Do Democrats Really Oppose VA Privatization?

VA Privatization

No, and Democrats’ claims that they oppose VA privatization is no more real than Christmas reports of a real Santa flying a rocket-propelled sleigh.

Over the weekend, the White House published numerous articles through its news media contacts claiming President Obama opposes VA privatization. Hillary Clinton also supposedly opposes this move now that she is running for office.

But is this position against privatization genuine given that much of VA is already privatized?

FARCE: Obama Opposes VA Privatization

What does it really mean? Are there no private companies involved in VA operations? Do private doctors not conduct compensation exams? What about satellite VA facilities – who runs those?

[Quick note on the author – Benjamin is an independent voter. He voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and Bernie Sanders in 2016, meaning the article is not written by a “rightwinger”. Benjamin also voted for George Bush in 2004 and Gary Johnson in 2012.]

VA PRIVATIZATION IN HISTORY

The honest answer is that VA was privatized at least two decades ago under President Clinton through the Reinventing Government initiative. Apparently Obama and the Clintons hope we forget this little lesson from history.

RELATED: Reinventing Government – Two Decades Later

Keep in mind that Republicans also support VA privatization, but they do not deny the fact that they support it. Such a claim would actually be as bipolar as Democrats suddenly opposing Planned Parenthood, which is a stronghold for Democratic support during election cycles.

CLINTON REINVENTED GOVERNMENT

President Clinton created the Reinventing Government failure that initiated the collapse of the government workforce. It gutted high skill fields and outsourced those fields to the private sector, which quickly eroded the federal workforce’s ability to respond to labor shortages.

Companies like Xerox and IBM and Booze Allen Hamilton quickly absorbed those positions and now our federal government is dependent on that outsourcing. Of course, the cost appears to be many times the previous cost had government workers stayed on the job.

RELATED: Presidential Hopefuls Rip Wasteful Bureaucracy – And That Was Just The Democrats

NO OBJECTION FROM AFGE?

But where is AFGE or ALF-CIO in questioning this problem? Why are they only now complaining against ‘Republican’ privatization? Apparently, privatization is okay so long as a Democratic president supports the move.

It is a false dialectic that encourages voters to base their vote on issues that no longer matter.

Sure, twenty years ago a vote of VA privatization mattered. And Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton gutted the Federal government sending those jobs to private sector companies like IBM and HP. Now, VA has no legacy knowledge in those positions to facilitate high skill positions necessitating outsourcing.

Off the top of my head, I can think of two contractors afflicted by VA workloads.

Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) was sold to Xerox by Darwin Deason, a Dallas Texas billionaire. Deason is on his fifth wife at this point and owns one of the biggest yachts in the world.

This means he is clearly faithful and spends his hard earned cash on very practical expenditures. (I am obviously being sarcastic, at least until I can afford my own 200-foot yacht earned on the back of poor or disenfranchised Americans.)

READ: Darwin Deason Spends ‘Absolutely Foolish Money’ On His 205’ Yacht

VA PROFITS PAY FOR YACHT?

ACS owned contracts with VA to scan files and process new applications for benefits. VA was not the only client for ACS, a company that promised to help various states like Indiana and Montana retain taxpayer dollars while increasing ‘efficiencies’, whatever that meant.

The company promised huge savings to all its government clients, but those savings were apparently gained through internal block and tackles of needy Americans passed on to the yacht of the former owner. Welfare recipients in numerous states filed complaints that ACS wrongly withheld their benefits, which resulted in at least one class action lawsuit in Indiana against it and former partner IBM.

There is certainly a dirty underbelly to profits when corporations are allowed to administer such systems to needy and underserved Americans. This is a population known to be disadvantaged and easily exploited by sophisticated companies for their own profits.

ACS PROFITS ON BACKS OF VETERANS?

VA insiders including former Under Secretary Allison Hickey verified to me that ACS neglected its obligation to VA and dumped pallets of unprocessed claims on VA’s doorstep once it determined the contracts were no longer profitable. Yet, VA still reportedly relies on ACS for some services.

