION, to stablize housing and utilites and a personal sense functioning like everyone ought to be able, too.
    I thought that when the V.R.A.P. became available, I was just hunting in the GOOGLE SEARCH ENGINE and saw this new PROJECT / PROGRAM, just like the VETS “GREEN JOBS” Project: that I was on the path towards become like a a HUMAN BEING, that I use to be, going to work: earning a leag pay- check, only to be so demoralized and denegrated, that ALL I could do, is call and worry the HELL- out of the 24 hour per day 7 days a week PRAYER Line, so that GOD could BLESS me through another tortured experience.
    Meanwhile many other BLACK AFRICAn AMERICAN Korean War VETERANS in our area are NOT even allowed to submit applications for:
    “STAY In Your OWN HOME”, or “Attendant and AID BENEFIT PENSION CLAIMS” and no ONE seems to give a damn, in Kansas and Missouri, they usually wait until that VET has to go into a NURSING HOME, before the VETERANS ADMINISTRAION will allow the aforementioned.
    SO therefore, and countless other official actions of CRUELTY form the V.A., and zero inclusion of “RULE WRITERS in the VA so-called “OVER-HAUL” legislation, no help from the V.A. – O.I.G.- ever on over- priced UTILITY cost, nor OVER-EXAGGERATED Personal Property Real Estate Taxes: refusal to allow VETS to even submit BENFITS PENSION CLAIMS, and everyone that seems get involved in the “SHIPYARD” asbestoes claims, never gets the BENEFITS claim until they are at the door of TRANSITION.
    JUST go ahead and “ABOLISH & DISMANTLE the V.A.” since they have proven, that they are still goinng to give each OTHER- BONUSES and COMMISSIONS and further demoralize the very demographic they are suppose to be trying to help. HUMANITY and HUMANITARIAN Futures require, just a “DASH and SPRINKLE” of simple KINDNESS, of which the V.A. as it exist is incapable of providing.
    After and through all their vicious inhumanities, situation after- situation / IRONICALLY- this Navy Veteran still LOVES my country, with all the brutal – bitterness from the V.A.
    In fact in Kansas and Missouri: the news media and general PUBLIC care more about PUPPY MILLS and Animal RIGHTS, than they do about poor UNEMPLOYED VETS, and there’s factual proof for the record, of that other comments in this appearl to the AMerican PUBLIC to help us get the VETERANS ADMININSTRATION
    “ABOLISHED and DISMANTLED”- asap !!! Thanks-
    Marvin S. Robinson, II
    Quindaro Ruins / Underground Railroad- Exercise 2015

    1. Marvin,
      I think that every vet who has had something done wrong or had to jump through their hoops just to get nowhere or had any bad problems with the VA should sue them. Most will not go anywhere but the publicity of this would make every news station (imagine a news starting out with a story of hundreds of thousands of vets sue the VA. That would make people listen and put all of the upper people in charge of the VA nervous) and maybe bring out how we are actually treated. Then maybe we will start to have a voice and what a loud voice it would be. There would be no need to continue most of these suits but it would be the start of our (us fellow vets) revolution against the VA. We would be the ones being listened to at the hearings and not those other waste of people with their dog and pony show and just doing damage control. We would have our records to show what was being done needlessly and what we had to go through to finally get the correct diagnosis and by then it is usually too late for us. This would help that change in overhauling the VA to make it actually a Veterans’ VA and a place where WE mattered and not what the Dr’s are trying to cover up. We could have some power in what happens at our individual VA center. It is a thought.

  7. reckon i ain,t seen it all yet like i thought,,, they sure got some brass and great big goober,s,,,

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