VA Public Affairs

IDIOCITY: VA Public Affairs Tells Top Advocate How To ‘Help’ Veterans

VA Public Affairs

After the VA imposed media blackout of a veteran suicide was exposed, VA Public Affairs decided to tell the advocate who exposed the suicide how to “help” veterans.

This story is an extension of the media blackout of the tragic suicide by gun in front of the main Albuquerque VA building otherwise known as the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center.

VA Public Affairs refused to provide sufficient details about the suicide that effectively prevented local press from covering the story for public dissemination, at least not yet.

@realDonaldTrump @DeptVetAffairs @ConcernedVets @IAVA Stop covering up veteran suicides NOW! Click to Tweet

VA Public Affairs Preface

Before I get into everything that has occurred, I want to point out a couple things. This website exists only because VA repeatedly lowballed me when it came to my disability compensation and vocational rehabilitation claims.

I fought like hell and won enough money to buy this URL in 2010 for $1,300. No dinosaur Veteran Service Organization including DAV was interested in hearing about my story or those like mine (negative VA experiences) so I decided to start writing about it.

After exposing a scandal involving VocRehab where counselors were repeatedly lying to veterans or making racist comments to CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, I was approved for law school where I became a leading veterans rights journalist turned attorney.

I attended top universities and studied economics, nonfiction writing and law.

Thanks, VA.

I hope to expose every scandal and fraud your numerous criminal employees perpetrate against American taxpayers and veterans right here on DisabledVeterans.org.

What goes around comes around.

End Of Preface

Disclaimer

I do swear in a couple spots in this article in an effort to convey my creative rejection of agency assertion of dominance. I am also about to publish direct emails from a VA executive.

I would normally never do this but in this instance, I believe veterans’ lives are at stake and malfeasance in spending regarding the veteran suicide programs is restricting the number of health care professionals our beloved VA is able to hire.

Plus the executive in question has pinged me numerous times in the past weeks about this and made weird assertions about mental health despite having NO DEGREE OF ANY KIND. She has outkicked her coverage (Rosemary Williams).

For that reason, you will see just one email from the Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs below and my response to her.

I have many others that are inappropriate but I will not disclose them unless VA Secretary Bob McDonald asks directly.

End Of Disclaimer

Back to the VA perpetrated veteran suicide media blackout.

Missing details about the suicide include the name of the veteran, manner of his suicide or circumstances leading up to the suicide.

VA asserts it intends to protect the privacy of the dead veteran and that “policy” prevents the agency from disclosing the same information it has disclosed in the past.

Area police have reportedly left any responsibility for investigating the suicide up to VA meaning the public may never know what happened, at least directly from VA.

Indirectly, the circumstances surrounding the suicide have become more apparent from third party reports.

While traditional local outlets have refused to publish without interviewing the family or getting more information from VA (which seems like a hedge), I made the decision to go with the information on hand to keep the public informed of the likely deficient mental health care at the New Mexico facility.

RELATED: Albuquerque VA Ethics Supervisor Removes PhD From Title

Indirect reports from witnesses state the veteran frantically sought mental health care on December 22, 2016. VA allegedly refused to provide immediate mental health services and allowed the veteran to leave the facility against protocol.

This is similar to the scandal exposed by VA employee Brandon Coleman where Phoenix VA allowed numerous suicidal veterans to walk out of the facility despite being in immediate threats to themselves or others.

For the Albuquerque veteran, he reportedly went outside and shot himself in the head with a gun in response to the health care refusal.

That is what we know without any help from VA.

The scene of the veteran suicide was described as “very, very bloody.”

In the aftermath, VA expressed concerns that its employees were traumatized and offered non-VA trauma counseling to those impacted.

In an email expert to VA employees, Public Affairs director Sonja Brown stated, in part:

On behalf of the director, it is with a heavy heart that I send you this note.  A Veteran died in the front of the main hospital, Building 41 last night from a self-inflicted wound.  Because this is an ongoing investigation and to protect the victim’s privacy, we are not able to share any details at this time.

This is a traumatic event for the family of the victim and all of us.  We encourage employees who may need to talk to someone about this event, to contact the Employee Assistance Program at 1-800-869-0276 or www.eapconsultants.com.

Employees inside the agency who did witness the incident were reportedly threatened to keep quiet and to avoid whistleblowing with the press.

If the family finds out what happened, it is possible VA would be liable for the suicide based on the alleged failure to treat and prevent the suicide.

Since all witnesses have been identified by VA police, should certain details surface, Albuquerque VA leadership would be able to retaliate.

And, this facility is well known in certain circles for being prone to driving its own employees to extreme mental distress leading to suicide in certain instances.

Sadly, the circumstances around this veteran’s suicide may never be known unless someone has standing to sue VA as a family member.

Since no one knows the identity of the veteran or necessary facts to ascertain this level of detail, Albuquerque may never be held accountable.

After my repeated inquiries to VA, VA Public Affairs, Sonja Brown, at Albuquerque VA stated the following:

I can confirm that on Thursday, December 22, 2016, a Veteran died in the front of the main hospital of the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center from a self-inflicted wound. In order to protect the victim’s privacy, we are not able to share any additional details. Our deepest condolences are extended to friends and family of the Veteran.

RELATED: Veteran Dies Who Set Self On Fire Outside VA

The statement to me did not stop there. The entire email stated:

Hi Ben, I received a message that you called my office.  I have included the highlighted information as I feel it is very important to get this information out to our Veterans. If you would like to help Veterans, it would be greatly appreciated if you used your platform for this purpose. (emphasis added by me). Below is our statement:

I can confirm that on Thursday, December 22, 2016, a Veteran died in the front of the main hospital of the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center from a self-inflicted wound. In order to protect the victim’s privacy, we are not able to share any additional details. Our deepest condolences are extended to friends and family of the Veteran. 

We strongly urge Veterans experiencing a crisis as well as their family members to contact the Veterans Crisis Line at (800) 273-8255 (press 1). This line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.   

Sonja Brown
Acting Associate Director
Chief, Voluntary Service and
Public Affairs Operations
New Mexico VA Health Care System

RELATED: Suicidal Veterans Abandoned Waiting For Veterans Crisis Line Operators

You see, ever since I published the initial report of the suicide, assistant secretary Rosemary Williams, head of VA propaganda within its Public Affairs division started criticizing my direct report about the media blackout and limited details of the suicide.

She sent me numerous emails from her personal email to basically stop telling my readers the truth about suicide or VA scandals generally.

Even the local Albuquerque office had something to say about it.

The statement from Albuquerque VA Public Affairs on the suicide also included advice to me that Brown wanted me to follow if “you would like to help Veterans”?

What is that supposed to mean from an agency unable to prevent a veteran from shooting himself in the head at its doorstep?

No one has ever shot themselves on my doorstep. What about you?

Curiously, VA is now basically pushing its suicide prevention propaganda onto me that VA normally pays companies like Reingold, Inc millions to produce and publish.

Should I do it for free while Williams buddies make a mint without substantive results?

The implication here from Brown or her boss Williams is that I do not presently “help” veterans despite being one of the leading veterans rights attorneys in the country.

And, the same journalist turned attorney who recently exposed the largest benefits scandal in decades affecting veterans with traumatic brain injury.

At This Point I Have Lost My Patience

At this point in the exchange, readers should imagine me with my teeth showing, and not in a smiley way.

VA Public Affairs apparently thinks I should propagate their expensive and ineffective talking points for free to show that I want to “help” veterans.

What a crock of shit and fuck them very much.

These disconnected but well-paid senior leaders apparently do not know what I do, but they have no problem demanding I do what their highly paid contractor buddies fail to accomplish.

To one of those very well paid executives (Rosemary Williams), last night, I sent the following email that I will show in a little later.

It was in response to her indictment of my work reporting scandals that are very real and very newsworthy.

As you will see, Williams apparently blames one anecdote of one spineless doctor quitting VA on reporters like me who report facts about scandals inside VA.

How dare we tell American taxpayers the truth? Maybe she missed the memo on why President-elect Donald Trump was elected. Americans like me are sick of being misled by bureaucratic propaganda post-2013.

Time to drain that swamp.

Rosemary Williams Email To Me Yesterday

Specifically, Williams email is in response to my article yesterday about the newest attempt by the House Committee on Veterans Affairs to address bad VA employees.

RELATED: Practice Of Scrubbing VA Employee Misconduct May Become Illegal

If passed into law, the legislation would prevent VA from erasing bad conduct black marks from VA employee personnel files with the goal of increasing accountability in the long term.

Below is Williams response to my article.

Slowly, Congress and it’s advocates will get rid of every good public servant… then our bridges, food, buildings, national security can be kept safe by the people who are left behind. 

I met a great VA doc today who is leaving to work with a non-profit that works with alcoholics because all the vitriol in the media around VA killed her spirit.

But it’s much better in the private sector, so Veterans and caregivers will be much better off.

Right?

Rosemary Williams’ email – [email protected] (send her an email…!)

My Response To Rosemary Williams

Below is my response, but it should be read in the context of me pushing back against her for her numerous emails chastising me for reporting on facts of a suicide.

She reportedly does not have a college degree in mental health or of any other kind but sits on the Board of the National Action Alliance For Suicide Prevention and lectures me, a disabled veteran with a law degree from a top university who graduated Magna Cum Laude.

I promise you, because of this exchange, where I plainly asked her to discuss the facts by phone but she refused unless I showed her leaked emails from her involving government contractors, I am on the prowl.

Do not fuck with me or my vets. I may not be a spy or sniper like my friends, but the courts do not take kindly on fraud. Just saying for any VA employees want to “go”.