Wasn’t President Barack Obama in office in 2010 right before Deason sported his huge yacht? Did VA not own any scanners or printers at that time? Were printers merely a novelty of ACS, or were VA employees not capable of pressing the “scan” button?

Last I checked, Allison Hickey served at the pleasure of President Obama. And last I checked, Obama was a Democrat. So how can it be that his appointee oversaw numerous contracts with private companies where traditional VA services were outsourced?

THE FRENCH PROFIT ON PROCESSING VA CLAIMS?

Maybe an AFGE contract precluded federal employees from performing those seemingly simple duties performed by ACS employees? It is worth noting that the Xerox bought ACS and later reportedly sold those contracts to a French company.

That is right.

Processing VA claims and the profits from those contacts may now be enjoyed by a French company. How is that for a kick in the teeth? And how is Obama anti-outsourcing of VA work while on his watch?

Based on these few examples alone, it seems reasonable to conclude is a total fiction to claim he and Hillary Clinton oppose outsourcing of VA given that VA is already largely outsourced.

VA CANNOT MANAGE CLINICS (CBOCs)?

Another company worth noting is Sterling Medical Associates. Sterling runs many of the decentralized VA medical clinics in Minnesota including one in Hibbing. This company is linked to falsification of performance data to improve profitability in a scandal that was exposed in 2013.

READ: Ex-employees At Hibbing VA Say They Backdated Appointments

Who was president in 2013? President Barack Obama was president at that time.

But didn’t President Obama just say that he opposed outsourcing VA health care? How can he oppose such a move if he is already doing it?

Great question.

The reality is that VA has been outsourced. If you are an AFGE employee, you need to take a deep and hard look at who you are working with within technical areas of VA.

VA CANNOT MANAGE MEDICAL RECORDS?

Another company known as DSS runs VA’s medical records system and its fee basis services. Yet another company runs the Veterans Choice program. Still other companies, some owned by Lockheed Martin, own smaller companies that provide disability compensation examinations.

RELATED: DSS Promises To ‘Fix’ Fee Basis Claims System

Just what does VA do anymore that is not supported by government contractors? Rumor has it, Xerox manages the payment system for our benefits. So VA employees no longer management the mere payment of your benefits.

Taken on its face, the federal employees working at VA appear to be little more than token federal employees whose sole purpose is to facilitate the argument about whether we should outsource VA.

But the reality is that VA has already been outsourced. If the contractors were pulled away, the agency would collapse.

Given this reality, how can Obama claim he opposes outsourcing if said outsourcing is necessary for the basic functioning of the agency discussed?

The fact is, the argument of outsourcing is merely a red herring tossed to AFGE union workers to fire them up enough to vote. If AFGE was truly as strong as it asserts, such privatization would be dead in its tracks.

Tell me again why we continue to placate our pretend dual party political system when both sides seem to play Americans off each other rather than genuinely working for the betterment of the common good?

We are ruled by liars and cheats in it for their own gain. How did we deal with liars and cheats in the military?

Regardless of whether it is good or bad to outsource VA, the real question is whether the practice is well underway now? And if it is, why are Democrats doing it and misleading voters about what they are doing if privatization really harms veterans, as they assert?

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53 Comments

  1. In Nov 2016 a doctor at the VA told my husband and I that if he goes to the outside of the VA they (meaning the outside doctors) don’t have the info to clearly diagnos him and run the risk of misdiagnosing him.
    Yeah right like they have never misdiagnosed​ him or any of you other Veterans.
    They just don’t want their monies going out of the VA.

  2. Here’s what you’re missing. Outsourcing the actual work doesn’t weaken the AFGE one bit. It would if it were a zero-sum game — where a private sector, non-unionized worker replaced an AFGE employee. No, these people in the private are getting the jobs to actually do the work. That isn’t working out so well when politically connected contractors keep getting the contracts, but it is a neat way to bypass congressional oversight on direct hiring.

    The difference is that when Republicans call for increased privatization, they are planning to replace AFGE workers for the most part. When Democrats talk it down while simultaneously doing it, they are placating their union buddies and rewarding their political cronies.

  3. REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ARE THERE TO GIVE YOU THE ALLUSION YOU HAVE A CHOICE WHEN IN ACTUALITY —- YOU HAVE NO CHOICE. BOTH PARTIES ARE CONTROLLED BY ONE RULING CLASS WHO RUNS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY AND THEY ARE NOW TRYING TO RULE THE ENTIRE WORLD.

    SO WHILE EVERYONE IS WASTING THEIR TIME DEBATING WHO IS AT FAULT… THE CRAP CONTINUES. AND, THAT IS THE ENTIRE REASON FOR THE ARGUMENTS- TO DIVERT THE ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE REAL ISSUES.

    1. This country is at a breaking point and those in charge. May gave s rude awaking. !

      Don’t know how much more of this. The American people will take. !

      IF. There should be another war. Americans against Americans?

      Russia or some other county will furnish the weapons. In hope’s that We will weaken ourselves to the point. American will not be America and those who caused it will be first to go. !

      They can ?. But we know where they hide. This country better wake up and smell the coffee. Before it’s to late.

      Our children and grandchildren are being effected and when they mess with family member’s. Its time to defend them.

  4. Just now on WFTV, Channel 9 news, Orlando, Florida at 6:15 pm.

    Congressman Miller is “…demanding answers…” from McDuck over the Orlando, (Lake Nona), VA hospital. He wants McDuck to hold people accountable for the outrageous amounts of taxpayer’s monies used to build that, fiasco, medical facility.
    Miller also wants people held accountable over the Denver VA hospital fiasco!

    Here’s another fact. Congressman John Mica has said nothing! And I mean NOTHING over this issue.
    He had a “walk-through” this past sunday. Yet, he’s done absolutely NOTHING to get anyone held accountable for anything. Especially when it comes to VA!
    Mica is like Corrine Brown! You all know about her! She sides with the VA employees over the VETERANS every time she opens her freaking mouth!!!!!

    1. Nah…Miller was simply awakened from a very long pre-retirement nap and was initially delusional and for a moment his atrophied conscience stirred for a few moments until his reality set-in, then a loud HUH-rumph, and back to nap time, skipping cookies and milk with Isakson and back to their sleeping pods. Asleep at the wheel for years and still are.

  5. You gotta know that congress and the donors who fund lobby organizations in DC are also profiting from this. Just like Reid has his hands in the scandal where they are screwing ranchers in Arizona and other locations in this country, members of congress are profiting from this outsourcing without any doubt, in one form or another.

    1. @js03
      Yea, all the “natural resouces” and “uranium” they, the Clinton’s, can get their dirty little paws on. To sell, with the use of the Foundation, to as many countries, (Russia, China, Saudi Arabia etc., etc..), as they can.

      source; “Clinton Cash!”

  6. Excellent questions Ben. In addition to those contractors for certain “services” as you mentioned, I think it would be interesting to study how many VA doctors, nurses or other providers are contract providers rather than full time, federal VA employees.
    I know when I was researching VA provider credentials at my own VA, I found quite a number listed on VAs web site as VA providers, but state licensing sites were showing them as actual contractors. Not just C&P examiners, but actual providers such as nurses, xray techs and primary care providers.
    As for the Reinventing Government schtick…I recall that period clearly, and it was nothing more than a smokescreen.
    Federal employees literally would retire on Friday, then go back to work Monday as a contractor. It did not matter that the same number of people still worked at a location. All that mattered was Clinton and Gore were reducing the size of government…As by the number of “Full Time Equivalent” employees were in an agency. If an agency had 100 FTE employees on Friday, they could still have 100 show up on Monday, but 75 would be FTE and 25 contractors, then Clinton and Gore could claim they reduced the size of government by 25 employees. It was all BS, and still is.