Back to this point in my communication with VA, post-Albuquerque media blackout, I am now very irritated and ready for real action instead of passive aggressive banter with an overpaid government bureaucrat who is openly pressuring me to withhold facts from my readers for some evasive reason.

Ready? Go:

Rosemary,

Are you even aware that I ran with the Veterans For Common Sense crew during our mental health lawsuit against VA in 2012?

As head of Public Affairs, with your enormous PR budget and monitoring platform through Barbaricum (and related intel monitoring companies), I’m surprised you’re not having more success with the counter-narrative. You have millions at your disposal. Most of us in the alternative media do not enjoy your access, but we still get the truth out there.

I guess if VA employees stopped breaking laws, stopped retaliating against whistleblowers, and stopped harassing veterans they’re supposed to serve, I could move on to being a typical business attorney making a lot of money. But I’m committed to holding VA accountable, which VA safeguards have failed to do for decades, and also precludes me from becoming wealthy, but that’s okay. I’ve been an advocate writing about VA for many years before you came on board, and I’ll be here many years after you move on.

Let me know when you’re ready to have a chat.  You’re welcome to work with me, but my laser focus on VA problems is only growing sharper while my readership grows exponentially.

I’m the guy who broke the recent TBI scandal that resulted in VA winning the IRE Golden Padlock award. I fed AJ Lagoe that story/data and he blew it up across Tegna. VA was engaged in a nationwide fraud having unqualified doctors examine veterans suffering claiming in-service TBI, and screwed 24k vets out of a fair shot at their benefits and healthcare from 2007-2015.

Your suicide program is next. VA can only blame itself for its own misdeeds.

Ben

RELATED: VA Pays Millions For Propaganda Machine Of Contractors

Free Veterans Crisis Line Plug

But in the nature of sportsmanship, I will publish the content about the Veterans Crisis Line I previous criticized for not working right.

RELATED: Did VA Outsource Its Veterans Crisis Line To India?

Call the Veterans Crisis Line if you are experiencing a crisis. Or, go right to your mental health care provider if VA allows you to meet with him or her.

Be sure to press “1” after the phone answers or you will be sent to any number of operating backup centers that may or may not result in your phone call being sent to an overseas call center.

Next time I plug this, do you think VA would pay me the kind of green they pay Reingold? God knows they would not. I may be a lot of things, but I am not an insider.

Is VA Getting Value For Its Millions?

Still, each year, VA funnels money to companies like Reingold to create new, yearly campaigns that have reportedly done little to none to improve veteran suicide numbers since President Barack Obama took office.

It was 22 per day back then. Now, after reconfiguring the data, 20 veterans commit suicide each day. Is this the improvement we were promised?

Of the millions of American taxpayers have dedicated to help suicidal veterans, how much actually went to hire real mental health doctors instead of creating pretty websites that make VA look good while doing little to improve suicide prevention numbers?

I guarantee you, based on Williams’ response and those of her subordinates, there is something to this and I intend to dig in deep.

There is a lot of smoke, meaning there must be a fire. So get ready Albuquerque VA aka Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center… I am coming for you.

The first FOIA my team filed is for the video footage of the suicide two weeks ago.

A second inquiry is aimed at getting the numbers of suicides of veterans on VA property.

Further inquiries are coming. If VA balks, you can expect a repeat of Judicial Watch on Hillary Clinton pointed right at VA officials like Rosemary Williams.

Even if she steps down, she can still be called in for depositions. I will bet VA is really glad they paid for my law degree now.

Conclusion

Here’s the deal. If VA were doing its job, I would be out of a job. I hope that happens.

But until that day, in a distant future many years from now, any VA employee dissatisfied with my decision to exercise my 1st Amendment right to tell the American public about every instance the agency shows its bare ass to the world can kiss mine.

At the end of the day, I suspect VA is abusing politically correct ethical strategies for reporting on suicide to evade accountability by withholding suicide details that may otherwise be available to similarly situated suicides and press coverage.

The strategies were generally created to help prevent copycat suicides. VA is evading accountability for failed mental health strategies and ineffective but expensive public relations strategies.

@realDonaldTrump @DeptVetAffairs @ConcernedVets @IAVA Stop covering up veteran suicides NOW! Click to Tweet

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244 Comments

  1. @ANutterVet @Angela @Lem & @Crazy elf, thanks brothers n sisters! Thanks for the kind words and advise.
    I got a call today that the “VHA Pain Mgmt Dir Sandbrink and the “VA Ketamine expert” along with my non-believing VA Chief of Staff & local pain doctor, have decided something! He will not call me and say hey you can go here for ketamine infusion to get out of pain as the VA has paid for this in the past!

    But now we want to make you suffer and watch and laugh at you. (Is how I feel about this situation!) Should call not cancel the consult, and should have a case manager but denied here, since Aug really that we need to help you find a new location and doctor for care.

    Why is the VA wasting money time for me to drive almost 3-hours one-way for this BS appointment that can been done on the phone better yet already find a location and say this date or this date get treated! URGH If the answer is NO, I can honestly say the VA has killed me!

    I have pain level now of 9 to off the charts daily now. Let alone a knee that is supposed to have been replaced 2 years ago now! let alone screwed up hip still waiting for 2nd opinion VA here n CHOICE Program screwing up paperwork AGAIN! 🙁 now my left knee probably needs to be replaced as well! Hey, VA does not give a shit! I cannot find TriCare Prime Drs to help me either 🙁 hence my delimea not that I have not tried!

    Going to my US Senator or US Congresswoman only increases the local VAs hostility towards me with more DBC Flags and restrictions! I have blown the whistle here on staff to VAOIG haha but sadly AFGE lets them laugh all the way to the bank 🙁

    Pt Advocate here is useless lies since day one when I came here has not stopped neither!

    The Chief of Staff is mad that I know more medical information about my disease and many others too, heck one of my Pain Dr’s in the past co-authored some chapters and many papers too, the “Gold Standard ” for care on pain mgmt used in the USA and she, the COS here, is mad of this too!

    I am not interested in my horses other to make sure they have food in the winter currently. Where I live is a place from my guided imagery taught some 28yrs ago to me I made up, but found it was real and have lived here for close to 9yrs now. Riding my horses has in the past preoccupied my mind away from pain but I am in too much pain for anything currently.

    1. @Ericka – I’m a newbie to this blog. Please follow each article and post when necessary. You can even rant if you like in order to relieve off frustrations. Individuals will reply to you as necessary. As for myself, I need to take a little breather. The anxiety, pain, and the frustrating BS from the VA is ticking me off. Hang in there my Sister, and know that others will respond to your posts. It’s hard, but sometimes you’ll have to search for things that ease your pain. I have to do the same. Try not to give the VA the edge over your life. Remember, follow the blog.

  2. @Ben
    What is a veteran with a rare disease of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), who has it this very painful disease for close to 30-years, in a VA location that the Chief of Staff a PM&R, DO does not believe in this rare disease let alone I have it even though she has sent me to VA CARF Pain Clinics and had others do very painful clinical assessment s to see if I really still have or it (CRPS) no it only gets worse with time 🙁 !! denied mental health care 🙁 I have no reason to live in this much pain when I have had relief until the chief of staff has cancelled consults and smeared my name as a nut case n worse! this has to stop NOW!
    I am told those in Wash DC VA Execs know of my problem then WHY THE FUCK IS NO ONE DOING ANYTHING!

    1. @Ericka – I read your post. Unfortunately, this is a big problem. Shootz, not making light of your pain condition, but the VA that I go to, the dam PM Physician doesn’t believe in pain medications. My PCP, which is a Nurse Practitioner w/o a specialty in Pain Management has to give me a script each month for pain. These VA Physicians can and will have you go through additional tests and even change your medications, even though a PCP in the Private Sector has you on a different protocol of prescriptions. The VA changed my medications, compared to what I was prescribed in the Private Sector.

      I suppose you already done so, but make sure you do comprehensive research on your condition. Yours is quite complex, and I believe their are different variations of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome [CRPS]. You have to speak above their knowledge [learn more, know more]. I know you shouldn’t have to do this. But many times the peeps at the VA are very uncompassionate. To be blunt, they don’t care. They go home after the day and all is well. Others, you, and I have to deal with medical conditions that dramatically affects our lives.

      Also, keep posting on this site. You never know who will chime in and offer suggestions. I’m an Investigative Research Biologist, and I’ll tell you, the VA many times doesn’t make sense. Try to surround yourself with a good buddy network of family and friends. As I know, this can be hard too.

      Ericka, I know how pain can alter your life, hinder your dreams, and it can isolate yourself from others. When you read this blog, pay attention to the following writers for input; @Seymore Klearly , @Crazy elf , @Disgruntled Veteran , @91Veteran , @Namnibor , and many other posters.

      Can anyone chime in here? Our Sister has a serious medical problem. Thanks folks.

      I know that I’m short in helping you, but whatever your thoughts, please don’t give up on hope. If my family was near you, my wife, my service dog, and I would give you a hug. Please keep visiting this blog.

    2. Ericka, Benjamin may can offer suggestions to assist you. I feel your struggle. I do not really like how you are being treated. Seek out an veterans advocate. Ben, may can assist you with this battle for care. Hang in there. You need someone in your corner who will fight for you to get you the help you need
      whether it is an attorney or service organization. Don’t give up and Pray.

      1. VA advocates. Some work some don’t. The on e at Cheyenne lied to me about VA Choice. When I found out and quoted the VA’s online statement about “not being deprived of your other health care benefits” (ie: diapers for TBI victims). That advocate was obstructive for everyone and is no longer at the Cheyenne VA. So if you don’t get served properly at your VA by the advocate go to another and write your congressman. After a few congressional correspondence responses the Director will turn the Advocate loose to do his job.

        If you need help writing your congressional letter seek someone that can help. But write it in your own handwriting. It’ll get much more attention.

    3. @Erica,
      I know pain. I live with it 24/7/365 days a year.
      Might I ask, do you have outside medical ?
      If not, may I suggest trying meditation. My pain level is always at around the 8 to 10 point. During the day what I’ve found to stop some of it is to do mental exercises. Keeping my mind busy with other things. Reading helps greatly.
      I don’t know if this will help, it only works for me.
      Hope this is helpful.

  3. Y’all might want to watch this video. We were informed about the “Dead Veterans in Chicago VHA Decomposing” some time ago.
    The next two articles in this video, I don’t think was mentioned.
    It’s from, “Jason Swift Presents”
    Dated back on Oct 21, 2016.
    The total running time is 12:51 minutes long.
    Titled;

    “Obama VA Caught Dumping Veterans Bodies What is Happening to Our World Prophetic Events 2016”

    Watch the whole video, if you can!

  4. @91Veteran,
    I read that article, where David “Little” Cox talks about his union members.
    In my opinion, he might want to bring his knee pads out of the closet.
    Times are changing. Things look as though we might see something occurring the unions don’t want to see happen. At least that’s my opinion!

    1. @Crazy Elf- Little Cox AFGE may find they need to grab some fresh union dues paying warm bodies if they are banished from the VA. The AFGE *may* just have to chase after all those “fast food workers” that want to unionize! 🙂 🙂 Why do I suggest that? I recently ceased any and all fast food because the Wendy’s I always went to had Special Snowflakes spitting and worse on food…namely if you were Caucasian. An entirely different restaurant in other part of city recently is in hot water because a police officer had glass shards purposely placed in his ordered food…by special snowflakes. Perfect future AFGE candidates.

      1. @namnibor,
        It’s out now. Obama was in Florida attending a wedding, someone in his staff was getting hitched, on the day of that “(possible) terrorist attack” here at the airport at Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood, FL.
        Hopefully, it will be his last free ride on Air Force One!?
        If not, get ready for more taxpayers monies being expended for little to no reason!

      2. Mr. Obama is anti- American all the way. He had rather stand by a terrorist as evidenced by the almost closed GITMO prison. He does not give a damn about Americans. He is about “Do as I say not as I do.” Obama is a part time president when it only benefits him. With all the money he has wasted on his vacations and perks for his family, we could have invested into the country with getting closer to a cure for cancer or retraining thousands of Americans who do not have updated skills to get themselves back into the workforce or put money into hiring real quality doctors for the VA with accountability and with a real M.D. licensure that is valid or anything that would be positive to bring the country forward. Mr. Obama has contributed to the divide among Americans and has abused his power. I cannot wait for the door to hit him on the way out.

  5. I spent 6 hours daily for nearly a month reading the Wikileaks e-mails regarding “the DNC Hack Scandal” as it is commonly known. Seems to me that there was enough in there to charge more than one individual.

    Everyone is FREAKING out because “WE HAVE BEEN HACKED BY THE RUSSIANS”. Well, I personally have zero knowledge of whether the DNC was hacked by Russia, China, one of our own Intel services, or Captain Crunch. Could be any of them. Or maybe little green men from Mars.

    Point is: The e-mails exist. Their content is pretty damning.

    During my tenure on active duty with the U.S. military, I held a Top Secret security clearance. I have seen many good people severely punished for far less misconduct – – – than what those Wikileaks e-mails showed happened within the DNC.

    While I do think it is fairly important to ascertain precisely how the electronic systems security breach occurred, I believe it is of paramount importance to punish “the bad actors” (no matter who they are) under the law with the maximum penalty possible.

    No one individual should be “above the law” in this nation. No one.

    Was Putin involved? I honestly do not know at this point. Maybe the American public will learn more as time goes on.

    I know this for certain: Putin had NOTHING to do with me resigning from the Democratic Party of Hawaii and casting my vote for Donald Trump. The Democratic Party (and I) bear the responsibility for that. And as for the results of the election – – – Hillary, in my opinion, threw her chance away all on her own.

    1. @Disgruntled Veteran,
      Here’s some info for you.
      The FBI has admitted the DNC REFUSED them access to their computer system. Thereby, not allowing them to evaluate anything. The FBI met with President Elect Trump on this past Friday.
      Secondly, there were I believe six states who have come forward and admitted the DHS was behind the ‘hacking’ of their voting rights!
      With that, and Julian Assange coming forward (MANY TIMES NOW) explaining the Russians did not give him any information, it’s safe to conclude the Russians were NOT behind any hacking.
      Now, we have to wonder why there’s no reporting on what laws the DNC broke!
      *IF* the FBI had had access to the computers, they may have had to investigate further into Hillary’s, Podesta and others illegal activities.
      They, those of the DNC, would not want that!
      I believe, since the passing of the Holman Rule, we’re going to see some drastic changes in our federal government!

      1. @Crazy elf – – Yes, have seen all so far and agree. Most suspicious of course, is the DNC refusal to allow inspection of their servers. Call me “crazy”, but if they REALLY believed they were “hacked” – – – what should have been done was to immediately get the best forensic IT guys in there, and have them do a “one by” reading on the entire server(s) and routers. ’nuff said.

    2. How sure are you the content you are reading is the original content? Have the emails been tracked back to the original servers on both sides?

      I get emails every day saying they are from me or someone on my contacts list that are neither from me or the contact. The content on emails I’ve sent, time and date stamped, copied by the individual I sent them to somehow were changed in content so much that the only accurate thing in comparing is the time and date I sent the original email.

      Anyone else ever experience this problem? Who is doing it and what do they gain by it other than a few laughs? And then let us get serious about how this can be used in this circumstance.

      1. Lem,

        It is a sign that your email has been hacked. You need to change your password.

      2. As I was saying. Yes, we know the DNC’s emails were hacked. So who can believe anything reportedly that comes from that hack? When it is not denied, yes it is then to be believed. But if there is denial then it can neither be believed or rejected. It needs to be discounted for consideration.

        I hope everyone knows to change their email pass word and avoid emails from unknown sources–Check the drop down email address before opening. It may not be from the contact in your address book.

        Now tell me something I don’t know!

      3. Lem, if you read my other comment, none of those named in the emails, including at least 60 news reporters have claimed the emails are fake.

        I believe if they did so, wikileaks would release more information proving they are authetic emails from those named.

      4. Emails you get that appear to be coming from your own address are usually related to a virus you might have, but more likely is related to your email address being used on a poorly secured public web site somewhere.

        Hackers or others gather these email addresses and use them as attacks against others. They can be either malicious attacks intending to cause loss of data, or could be directed attacks intended to gain information from the target, with the intent of getting more data.
        Those are calling phishing attacks, or spear phishing attacks where the email to you contains enough information you would know to convince you to provide more information.
        What happened with Podestas emails was a phishing attack. He was sent an email claiming his Google gmail account password was compromised, and he needed to click a link in the email to change his password. He supposedly asked some IT support person if he should do so, and they claim the IT guy intended to respond telling him the email was illegitimate, but autocorrect changed the word to legitimate, so Podesta clicked and changed his password to “password”.
        I don’t believe that for a second because I can’t believe an IT guy would respond with anything other than DO NOT CLICK THE LINK! There would be no illegitimate, legitimate BS.
        Further, a competent IT guy would tell Podesta he should have turned on Google’s 2 factor authentication, which Google specifically implement to stop these kinds of attacks.
        With 2 factor authentication, a user enters their password, then another screen pops up asking for a code to be entered. That code is generated specifically for that user and can only be used once. A user can generate a list of codes, or Google will text the code to a cell phone that you enter when you set up the 2 factor authentication.
        Without that code being entered, you will not get access.

        This entire issue, much like the VAs problems, boils down to stunning incompetence in people that should know better.

        The emails released by wikileaks were emails obtained by someone getting Podestas password and actually signing in to his own account. That means they have the full email, including headers which users don’t normally see. Those headers contain identifying information, including servers, etc., that would prove whether they are legitimate, or if they were changed in any way such as sent through a different server by another email system. You can go into your email system, doesn’t matter what you use, and find where it tells you to show the full header, and you will see what I am talking about.

        Regardless of that, none of those named in the wikileaks emails that have been released have claimed they are fake emails. If they did so, that might cause wikileaks to release the full email, including headers, which would prove it was not fake.

        That list includes Podesta, Donna Brazille, several campaign staffers and at least 60 “news” reporters invited to Podestas house for dinner.

        None have claimed the emails are fake.

      5. @91Veteran – Your post spot on. The “educational material” you provided re: IT security is something that everyone should take to heart. Computers are convenient, but if unsecured – – – are not worth a dam n!

        2-Factor Authentication is the electronic implementation of President Reagan’s “Trust, but verify” statement.

        I miss Phil Zimmerman and PGP . . . was really great back in ’95 or so.

      6. Lem,

        Late to the party here, due timezone differences. As Seymore has already stated, you have been hacked. Change your password.

    3. I also changed horses. But because of the dishonesty of the DNC which then translated to the dishonesty of the candidate long before wiki leaks and the fake news generated by this intrusion. And if knowing all that I know now about the intrusion I would still vote against the DNC candidates. And next time I’ll vote against all GOP candidates. I will keep switching horses until my vote counts more than Goldman Sachs contribution to candidates.

      1. @Lem,
        Here’s proof positive the “ALLEGED hacking” did not change the outcome of the election!
        From “Fix News”
        ‘Sean Hannity reporting’ on Jan. 6, 2017!
        Titled;
        “HANNITY BURNS EVERY “CLINTON ELECTION HACKING CONSPIRACY THEORY” IN 7 MIN!”