    As for the AFGE, their members should be asking themselves hard questions, such as, will little Cox look the other way when my job is outsourced to a contractor because the right politician wants it for their contractor cronies?

    1. @91Veteran

      Can a “contracted” VA healthcare person also belong to the AFGE union?

      1. I don’t know crazy elf. All of that would depend on the AFGE contract and federal law. Typically a contractor is not covered under a union that also covers a federal employee…but then we also see a union contract that, in my opinion, is illegal in excluding veterans from certain federal jobs.
        I can’t believe they would be covered.

  7. You need to understand Privatization means vets will get an insurance policy paid for by the VA (for now but wait till the Republicans cut the funding and see what happens). Before Obama Care premiums went up at a rate of 8% a year and now are at 4%. This is the worse idea that has ever come up.

    Plus my company and Facebook Group are already solving the 29 issues the vets have with the VA. Starting with we in connection with the American Legion unlike any veterans attorneys or other VSO’s are representing veterans who are turned down for Health Benefits/Care. Therefore providing the solution to the most important issue that in it self kills your suggestion because now it is not needed.

    1. Who is suggesting what? This article does not advocate VA Privatization but merely points out Democrats and Republicans are supporting privatization. It is not just a Republican thing.

    2. Brian, I have no idea where you get your stats on Obama care but they are not factual at all. The number of failed exchanges proved that at a minimum.
      As for what your company does or what you have “solved” for veterans, providing more details on who your company is or what solutions you claim to have provided would help us veterans in determining whether those solutions are factual, or if its just what you tell politicians funding the contract.

    3. Hey Brian,

      I see that not only are you the Director of Minnesota Veterans Advocacy Group But you are also the CEO at BPS Technologies, Inc a Medical Equipment & Medical Supplies organization.

      Around these pages are Disabled Veterans that know that the American Legion, who you teamed up with, is nothing but a self serving organization and not one that actually represents Veterans or it’s own members.

      As for your whole three months as the Director of Minnesota Veterans Advocacy Group. It doesn’t qualify you to come on these pages and tell us how you and the American Legion are working to fix 29 problems. Problems a Medical Equipment & Medical Supplies organization and the American Legion claim will fix the VA.

      Really Brian you should read the article before trolling Disabled Veterans.

      1. Oh and Brian you seem to have forgotten to file for the business license.

      2. @namnibor, 91Veteran, @Seymore Klearly

        Yep, we got us a real humdinger of a freakin’ asskissin’ American Legion type TROLL!
        ?The smell is atrocious?peeyuuueee!

        I have friends on OBAMYCARE, and their monthly premiums have more than doubled in the past two years. How this ~individual~ can claim such low % stats is plain wrong!
        Here’s a fact, one of the “chief architects of OBAMYCARE”, was “called out” by Congressman Trey Gowdy, it’s on video, over calling American Citizens “STUPID” (over Obamycare something like a dozen times)!
        I don’t remember his name, but he was an “MIT Graduate”! Congressman Gowdy RIPPED the asswipe good, during one of the hearings.

      3. You may mean Jonathon Gruber. He basically called Americans a bunch of idiots for believing the lies told by government officials.

      4. Elf- I know some Veterans that served only weeks under the minimum Activated Active Duty Guard, that because of not qualifying for VA Medical, have had to use the Obamacare Network and I know both of them indeed had their premiums increase over 50% in total in just last year, the one Vet actually finds it cheaper for his current life situation, to simply pay the “Penalty Fee” for NOT having Obamacare, and he cannot be alone.

        If you are on Welfare and/or a Political Refugee on any State Medicaid System, you have carte blanche free medical AND dental. If you are a Vet, not so much.
        It enrages me that the AFGE Union keeps the hands of accountability tied and effectively gagged. They need to be thrown-out with the bathwater which has all the VSO’s sucking the teats as well.

        Rant Out…..except, anyone else notice the total LACK of talk on a serious PLAN to ensure Social Security is Solvent? Why is this serious issue as well as these WARS not more of a prominent subject amongst POTUS or those running for it?