        It’s now official. What needs to be addressed is the many illegal activities committed by the DNC, Hillary Clinton, John Podesta and all the other Democrats who broke the law!
        The MSM also needs to be “Censured” for their “complicity in trying to overthrow the election” with “FAKE NEWS” and “MANY FAKE POLLS”!
        Those are the facts!
        Wake Up and smell the roses. I mean that with all sincerity and not trying to be rude!!!!!!

      2. Yeh! I’ll take Sean Hannity’s word over every fact that stands against it. Especially when the facts are provided by knee jerk liberals. Right?

    4. What I find interesting about this is the total collapse of any professionalism in the last days of Obama’s administration…particularly around this “hacking” issue, which I think is BS.
      Around the time of these wikileaks leaks, which took place over many weeks, there may have been rumblings of hacks, but nothing to the level of panty wetting like the left has been doing since shortly after the results came in that Hillary lost.
      What is interesting are the administration itself battling each other in the media the past few days.
      Reports of the FBI not being allowed access to the DNC servers to Intel agencies leaking reports of who did it to reports of the FBI relying on computer forensics by a third party rather than examining the server.

      Unless the FBI themselves seized and examined the servers themselves, why call their investigation an investigation at all? Why not call it a Report taking from a third party?

      If you recall, the FBI seized whatever they could that did not already have evidence wiped with Grannys emails. Even then, they still examined her servers as much as they could.

      Same with Weiners laptop. They didn’t allow Weiner to claim a 3rd party examined them, and you must accept their report.

      Why is it the DNC is not allowing a thorough examination of their servers? Is it because it would derail their “Russian hacking” narrative? Or is it because they learned from Weiner, and that any FBI examination of their servers might uncover serious lawbreaking that they want to keep quiet?

      Years later the left claims Saddam had no WMDs, although the UNSCOM reports and NYTimes articles on exposures show he did, and the left laments going to war “over a lie”.

      I think this is much worse. Deploying troops to the border of Russia, kicking out diplomats or spies, public pronouncements about Putin…

      …all for politics because an old, unethical dish rag that has been breaking laws for over 30 years did so badly in a rigged election that they have to shift attention away from disaster.

      I only wish these buffoons would get equally upset over other serious hacks, like the Chinese hacking millions of individual OPM personnel and background check records, or the VA losing millions of records on veterans.
      The last time the left got this whiny about a hack was when they claimed North Korea hacked Sony and leaked details on how vile Hollywood leftists really are.

      1. @91Veteran – “Why is it the DNC is not allowing a thorough examination of their servers? Is it because it would derail their “Russian hacking” narrative? Or is it because they learned from Weiner, and that any FBI examination of their servers might uncover serious lawbreaking that they want to keep quiet?”

        Both. Server examination would provide a TwoferOne – – maybe more.

      2. @Disgruntled Veteran- Do you recall over a year ago that scandal with the VA OIG spending an awful lot of time in his all glass office conference room, across from a school, families, other offices, where it was found he had been indeed chronically masturbating in that all glass conference room? Imagine what they would find on the servers of Federal Employees if they *really* took a good proper look? It’s not going to be pretty and will require cases of fresh barf bags.
        (That VAOIG was quietly and quickly early retired with full benefits)

        (I used just -1- scandal at VA as analogy, no confirmed masturbation emails in the granny pile thus far…now, where’s my barf bag?) 🙂

      3. With all 17 presidential appointees, at the 17 federal intelligence agencies, who will all be out of a job on the 20th of this month, all claiming that Russia was hacking and tried to influence our elections.

        I certainly hope our new president elect will turn Jeff Sessions lose on these bogus traitors after the inauguration. With what has been learned about the DNC and their emails along with the Democrats propensity to destroy evidence including emails. I wonder how many will be going to prison.

      4. @namnibor – – – Arse! Was taking a large swill of H2O black from my lifer juice mug, when I read your post. H20 Black direct route to lungs. Got “warm feeling” then brief asphyxiation followed by prolonged productive cough! 🙂

        Yeah, man. These guys running the show at the VA today make Nixon look like a saint . . .

        Peace, Brother!

      5. Hey 91Veteran,

        You think that maybe these Ass-Clowns claiming the Russia hack are just covering up things like this.

        “Clinton Foundation Received Millions From Merkel Government”, By Vijeta Uniyal, Global Research, January 07, 2017

        “Between July and Sept. 2016, the German government gave up to $5M to the Clinton Foundation”

        I guess German Chancellor Angela Merkel was trying to make sure Hillary’s campaign was very well funded. Given this is fact and the Russian Hack is fiction. Why are the Main Stream Media, (Fake News Networks), ignoring the factual article?

        “https://www.globalresearch.ca/clinton-foundation-received-millions-from-merkel-government/5567107”

        “The newly released list of donors show that Federal [German] Ministry for Environment transferred millions to the [Clinton] Foundation. In the third quarter of 2016, at the height of [Clinton’s] campaign, German taxpayers gave up to five million dollars to the family foundation.”

        “Some observers believe that German government has some explaining to do for the donation that appears under the heading “Donors and Grantors”.

        “Why does a Ministry supports the election campaign of a U.S. presidential candidate?”

        asked Vera Lengsfeld — former civil rights activist and German parliamentarian — in her blog.

        “It seems German taxpayers unwittingly financed Hillary Clinton’s election campaign.”

        I wonder how much China and Saudi Arabia donated to her campaign?

        If RT news publishing news stories about Clinton’s Corruption that was being exposed by WikiLeaks is considered Russian interference with our election.

        Shouldn’t these timely donations to help Hillary also count as foreign interference with our elections?

      6. You would think so Seymore, but the jackals in the media don’t see foreign intervention with Grannys campaign as interference.

        I do know Saudi was donating to their crime foundation, upwards of $50 million, as well as Qatar.
        She caught heat from some news sources because of accepting money from countries who treat their women like cattle, while claiming to be a women’s rights champion.

      7. @Disgruntled Veteran- Glad I was able to help with the caffeine intake. 🙂 I wonder if they take these bureaucrats laptops and blow them up like those bomb robots do after one of their own gets caught? I’m surprised granny’s server has not had a catastrophic fire in which all evidence is totally gone, same with DNC. I think the DNC is trying very hard to make this entire “Russia Hacking” debacle into their 2017 ‘Watergate” of sorts, but let’s call it “Butthurt Snowflakegate”.

      8. New Zealand Prime Minister resigns after getting caught giving $13.7 million in taxpayer money to the Clinton Foundation…. Merkel gave 5 million to the Clinton Foundation during our election!

      9. Three people go missing Eric Braverman, Neil Brown, and Marc Turi missing compliments of the Clinton Foundation.

      10. @namnibor – You sure did help. Jeanie Crispus!

        This”space” that has comments/experiences from real patriots is just too much fun! I am honored to be among you all.

        I like the “Butthurt Snowflakegate” very much. So, here is what I am thinking. I do not have the talent – – – but discuss among yourselves.

        Every unit that I was ever stationed with had a guy who was the resident artist. They always came up with the most brilliant work, which was then translated into “unit specific” T-Shirts, Patches, etc.

        This “unit” here, cannot be any different. Anyone could design a “Operation Butthurt Snowflake” logo that we could then market on CafePress or some such – – – then funnel the money into Ben’s war chest?

        Just an idea. As for me, when I receive my next meager check – – – I am going to purchase one of Ben’s books, then gift it to one of the younger vet’s who may find it useful.

        Too late for me, but I do want to help contribute to Ben’s mission in a meaningful manner. I just wish he had been doing this back around ’95 or so.

      11. @Disgruntled Veteran- “Operation Butthurt Snowflake” could simply be depicted with -1- Large Enema Bag
        -1- Swamp looking remarkably like D.C. Reflecting Pool
        -1- Mooning Ass with a VA “ICARE” tattooed on the ass filling the swamp.

      12. @Namnibor , @Disgruntled Veteran – I have an extra old fashion soapy suds enema kit. I’ll alter the instructions. Where do I send it?

  6. Ben,
    As a former consultant and then Government employee who constantly rocked the boat, and was threatened many times until it was proved I was right, I saw there is a bureaucratic mentality that most government employees have. Once they pass the period where they can be terminated for just about any reason, their position becomes reversed and it takes an act of Congress (sometimes not even that) to have them removed. The old shuffle and promote system kicks into effect, which is far worse that the corporate Peter Principle.
    I will admit I rocked the boat a lot, because I had higher authorities backing me than the lower echelon officials’ toes I was stepping on. To them, it is a game, whereas I was concerned with patient care and improvement. I didn’t give a damn about the rules of their game, I was concerned about results. I also didn’t care if I made them look like the fools they were.
    The sad facts are, those who kiss ass and play the game are promoted, and too many just fall in line. Many employees throughout become disenchanted, and it affects the care given to patients. It is definitely time to clean house, and not just in the Department of Veterans Affairs, but also the Health and Human Services and Indian Health Services.
    As a 100% P&T veteran, I am battling it out with the VA to get retrained because my SC’ed disability prevent me from working in the VR&E program field I was successfully trained in. Something simple has turned into a nightmare; it is documented in Chapter 31 and M28R on how I am qualified. I did their job for them, and I filled out all the paperwork for the VA. My first Voc Rehab Counselor (VRC) refused to do his job, and now I have a much better VRC who states that they are concerned about my mental status. It hasn’t changed in over 12 years, I am attending school part-time on a shoestring budget, and working part-time to supplement schooling and living expenses. It shouldn’t be this difficult, but the bureaucracy is everywhere in the VA.
    I appreciate the email you provided, but you do realize it will be eliminated or just ignored in the near future. Until then, I will send my thoughts about VA policies to support you.