        I sometimes wonder if those privy in the ‘know’ already have foreknowledge of some impeding galactic disaster, so it’s get while you can before the highway to hell 🙂

      5. I believe the social security problem is one reason why the border is wide open is they believe adding thousands of new workers to the social security tax paying rolls is one way of putting off insolvency.
        They never seem to address the addition of thousands of recipients at the same time. Recipients who may have never paid in.

      6. @namnibor
        We’re sending troops to the Ukraine’s (untrained) military. It was on “”military.com”” today!
        The article said something about helping, or not helping, the “blue helmeted fucks” or U.N. fucks!

      7. I am just very surprised that now-Speaker Ryan has not brought the budget crisis to front and center since after all, the CBO stuff is supposedly his little project and pet peeve, with his rather recent background and vehement opposition to Obamacare.
        Maybe they know Obama is a nonstarter so they are just waiting like crocodiles for January, 2017? The income limit ceiling for being required to contribute to SSA simply needs equalized so these fat cats pay a sacrifice for their steaks they have eaten on our behinds for quite some time and that goes for the prices of freedom, as unlike any past wars, these a$$wipes have not had to make a single sacrifice and Obama has pacified them from day one with the Bank Bailouts.

  8. Obama is NOT the fault…nor solution. Its NOT the unions, but the crony give aways to big pharma, the kochs, and military contractors…all hoes.

    1. Sorry Shannon, but you lost ANY credibility when you started in with that Koch BS. You seem to ignore the simple fact that Democrats have far more billionaires on their side then Republicans do by a factor of over 10 to 1 with the worst being George Soros who not only destroyed the Bank of England (something England is still trying to work their way out of because of Soros shot selling the English pound) But you are neglecting a person that Makes Nazi’s look like Mother Teresa as this sleeze bag actually turned into the Nazi’s, his jewish neighbors and friends and then stole what he wanted from what they had and freely admitted this on the 1998 interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes. His exact quote was

      Comment: On Dec 20, 1998, on 60 Minutes did Steve Kroft interview George Soros where Soros, a Hungarian Jew, admitted collaborating with the Nazi’s as a teenager and stated: “…I had no sense of guilt and I slept very well in doing this each and every night.”

  9. Democrats. Will continue the show !
    Donald trump. Racist showed the American people. That if another race has any dealings concerning dealings with him. They are to be disqualified.

    He does not know when to shut up !

    He could have gotton veterans votes. But he forgot that thousands of Hispanics are veterans and they take honor of military service very seriously !

    That is not to mention all the other minority group’s that serve. They can see what this means and trumps big mouth. Will be his down fall.

    Democrats Will win and the same old system will continue and were back to square one.

    Wake up Donald ! Reality check !

    1. @James
      Please google what organization that Federal Judge belongs to – it’s “La Raza” out of San Diego, Calif.! It’s an extremist group! They are advocating “open borders” and “NO lenthly pathway to Citizenship”! Which is insulting many of the people who are about to become citizens the “legal way!” Which can take UP TO seven (7) years!

      The Judge was also “Appointed by Obama!” We all know how Obama feels about Mr. Trump!

      Just those two issues alone should, as Mr. Trump’s attorneys have correctly pointed out, would be grounds for him to “recuse himself” from adjudicating this case!

      Question;
      If you have been waiting for say 2 years to become a citizen. And you had, maybe, another 4 or 5 years to go. Would you be upset IF others “cut in line” and were granted citizenship after only being in America, for say a year or less? And, you STILL HAD TO WAIT!

      Trust me! That info on that Judge is already all over the “net”! People are listening and still backing Trump! As a matter of fact, it changed people’s minds. Who are going over to Trump!

      1. Tell me. What does LA Raza mean in English ! Where did you see they are a terror group !

        We have immigration law’s and anyone from whatever country is abusing it. Needs to be deported if they have even a traffic ticket.

        I believe. That if someone who came her legally and has not committed any crime. Should be required to come forward and apply for an extended stay.