    1. Welcome, Louis Gladeau. Your unique perspective and experience of having been inside the ‘meat grinder’ will surely be welcome information. One has to fully understand the swamp monsters before you wrestle them. The past 8 years, it seems all the Agency IG’s were effectively neutered, and many were actually fired early in Obama’s Admn., pretty much anyone that did not play the group think game was canned and it reminds me of the Life Lock commercials out now where they show a guy in a dentist’s chair, mouth wide open and the dentist and assistant have just told him he has severe cavities then the dentist and assistant proceed to leave and the guy left in chair barely utters, ‘Where are you going?’, and the ‘dentist and assistant’ say, “OH, we are NOT actual dentists, we only IDENTIFY and MONITOR PROBLEMS…you need an actual dentist for THAT”….that is exactly how our VAOIG and OSC are. Exactly. No balls whatsoever.

      Also, regardless if you supported Pres. Elect Trump, he has an official dot gov website where you can send direct suggestions at greatagain dot gov.

      1. Agree welcome, please feel free to express yourself and its a breath of fresh air to have employees to admit things need to change. You are vital to us, as we need as many VA employees to blow the whistle on those that have abused their positions.

        If employees now knowing that their voice will be heard and action taken, just Do it !

        I think after the bad apples are gone, employees and veterans will be happier and safer !

  7. Am I guilty of hacking if I wanted DJ Trump to be President? I’m embarrassed that our Federal Intelligence Agencies accused Russia of hacking to impede the election of Clinton without showing any proof except a judgement call. As much as the hacking issue has been in the MSM news, I expect our governmental agencies to reveal direct proof of these allegations. And, so many of our elected officials and news correspondents talk about Fake News. Geeish!

  8. The “Holman rule.” Originally developed in 1876 but removed from the standing rules in 1983, the Holman Rule allows a member of Congress to propose appropriations amendments which reduce “the number and salary of the officers of the United States” or “the compensation of any person paid out of the Treasury of the United States.” As noted in the Washington Post, this measure has raised concerns about the ability of Congress to target individual federal civil servants for punitive salary reduction, or federal programs for elimination. [“https://dukelawref.blogspot.com/2017/01/a-history-of-holman-rule.html”, at The J. Michael Godson Law Library at Duke]

    1. I am curious what all you other veterans think about this rule ? I know what non Veterans are thinking ! Holly crap Batman what we going to do ! Are we really going to have to work ! Does this mean I cant punish those veterans any more. Can we at least keep playing Hungry Hippos on duty !

      This coming year is going to be something to watch !

      I ask all veterans to let other veterans know about this site and ask them to please share their stories, become part of something bigger. Real Change !

      God Bless America and most of all YOU ! My fellow Veterans. I guess Enough is Enough has finely arrived !

      1. What I see happening is little effect on front line employees at the start, but possibly some serious consequences for say, VISN directors and above.
        Imagine hearing from Shulkin, Gibson or some VISN director that you can’t fire your way to excellence as an excuse for rehiring a director that committed time and attendance fraud, or travel fraud.
        I assume Shulkin, Gibson or some VISN director might suddenly find their position zeroed out.
        Or they might find their bonus or “art” budget zeroed out.
        Or you might see where 14 different federal agencies all doing the same function suddenly have the budgets for 13 of them zeroed out, and 1 agency performing that function.

        Or you might see a 1 star hospital have their entire budget zeroed out, with those veterans being informed their Choice card will be honored in their local community, with the guarantee that the bill will be paid within 1 month of service. If that can’t be done, perhaps the administration budget for Choice will be zeroed out, and the program turned over to a new division in Medicare where they have shown they can pay bills in a timely manner.

      2. Your welcome. I’m just hoping that this coming year will be a year where my fellow veteran’s will not be in fear of the very people that were given the Honor of caring for the 1 %. That cared enough to put their lives on the line for all American citizens.

        I am hoping that the veterans benefits office will change their ways and honor those with a disability and employees are held accountable when they don’t do their job.

        I had been shot in the head point blank in 1972Also. When I was discharged. I applied for care and was told you have to be service connected through VBA. Before you can be allowed treatment.

        So. I filed and the VBA denied my claim stating” our record’s indicate your record’s were distroyed in the saint Louis fire in may 1973.

        With out treatment and not knowing due to the gun shot . That besides PTSD I had suffered a traumatic brain injury.

        Problem. I did not know any better and believed them. I had no idea What to do. So I like many other’s stated self medicate.

        That only made things worse and I through the years paid a heavy price. Like many other’s.

        After forty year’s and at the end of my rope. I hired an attorney and found that the fire happened in may of 1973. I was discharged in October of 1973.

        So my record’s were not or could have not been in the fire and once the attorney files the record’s appeared out of the blue.

        I not the exception. Many other veterans have suffered because they had been lied too.

        This is still happening as we speak. The VA told the veterans committee that when they deny a claim.only 10 % will refile. I call that a frogient slip and proved that they did this on purpose.

        The day I finely seen it in writing that I was shot and them describing it. Made me have mixed emotions. First I smiled and then I cried. Forty year’s of suffering finely ending.

        I know that I can never stop trying to help anyone. Because they are me and deserve to live some what a normal life.

        I am so thankful to my wife for staying by my side for the last 40 year’s. She has been diagnosed with ptsd. Having to watch me hurting and she could do nothing about it.

        So by the VA denying veterans their deserved disability and the veterans getting proper care. That ACT. Not only effects the veterans. But their family.

        Sorry. But this crime must be stopped. Want 0 veteran’s to experence any of it. I have 14 grandchildren and to think I tried to kill myself. If I would have succeeded the ? would have missed out on these wonderful kids.

        God bless you and yours.

        Jimmy

      3. You can get a CUE all the way back. Your inpatient records were not in the fire and are considered in possession of the VA. That is true for anyone who was an inpatient (hospitalized) and for malaria patients whose health record summaries of their treatment for malaria are of the rehabilitation phase instead of the acute phase. Especially with the new NIH studies on the pathology of p. falciparum malaria. (AKA cerebral malaria — the one you got an ice shower for)

      4. @james gallegos – I think it is the administrative equivalent of a BGM-109A. I certainly hope that its application will be utilized to provide maximum damage to “the enemy” in a highly effective manner. I recommend the first shot be high-yield aimed at the SES and VA.

        I will spread your info around, as requested. Never wanted to be a recruiter while on active duty – – – but don’t have a problem with it now.

  9. @James gallegos,
    Thanks for the “heads up” on the “Holman Rule”!
    FYI, it “…passed on 3 Jan. 2017…”, and some of the Dumbass Democrats are bitterly against it! I Wonder Why (sarcasm intended here)?
    If y’all want more information on this great “rule”, please google it.
    It actually helps the taxpayers and royally fucks a lot of federal government employees. Which will include the VA!
    This “rule” actually goes right along with what President Elect Trump has promised, ie;
    Lower taxes
    Less government
    Getting rid of government employees
    (Less control by the federal reserve)
    And much more!

    Thanks again James!

    1. I googled it and read an article in Federal Times quoting Little Cox.

      He says nothing about veterans in his comments.

      Looks like Little Cox may want to start kissing ass rather than threatening to whip it.

      1. 91Veteran,
        There’s lots of articles, and videos, over how the ‘Holman Rule’ will affect government employees.
        One article has the head of the Treasury Department Union, a female, worried. As well she should be.
        This ‘Rule’, from 1876, allows the GOP to drop a Civil Service employees’ pay to $1 ! That’s correct – $One Dollar! And *IF* the GOP wants, they can drop the allocation of taxpayers monies for any agencies to $0 dollars!
        There’s plenty more things this ‘Rule’ can accomplish, *IF* the GOP is serious about stopping the “Waste, Fraud and Abuse” which is almost in every government agency!

        There’s absolutely no better time for President Elect Trump!
        The Vice President Elect Pence has made his ‘message’ known;
        Quote;
        “We are in the promise keeping business!”

        Each of them, Trump and Pence, made many promises. We, the American People need to make sure they keep those promises!

      2. This will be in effect for (1) one year and maybe extended after one year. I believe the first year will be something to watch, taking action and removing those employees that should not be there, that caused all the problems.

        I wonder if our Senators and Congressmen (women), will do the right thing and finely use this tool to take action for the veterans, that the VA has harmed or will they sit back and let the VA continue to abuse veterans at will.

        I hope they will use this tool or do nothing !

        They claimed they had no power and no Authority to make the VA do nothing, now they can and I hope they take advantage of it and help get rid of employees who would dare harm veterans in anyway.

        Does anyone think that the Veterans will ever be able to file charges against employees in a court of Law !

        Wonder if we could introduce a Bill that would authorize veterans to recoup all their back pay if they can show evidence that the VA had lied to them about not having the veterans Official Military records, that had the proof of a disability and the VA decided to deny those cases and failed to Assist the Veterans.

        Since they did hide the records I think it only fair, that this happens. Way to many veterans have been denied their claims and the result can be seen everyday at least 20 a day. Any Veteran that states they are having a hard time coping must be seen by a Psychologist, before being released and recorded in the veterans chart.

        Veterans should be Granted amendments’ to their records when its found that the staff incorrectly records non truths about the veterans. Example: My provider wrote into my official chart, Veteran was stabbed while in the service, when the veteran never said they were stabbed in the service. Now I was stabbed but that was after the service and the VA completed the surgery.

        If someone wanted too, they could once again Falsely accuse me of reporting false information. The VA refuses to correct these errors and jeopardize the veterans or causing the Veterans an undue hardship by accusing them and hinder their care.