        So they can apply for citizenship and while waiting. Be on sort of Probation and if it’s violated be deported. !

        Again. Let us all know what the word’s LA Raza mean in English?

      2. Wikipedia has an explanation, La Raza translates to “The Race”.

        Human Events has a good article explaining what the group does.

        In my opinion, they are a blatantly racist group, right down to the motto which is, “For the Race, everything. For those outside the Race, nothing.”

        La Raza is closely aligned with another racist group called MEChA.

        Both have a long history they would rather not be made public.

  10. Darwin Deason is a strong financial supporter of Republican candidates.

    “Deason and his family donated $250,000 to support Rick Perry’s 2012 presidential candidacy.[5] Deason also donated $5 million to support Perry’s 2016 presidential candidacy.[6] After Perry dropped out of the race, Deason asked for his money back.[6] Deason’s son, Doug Deason is a member of the Koch Brothers political network.[7

    So it seems that Republicans most definitely benefited from this rich man’s business moves as well. If you are going to use this forum to go on a political rant against democrats, then you might want to put out the full story before you decide to publish innuendos that paint Democrats in such a negative light. And what does Deason having his 5th wife have ANYTHING to do with VA privatization? Trump is on his 3rd (or is it 4th) wife

    1. John, you obviously missed the point of the article or did not read it closely. President Obama claims he will fight against privatization of VA – and Democrats claim VA Privatization is merely a Republican scheme. But both parties have equally participated in active privatization of VA since the 90’s.

      Deason’s former company received numerous contracts from VA and millions of dollars in privatization during the Obama Administration. I could care less who Deason votes for. That is not the point of the article, and you are creating a straw man argument, which is a logical fallacy.

      1. @Ben Krause
        You forgot about Hillary’s little deal through Billie Boy, and the Clinton Foundation, on “selling ‘Uranium’ to Russia”!
        There’s a bunch more info on that “deal” going down here in America!

    2. I didn’t read this article as a rant against democrats at all. I read it as calling out both sides.
      Try reading it again, or get someone to read it for you.

      I lean politically right on many things, but on veterans I call out both sides, as I clearly read Ben doing so here.

      I am shocked he voted for Sanders, but I respect him for his choice, which he earned when he wore the uniform. I believe Ben voted for Sanders believing that Sanders would be best at veterans issues without regard to politics, but he may have other reasons for doing so which I am sure is a choice made after careful thought.

      You should try that view sometime.

      Sheesh the trolls are out in force defending their rice bowls today. Like a fat kid defending a Twinkey on the playground.

      1. In Minnesota, Independents can vote for either party in the primary. In my mind, Trump was a foregone conclusion for Republicans, so voting within this party in MN was a waste of a vote.

        I loath Hillary Clinton, and her statements calling the wait list scandal a Republican scheme was an insult to the veterans killed, so I voted for Bernie. Between Clinton vs Sanders, I prefer his stance on Wall Street and against mega banks over the special interests Clinton has in her back pocket. I also think he has more respect for veterans than Hillary. Last, the Clintons’ cozy relationship with China over the years also has me concerned. That is why I was feeling the Bern in the primaries.

      2. No need for an explanation Ben. I agree with your points against Hillary, and I also agree with your points in favor of Bernie. He was one of the most supportive of politicians for legislation for Gulf War veterans…I just can’t bring myself to support his other positions.
        I strongly support any veteran to vote for whomever they choose no matter how whacky I think their candidate may be. That isn’t a dig at any candidate. Veterans more than earned that right, much more than any others.

      3. All kidding aside, this election has me feeling even worse than any past elections in that I feel in order to make a choice, that choice is definitely the least full of crap politician, rather than throwing away my vote which I have yet to do in this life.
        I too, like Bernie’s stance on Wall Street and Big Banks but not so much on others. Hillary’s a no-go for me on so many levels. So as also an Independent, as of 4 years ago, I look to Trump with a cautionary measure of trepidation…yet, do not wish to throw away a vote, no matter in what whacky method it counts or does not. Blood has flowed for that right. Whomever one votes for is very personal and their right. Just make sure to exercise that right, as painful as it may prove to be. 🙂

        Any way you look at it, Washington, D.C. is completely anally impacted and requires a *complete* enema, along with the VA. 🙂

      4. I hear ya nam. This might be the first election ever where I don’t vote for POTUS because I don’t like any of them enough to give them the honor of having my vote. I will vote though for down ballot choices, and maybe write in someone.

      5. @91Veteran

        I’m so far “Right”, sometimes it scares me!

        Yet, I agree, those who “served” must have a higher standard to vote their conscience!
        Who ever they vote for, they must make sure they take responsibility for their action!

        I feel we should “recall” anyone who doesn’t fulfill their “Oath of Office!”
        I also feel, more than ever, anyone running for POTUS, or any office, must be completely transparent on everything. If not, they should withdraw!!!!!

  11. The fee for government services that was initiated by President Reagan was the start of privatization. Anyone can go back to look at his speeches on the subject. Reduce entitlements, fees to use government services including parks, privatized parking at Mt. Rushmore.

    And, yes it was continued by President Clinton with expanded corporate welfare entitlements. No entitlements for human citizens, just corporations in the trickle down economics. That is unless you are a big farmer who hasn’t incorporated.

    1. Sorry Lemuel, but it was not Reagan that introduced fee for service. That was the Democrat controlled Congress in the 80’s. My source is the US Library of Congress and the Congressional Voting Records.

      Nice try but no dice.

  12. Yesterday, on the “700 Club”, Pat Roberts said “…the federal unions were the cause of all the troubles we’re experiencing!” Little does he know, it goes deeper than that!

    If I’ve read “Ben’s Blog” correctly, it’s not only the unions, it’s both political parties and the many corporations. Which control every aspect, (corruption), of what we are seeing and dealing with day to day. (Basically, the beginning of a “New World Order!” that was started with the BUSH’s)

    The main stream medias have never spoken about the ‘hold’ these “entities” are having over our lives. Yet, IMHO, their ‘hold’ is slowly slipping away. We could go back to the “Teamsters and AFL/CIO & others”, who were the strongest and most powerful unions in the United States. At least until they were being dismantled in the 60’s! Remember the slogan, “Where are you, Jimmy (Hoffa)?” One could see that on many semi trucks throughout our country!

    I do hope those who are union (VA and other agencies) employees wake up to the (false) ideologies that the union is “All Powerful, All Knowing” – kind of reminds me of “The Wizard of Oz!”
    I believe it’s time to “pull back that curtain” and expose all of the corruption permeating throughout our country’s, (top 1% or 2%), SICK MINDED INDIVIDUALS who believe they run and own us!

    There IS a “Revolution” beginning to take place. One which will either see our “Greatness Return”. Or will see the Demise of the “Greatest Science Experiment”, (Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, 1776), the world has ever known!

    1. P.S.
      I forgot to add the demise of the “Air Traffic Controllers Union” by Pres. Reagan in the 70’s!

      1. Sorry Crazy Elf, but the Air Traffic Controllers Union was never and did not “demise” Federal law forbade the Traffic Controllers from striking, so by doing so they broke the law and as per their own contract, they were fired. They left hundreds of thousands of people still in the air and they just walked off the job putting them in danger of dying or crashing.

        As a Union man I can agree with striking when it does not cause harm to people, but when you knew there would be possible harm to people and you still left anyway? Then you have NO business in that tower. Nobody placed a gun to your head and forced you to work there. And when you start placing the welfare of your friends and neighbors behind your interests then in this case they got what they deserved.

      2. I know what you mean crazy elf. To clarify though, I believe Reagan fired controllers for striking in the 80s.
        The controllers union back then was known as PATCO. After they were fired, I believe that union was broken up or barred from representing controllers again. They reorganized as NATCA shortly after. Having worked around controllers for years, I can say they are the most pampered prima donnas I’ve ever seen. Ironically, all they ever do is scream safety when it may come to doing extra work. What is further ironic is that many of those fired were rehired as private contractors at control towers that were being privatized when the Reinventing Government scam took off.
        To add to my previous comment about hiring contractors on Monday after retiring from the Fed’s on Friday, those contractors were paid much more for doing much less….and stuck to doing the absolute minimum required in the contract.