        The VA tells veterans if you find a mistake write us a letter, what was said and how it should read ! That is not expectable, because that letter is considered Administrative paper work and that letter will never see the light of day and the official medical record will not show it, so noting had been accomplished to correct the error and leaves the veteran open to still be falsely accused of giving false information.

        If this should happen and the average veteran had no idea that they have two charts and would not know where to find that information and therefore not be able to find that letter to prove they said anything about it. Unless they kept a copy !

        I think if Lawyers would be able to defend veterans and able to take them to court, veterans will be better off and if they win their case, the VA be made to pay those attorney’s. It must be about veterans, not employees with all the protections, they have a never ending supply of money to protect employees and none for the veterans.

        Veterans First not employees and employees or management must be held accountable when they deny any veteran care. That includes VBA employees who routinely deny claims, knowing that 90% will not refile, knowing the veterans had all the proof needed in the first place to of had their claims adjudicated in their favor .

  10. I keep coming up with more questions.. There’s an eerie feeling in the air. Like a pending doom. Does anyone think our new POTUS can get scared? I have no idea what I would feel like if all those three letter word organizations were angry with me. Even if I were right. The Times have changed, and have begun to crumble. Can President Elect Trump save the Veterans and the Country? I realize I need to be more optimistic. Right now I am concentrating on the pessimism side. For some reason, I can’t get Batman out of my mind.

    1. Just think of Wonder Woman instead of Batman. RAND Corp agrees that Wonder Woman’s “lasso of truth” is something the VA is very scared of and stirs the hopes of wayward Veterans. VAOIG agrees that “lassos of truth” have no place at the VA but Veterans seem to just love Wonder Woman and her lasso and other really swell tricks.
      Just think of Superman and his strong aversion to Kryptonite. That Kryptonite is the truth to the VA called accountability. However, Krypto the Super Dog will not go anywhere near a VA facility.

      1. Krypto the Super Dog found the crows flying over VA facilities to be quite troubling to his stomach.

  11. Ben, I am so dam proud of you and others on this site and VA is lying and others. Don’t know if you heard but Trump has or is planning for the HOLMAN Rule to go into effect. As mentioned before VA is, was immune to scrutiny and are the untouchables.

    If this passes and I believe it will, then our congressmen and senators, will have the authority to recommend action be taken, when VA employees or any other agency lies or retaliates against a veteran or another employee.

    There is probably more to this and I hope you will tell us more in the future, what exactly it means to us veterans. This employee you spoke about sounds like she needs to be looked into, besides many others.

    I am hoping that in the Near future I and others will be able to get our manes OFF the infamous Disruptive Committee list and those employees whom accused veterans of anything will feel the wrath, that they placed upon the veterans they have harmed using this illegal way of Punishing veterans.

    Ben, your concern for your fellow veterans, I think you should be considered for a position in the VA where you can continue to help veterans.

    I am hoping that justice will come swiftly to those employees whom think they are above the law and that the thousands of veterans whom were lied to for so many years, finely get their deserved disabilities, so they can receive their needed treatment, so they may live a some what normal life.

    I also hope that our elected officials will save enough money, that any veteran whom the VBA lied too about them not having their Military records for what ever reason, can file to recoup all their back pay, from when they first applied.

    And in the future any VA employee denying a veteran their deserved benefits and try and hide the evidence will be fired, along with their supervisors. No more I plead the 5th !

    Each and every firing should be made public and what the offence was, that way other federal employees can see that lying or deceiving the veterans and the public will understand there will be a price to pay !

    Last thing, Have you checked to see if this VA employee reported you as being Disruptive or a Threat or maybe a Threat to the VA ! If so welcome to our world ! Its just easy for any VA employee to go after someone, anyone.

    I know they would not do this to you, because they know you would take them to the cleaners !

    Again I am proud of all of you that have taken the time to share your stories about your experience with the VA and to the employees whom have come on here to belittle our Veterans for using their first amendments rights. Bye and have a wonderful day !

    You may not like Tomorrow ! it maybe that one day finely came.

    God Bless America and All our Veterans Living and Dead !

    Go ahead and come after Ben, we are his back up and you will never hear the End, Beside he’s a Big Boy and can take care of himself, But if ever needed thousands of us will be at his side.

    1. @James Gallegos – – – Thanks for the 411 on the Holman Rule. I like it very much! Put that Baby into effect, and it will immensely help getting our government back onto the right path.

      1. Yes sir. I was worried that the VA would do something to keep doing what their doing at will.

        You know I told a story about me sending inquiries to Bennett’s office and even with the VA lying to them and me furnishing his office with evidence

        I was advised his office could do nothing.

        All I wanted was to have my good name cleared after being falsely accused of disruptive behavior and my official medical record’s cleaned.

        Nope the VA had immunity and that tied up Bennett’s hands. I guess and they become mute.

        Once trump gets into office and they say where to report bad employees. I will send them a letter and all the evidence I have collected for the last ten year’s.

        I’m hoping that they will be able to correct all my official record’s and stop the employee from harming any other veterans.

        And that the new Secretary will see that VA employees are using the disruptive committee as a means to retalate against veterans They just don’t like.

        I hope they see through the VA real intensions of the committee and disband it and hold all of the employees that let it happen to. Be given a dose of their own medicine.

        They have hurt enough veterans. Using this sham of a committee. They should of found out what the veterans were upset. If they said anything. Not just punish because they could.

        Employees Must be held accountable for their misdeeds. McDonald’s office did nothing and I believe his office should also be held responsibe. For doing nothing about it and his employee Stephanie who lied about the employee not working for the VA anymore.

        She cut off all communications with me. When I told her that the employee was still working and she had been lyed to or she was lieing to me.

        I’m just glad that any employee doing wrong will get their do justice and veteran’s will be safer.

        And u r welcome.

  12. Yesterday, Jeh Johnson and Obama, signing a “letter” only, “Federalized” our states voting rights, (reported by Alex Jones on InfoWars)! Basically taking away the “Electoral College” in future voting elections.
    This is, by all intents and purposes, illegal and a complete violation of the Constitution!
    It may, or may not, still be on the internet. Try googling “Obama-Jay Johnson Federalizes The Voting Process!”
    ____________________

    Since “TATTLE TALE SONGBIRD MCCAIN’s” name is popping up more recently, over the ‘Alleged Hacking by Russia’, the MANY articles with videos are returning to Utube over his being a traitor during the Vietnam War.
    Plus, his and “Kowardly Kerry’s” stopping the of finding POW’s of the many wars the US has been involved in.
    ___________________

    The corruption within our many government agencies is now starting to surface. I truly do not believe the majority of the people actually know how deep it goes.
    *IF* the next administration, under Trump, is willing to show this corruption. Then maybe there will be such an outcry to hold everyone, not only accountable, but have many, (ALL), of them arrested, (Gitmo would be a perfect home for them)!
    We’ve seen, on Utube, representatives like Rep. Trey Gowdy, Rep. Chaffetz and a few others expose they corruption in the many committees.
    They are truly Patriotic and will not allow these types of illegal acts to continue.

  13. I gotta say, I appreciate the attitude and critique, and had similar trouble at Carl Hayden (phx) re mental health care. Also, you have to check their notes after an incident like that. They faked them. Said I refused treatment and didn’t keep appointment which I didn’t have or know about but they’ll change those notes if you call them on it.

    But generally, I finally got a wonderful social worker to actually follow up and make a great referral, then lucked into the best application assistance ever, and wound up p&t IU based on 70 % disability for ptsd, and agent orange related coronary artery disease.

    I understand the rejection and feeling of futility but if people go to a vets center and gain enough strength to PERSIST with empathy for the good people you ALSO find at the VA, then they really have gone out of their way to help, to expedite. And get you the best rating and care.

    I have to say, at the end of my own tunnel, I resent the unbridled anger and hostility from vets toward these same people. I don’t think the incidence of assholes in the VA is any greater than in the rest of the population, but I agree it’s life-threateningly off-putting at the worst possible time. But some of these tirades are just brutal and almost certainly not generalizable to all VA workers, and can only make things worse for everyone.

    The trouble for me is, not poking the Hornets nest. Yes they have way too much power…so you MUST remain a humble supplication much of the time. But you have to measure what you want more, your righteous anger-or treatment and financial relief? I suppressed the anger and complaints for years, then when it was too much, I got through nothing but good luck, some amazing help by finally being calm and determined. Yes, I know how hard that is. I also wandered around in the desert, untreated, for at least 2 years, and it finally came to, suicide, or get effective, more patient, and persistent. I know I qS lucky…but to an extent, you make your own luck just by not quitting. So don’t quit. Or make too many enemies in the process. If people hate you for being insufferable, they won’t suffer you, and then you’ll be truly fucked. Don’t ruin your life further. Get what you deserve instead. Be friendly and grateful for what you get, try to make the employees day a little better, not worse, and you’ll do MUCH better. Of course it took me 45 years to learn that. Good luck to all.

    1. In every interaction I have had with a VA employee at any level, from a clerk all the way to the Secretary, I have given them the benefit of the doubt and the chance to do right.

      If there is a problem then I try address it, but when I am blatantly lied to, there is no second chance, just like there is no second chance when they are treating me like a fool and blowing smoke at me.

      I go to the VA to receive a hard earned and promised benefit, which is medical care for service connected medical conditions. I treat others as I would like to be treated, calmly and professionally, but I don’t suffer fools and liars.

      I do NOT go to the VA to grovel before some crabby flunky that is pissed off at the world, lazy and incompetent.

      If I come across as angry in that interaction, it is simply because I know hundreds of veterans before me have gotten the same or worse treatment.