      3. @Daniel Gray

        I said nothing about the “controllers” in my comment. I said the “demise of the union” which did happen!

  13. >>The fact is, the argument of outsourcing is merely a red herring tossed to AFGE union workers to fire them up enough to vote. If AFGE was truly as strong as it asserts, such privatization would be dead in its tracks.

    I hope @Ben really woke up some sleepy-headed AFGE members out in VA land!!

    >>Tell me again why we continue to placate our pretend dual party political system when both sides seem to play Americans off each other rather than genuinely working for the betterment of the common good?

    many of us have awoken to the realization there is but one party. after seeing the actions taken or not taken by the “winners”, depending on one’s view, after the 2014 election results, that sealed the truth that this country truly has not a two party system anymore. and it is so ever blatant now. though the daily bombardment of biased media psych-propaganda continues to convince, say ~50% of the population in America, otherwise.

    i’m surprised this current WH & Congress hasn’t attempted to outlaw all other parties excepting the current one, the thug-party, for lack of a more intelligent descriptive.

    “…playing Americans off each other…”, damn, that’s exactly what they are doing! i imagine some in DC are too blind to know that because the smell of money & power intoxicates them so, but their owners sure know this “play”. damn, just didn’t think i would ever see its infection on such a grand scale here in America.

    >>We are ruled by liars and cheats in it for their own gain. How did we deal with liars and cheats in the military?

    i guess thug-party it is then! no doubt, liars & cheats. the military you and i know/knew dealt with them as one would expect from our era. but with this new gov society way of things and how the mil has been gutted, liars & cheats might be the norm du jour. just sayin, then again just take a look around?

    >>Regardless of whether it is good or bad to outsource VA, the real question is whether the practice is well underway now?

    from your research & article, it would appear it is strongly underway and has been for a long time…

    1. All VA, and other government agencies, union members need a jolt! If they, our elected officials, continue down this path, most employees will be gone in the next few short years!
      The writing is on the wall. I just don’t see the VA employees believing anything like this could happen to them!

  14. My guess is the Democrats will go to any length to protect ANY Union. At this point one has to sincerely ask, “what DO VA employees actually DO or NOT DO according to their AFGE DUES”???!!!

    Like most Unions, I am quite sure the AFGE dictates to the VA what VA Employees will NOT DO and it’s evident that lowly basic human laziness has allowed the VA to take a back seat and allow the AFGE Union to steer the VA off the Crazy Train tracks on a hairpin curve at terminal velocity.

    Seems everything is contracted-out to one degree or another at the VA and that includes basic healthcare when you consider how much the VA relies upon Medical Resident Student Dr.’s to “practice on we Vets” while the attending is playing pocket pool or masturbating in an all glass conference room.

    Under Obama we have only spun our wheels in vapid fraud and corruption with the VA and this WAR is an utter mess, so much that the Generals have been quite at odds with Obama’s War Strategies for many years to present situation.

    When ALL of Congress officially made themselves *exempt* from Obamacare, that was a clear sign that Congress and our POTUS has ensured that our so-called Leaders remain disconnected and non-engaged in accountability.

    Until every member of Congress is required to utilize the VAMC’s solely as their healthcare provider as a Member of Congress, they will remain eyes wide open and blind. Time for the Military Draft to be implemented with no exemptions.

    1. @namnibor
      Even the top echelon of the many VSO’s have their own healthcare. God forbid they’d have to use the VA!
      Those asswipes make more $$$$$ than any of our elected and appointed officials each year. Who knows how much $$$$ they get in “kick-backs” from the corporations, just like the many corrupt politicians?

      It’s time to “pull back that curtain” and expose ALL the corruption permeating throughout our country!

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