      1. @91Veteran – Help me out here. Is Gordon trying to say, even though the VA has its problems, that these problems are for the Veteran to figure out. From a scientific perspective, when an individual hands me a piece of paper and tells me the paper is white, when it is actually black, I can’t accept the paper as being white. I can’t change the color of paper, but I can give the paper back to the person who is trying to trick me. If I’ve been misunderstood, then I’m willing to listen to some input.

        @91Veteran – I hear exactly what you are saying. I have a hard time dealing with VA staff with an extensive college courses background, but yet they don’t think or probe like a medical investigator.

      2. Gordon was saying we are all too angry when commenting on the VA scandals, poor treatment, malpractice and corruption reported here daily.

        I understand what he is saying, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, but the suggestion is that our anger is not well justified or that it is uncontrollable.

      3. I will not be a humble supplicant to obtain property and freedoms be onging to me. I will be a polite citizen.

        The VA attracts a certain thpe of person just like the Nazi Party did in the 30s. A cave in the desert attracts rattlesnakes. The Hall of Justice attracts super heroes.

        I do not hate Nazis, rattlesnakes, VA workers, or super heroes. I actually like one of those categories, but there is not ONE individual within any of those groups that will I bow my head to.

      4. @91Veteran – It just seems like no matter what, everything always lays straight into the Veteran’s lap. Even if the Veteran has no power to make the necessary changes. That is how I feel.

      5. I don’t know what to suggest, other than what seems to have worked for me.
        As I said, I can give someone a chance, but when they are clearly lying or blowing smoke, I have no problem finding their boss.

        Put things in writing. The VA hates that. When you contact the VA with a problem, insist on a Report of Contact being submitted with a copy of that mailed to you. If you call them, get names, and keep a notebook of the date and time you called, who you spoke to, what was discussed.
        Those notes come in very handy if you have to go higher in their chain of command.
        Don’t hesitate or accept excuses after the first lie is told. Go to their boss, the Patient advocate or the director. If that doesn’t work, go to the VISN director or to the Secretarys office.
        If you go to the director, VISN director or higher, by that time you should have a congressman or senator involved.
        At one time, congressmen and senators used to be very responsive to veterans issues. If you have lazy fools that refuse to help, you will find out that quick. Go to another senator or congressman if you can. If you run into a lazy staffer at a local congressman or senators office, write a letter to their Washington office explaining they have lazy staffers. Go to their Facebook page, like their page and comment on their office not providing help.
        Same as with the VA…get names and phone numbers.
        Don’t be afraid of contacting multiple people for help. At some point, the VA will realize that if they won’t do their job, you will have so much incoming on them they won’t know whether to shit or go blind.
        Also, don’t be afraid to contact the media. Some very much like to help veterans, others are too lazy to do much of anything. You learn as you go.
        No matter what you do, keep your letter or contacts as short as possible while providing as much detail as you think is needed to understand the situation.
        What the problem is, what you have done to try resolve it, and what you want done to fix it.

        I suspect some time shortly after January 20, VA employees will become rather helpful again.

      6. @91Veteran – Excellent advice for all. I suspect you are correct re: VA after Jan 20th.

    2. @Gordon- I will not be a “humble supplicant” (aka a kiss ass) out of fear or because I received MY 100% so everyone else is on their OWN nor will I stop advocating for my fellow Veterans until there is not -1- Homeless Veteran being disregarded in these United States by our VA. It’s that simple or as complicated as you wish to spin it.
      Also, you must have been very lucky to find a “Vet Center” (which VSO?) to fully assist you without your paperwork being shuffled onto a desk of an individual about to retire or go on extended medical leave only to forget and leave your paperwork in that stack that got put into a larger stack, boxed-up on a pallet and sitting right beside the VA Shredder awaiting the shredder’s guts to warm-up for destruction.

      Since you consider yourself a humble supplicant, do you pray to the VA? What VSO do you owe your fortunate state of affairs to in which no other Vet’s plight matter since you know, you got yours?

      A “humble supplicant” can also be said of a ring of hemorrhoids hanging-off a self-absorbed asshole. 🙂

      1. @Namnibor – Thank you. This is what I am feeling towards @Gordon ‘s remarks. It makes me very pissed, as I lay in a hospital bed located in my living room. I have been straight forward with my VA PCP, but they are very slow to respond. It’s hard for me to think why they may perceive that I’m lying to them about my medical status. Since I’m not physically able to visit the VA for an appointment, you’d think they would send someone to my residence to properly evaluate me.

        I have been promised the following, then the VA reneged on them; [1.] Home Based Primary Care Program, and [2.] in home counseling for PTSD [diagnosis by VA Mental Health Department Psychiatrist].

        It’s hard for me to trust these people.

    3. @Gordon – – – I am happy that you have received some justice and 70% VA benefits for your service.

      I am appalled that you would tell anyone they must be a (Bowing to the floor Kiss Ass) “Humble Supplicant” in order to receive the proper service from the VA. What utter rubbish!!! Polite, Firm, and give them a fair chance? Sure. Kiss Ass? Not in this fucking lifetime.

      And if that not kissing their ass denies me my benefits until I die – – – I can live with that. But I will never stop fighting. Once I finally receive my justice (and bennies) – – it then becomes my solemn DUTY to my Brothers/Sisters to assist them in whatever way possible – – – with obtaining theirs.

      Kiss the VA’s ass? Nuke the motherfuckers is more the solution . . .

    4. In case anyone hasn’t caught on, Gordon is not a real person. This bogus VA interaction is all something made up in the VA Disneyland office of disinformation. The person posting as Gordon is nothing but a low life paid to troll.

      Some of the pieces of dirt that are coming here to tell us how we should act and just accept the VA the way it is, or to complain just not so loudly. They are nothing more than low life’s that are being paid to come here with their bullshit.

      I find it so offensive that these ass-clowns are collecting money meant to help Veterans, but instead the money is being used to pay these ass-clown trolls to try and cover-up the fraud and corruption at the VA. The same Fraud and Corruption that is stealing money intended to fund programs such as suicide prevention or medical care.

      Personally, I have paid a heavy price to be here and posting. To know that these paid pieces of dirt are here just to cover-up is unacceptable to me.

  14. To the author,

    This VA rep who used her First Ammendment rights (while on the clock) to document her opinion (on a federal computer information system) and then took the time (between snack breaks while working from home) to instruct you on patriotic duty may not be the best source of information.

    The lady of unknown credentials (other than pompous VA title) would be considered a memeber of the Senio Staff (SS). The VA recently audited the membership of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) who are employed and work at the VA (and also included the ones employed but do nothing at the VA). This stellar group of AFGE members (hundreds of thousands) said by a majority vote that the SS cannot be trusted to tell the truth. (Heil AFGE!)

    To be fair the lady is only implying that Ben cannot be trusted with his First Ammendment and other rights enough to get by in this world without federal government (VA Public Relations) intervenion that tens of thousands of her subordinates within VA itself believes is a lie (only if convenient). The author pointed out that he himself had fought through these lies, had gained compensation earned from service, and had applied that compensation to a career that serves the needs that veterans themselves determine are needed.

    What is the real difference between VA and Ben in this regard?

    1) VA denied TBI benefits unfairly to 25,000 vets.
    2) Ben uncovered the truth and the VA sent 25,000 vets another chance.
    3) VA has millions invested in a website structure that has zero interest in veteran input.
    4) Ben has built a website from the grass roots that have served thousands and invite veteran input.
    5) VA had to be subpeonaed to get the to talk to Congress, and the did not answer anything.
    6) Ben gladly participated in a federal government discussion the moment he was called upon to do so.

    Lady from the VA, I gotta say I am going with Ben on this one…(does she have a beard too?)

  15. To all PATRIOTS of America.
    This is what’s happening now in the MSM against President Elect Trump.
    From: “InfoWars.com”
    Date: 6 January 2017
    Titled:
    “The CIA Threatens Trump”
    (16:08 minutes long)

    The title is a little ambiguous. The first part talks about the “Ft. Lauderdale Shooter”!
    Later, at about the 7 minute mark, Chuck Schumer threatens Trump. Then, at the 9:35 minute mark, Harry Reed tells the security agencies “…to give false information to Trump!”
    At about the 13:36 minute mark, the “Host” shows a short ‘clip’ from “The Godfather part II”. Where “Michael Corleone” tells his wife, “look who’s being naïve now!” This was during their conversation concerning how the President doesn’t give orders to kill people! Remember that ‘scene’?

    1. @Elf- They are all butthurt snowflaked over the fact that your Florida Gov. Rick Scott initially contacted President ELECT Trump with the airport shooter event rather than Obama. All butthurt snowflakes. It’s sad but also hilarious to observe the nervous rats as the Jan. 20th date grows closer. Some may even jump out their office windows and that would get coverage over 22 Veteran Suicides a DAY. Rat Bastards.

      Gov. Scott contacted Trump initially because he KNEW it was pointless contacting our POTUS. Maybe they will wait to formally charge the shooter after Jan. 20th to avoid Obama issuing him a Pardon? 🙂

    2. Were I a betting man, I would not bet against the POTUS Pardon for the shooter is already inked and dried.

      Was a great video, elf. Laughed at around 9:33 or so when Mr. “I stand for Truth, Justice, and the American Way” Harry Reid said (paraphrasing) ‘Intel should fake the facts, Trump is too stupid to know the difference’. Funny as shit!

      Bet Trump staffers are “howling mad” with laughter over that one!

  16. Mahalo Nui Loa (Formal Hawaiian Thank You) to unknown person from East Coast. The document you sent me may very well prove to be a huge game changer in my current situation. I will be on it first thing Monday morning. Totally ignorant of that info until it landed in my inbox.

    That document will be included in my submission.

    Thank You!!!!!

  17. Hey folks, I know some weird stuff occurred tonight with the DOD IG complaint appearing and then disappearing.

    The poster, Batman, was not done editing the file but accidentally posted it. The allegations, if true, address fraud, waste and abuse of a massive scale. The problems within VA are far worse than imagined and still being allowed to fester (as I type this) and include millions in contracts fraudulently awarded to cronies of senior executives running VA. Those who refuse to play the game are forced out or marginalized.

    Thank you for your help, as my loyal readers and citizen investigators, for helping expose corruption in our beloved VA.

    1. Does that include Health Net changing from a “Foundation” to a for profit inc. with top executive salaries at 25 Million plus. And there goes the tax dollars intended to provide Choice through a NP?

    2. Benjamin- If all of that stuff Batman posted is indeed a substantiated snapshot of how ‘messy’ things have been and continue to fester, this under a proper incoming DOJ and President, let us PRAY this will be the giant cork unleashing the brackish swamp water surrounding the V.A. Titanic and if it is indeed as far reaching as it appears, it likely will clearly explain how a project can go so grossly over-budget such as the Aurora/Denver VAMC and others. All those contracts will likely allow one to follow the $$$ to many in Congress and benefactors and lobbyists. Potentially HUGE. If I were a VA rat I would be very, very scared ratty rat right now.
      Thanks again for this website and all you do to help and assist Veterans. (Duty To Assist that the VA does not) Oh, and yes, this website’s comments were wildly odd and I even went as far as running a comprehensive virus scan here just in case. I am the Joker after all, to Batman. 🙂 🙂 “This town needs an enema”- Jack Nicholson as The Joker in ‘Batman’ the first and only good batman movie. 🙂

      1. I believe right from the start of the Obama admin, corruption started, and over time, it filtered down through agencies, starting with Kevin Johnson who was misusing funds.
        The IG that investigated that was fired by Obama, quickly followed by 3 others at other agencies, all for investigating corruption in Obama’s agency leadership.
        If you look up IGs fired by Obama, it is really eye opening and provides a good explanation as to why things have gotten to where they are?

        Where are things? Corruption in federal agencies has gotten so severe, it is no longer one or two hacks misusing a few thousand for new office furniture or some lavish conference complete with hot tub paid for by the taxpayer. Corruption has gotten to the point where every thieving bastard is stealing in the millions, and nobody to stop them because the IGs refuse to do their job and get fired, and Congress is either incompetent or in on it.
        I could see one or two in a federal agency being discovered, but look at how thorough the corruption is just in the VA.
        Burch and his scam charity, the Aurora money pit, the 50 vehicles unaccounted for in LA, Rubens and Graves ripping off many thousands in travel, that HQ flunky doing time and attendance fraud while opening his motorcycle shop, that director in Denver doing attendance fraud, the director in Grand Junction doing attendance fraud and getting rehired, Williams doing what she’s doing costing millions, and flunkies all the way down to at least directors and lower scamming and stealing.

        Just. In. The. VA!

        Imagine that corruption spread throughout many federal agencies, and you can see why 10 Trillion was added to our debt in 8 years.

        If nothing else, Trump appointing proper agency leadership and IGs should help slow it down.

        My only wish is they would review every dime spent in the last 8 years and prosecute the thieves.

        Anything less just insures it happens again.

      2. Hey 91Veteran,

        Dr. Nass had a post about Obama and the Attorney Generals back in November of 2015. That is well worth reviewing.

        “Obama’s Stake in the Heart to the Inspector General system at 70 federal agencies: “No records for you!””

        “Just in case you still think the US government has a functioning system of checks and balances, the following article in yesterday’s NY Times’ by Eric Lichtblau should disabuse you of such a quaint notion.

        As the article explains, the Inspector General (IG) watchdog system was instituted in the wake of Watergate to provide independent oversight of 72 agencies in the executive branch of government: i.e., so the President cannot become the Emperor, and secret operations would not be conducted by the agencies, because they could be unmasked.

        Other Presidents chafed under the IG regimen; Reagan fired 15 IGs. But Obama has thrown the biggest wrench in the works so far, advising agencies to “Just Say No” when the IGs ask for agency records to learn what the agencies they oversee are doing.

        The ramifications are huge. What can be done with a 3.8 trillion dollar federal budget when no one is looking? Here is the piece in full:”

        “https://anthraxvaccine.blogspot.com/2015/11/just-in-case-you-still-think-us.html”

      3. Thanks Seymore.

        I’ve always believed Dr. Nass to be an honorable person interested in truth.

      4. @Seymore – Interesting, enlightening article. “The Audacity of Hope” indeed. Should have been titled “Wreck of the Old 97”.

        Now he is determined to destroy this country to protect his “legacy”.

        Jeanie Crispus !!

      5. Disgruntled Veteran,

        For Obama it is more than his legacy he is trying to protect. There is some serious dirt that his heading his way along with some serious shit on a number of high ranking government officials from both sides of the aisle.

        The only way we can “make This Country Great Again”, is by prosecuting this dirt. There is no way to move forward and not address the past at this point. Any attempt to move forward without addressing the past will only result in the same kind of corrupted government we are currently under.

      6. @Seymore – – I can very easily see that, and I think it is – – – DAMN WELL ABOUT TIME! Completely agree with your second paragraph. Were I to hazard a guess (I will) the origin of the current dilemma reaches back to the “secret” Clinton – AFGE bromance of 1994.

        Please do not answer. I will certainly know in time. Thank you for your effort. will not distract you further.

      7. @91Veteran – – – Dr. Nass sure runs in good company. Had some interaction with Garth and Nancy Nicolson back in ’94 – ’95 when they were down in Texas.

        Having a bit of a health problem. CFS and GWS were new on the scene, and the VA was assuring veterans that anything we breathed, touched, ate, etc. in the Gulf was completely safe and non-hazardous to our health.

        Long-story short. No doubt in my mind that what the Nicolson’s did for me saved my physical life. Would have been gone from the planet long before now, if not for them . . .

      8. Good to hear that. I don’t recall ever meeting Nancy but I met Garth some years ago.

  18. Here is where the whole thing crossed the line into unbelievablity for me:

    The VA Mouthpiece Spake: “Because this is an ongoing investigation and to protect the victim’s privacy, we are not able to share any details at this time.”

    Ongoing Investigation within VA by VA always equals “INCOMING !!!” What do you do? Hunker down, cover up.

    The Victim died. When is the last time you can remember that a corpse gave a rats ass about privacy? Or anything else for that matter . . .

    1. @Disgruntled Veteran – Send me some trade winds, please! Can’t you smell that smell. Lynard Skynard.

      1. @Disgruntled Veteran – Yea, sounds good from this freezing place. I use to go free diving all the time on the coast. Slipper lobster, taco, parrot fish, etc. I remember one night, the first time I came across a manna ray. Thing was huge, and it came right towards us. Another time, with only 2 night lights, they both went out. Luclky I studied the waters at night, because we used the house night lights on [input name for Hawaiian royal] Drive to get back to shore. I have good memories from that area. Sunsets are fantastic. No 2 nights are the same. You have a nice time my Brother.

  19. @Seymore Klearly – The White House Press Secretary and Intelligence Agencies reported on the National News, that your posts were hacked by the Russians and that Putin had given the authority to do so. It was asserted [here is that special word again], that Putin wrote the code in his work room in back of the Kremlin. I expect their GDP will increase by a substantial margin, and overtake the U.S. economy.

  20. Mr. Krause, thank you for your work at exposing the truth about corruption that occurs in the va system.
    I am so glad you fought and won and the va paid for your education. Thank you for having the morals to care and feel obligated to help us Veterans that need your help.
    God speed.

    1. @Paula – Paula, what are you referring too? I’m a little perplexed due to where you put your post. Thanks.

  21. @Seymore Klearly , Are you saying that a system can get hacked by someone uploading a post? I’ve been fine, thankfully. Did this recently happen to your system? If it has occurred more than once, than I would be really suspicious in possibly believing that someone has you targeted for an unwanted hack. And, I’d run a scan more than once [on regular basis, and make a habit of it]. Got to block those doors my Brother.

    1. @AnutterVet – A lot going on in the background at the binary math level. Seymore knows, and has his bases covered appropriately. Can’t say more.

  22. Heads up to everyone posting possible virus and security concerns. A some what sophisticated attempt to hack my system just occurred. It is a new method of hacking.

    Run a Virus scan now!

  23. This is BREAKING right now on
    “The Alex Jones Show” (15:22 minutes long) 6 Jan 2017!
    Titled;
    “Breaking: Obama Federalizes Elections”

    There’s three main stories to listen to. The first is about the “Active shooter” the last one is about how Obama just took away the states rights on Voting!

    (BTW, if your not aware, as I’ve reported before, the United States no longer owns the internet. Obama turned it over to the U.N. late last year. There’s a war getting ready to start for our FREEDOMS!)

    1. P.S.
      Sen. Bill Nelson, (D-Fl), was the one who told the shooters name.
      If anyone believes anything that comes out of that asswipes mouth, I pity them!

    2. I wish. But have to change the Constitution. Might be possible for the President and VP only.

  24. Ben, I would suggest quickly getting some screenshots of certain LinkedIn profiles along with certain company bio pages. I reviewed many earlier, got screenshots of a couple bios, but did not get screenshots of others.

  25. Why are Batmans comments disappearing? In his second post about Rosemary’s dealings, I was going to reply that I wondered about her conflict of interest being a VP at Reingold…and the VA having a contract with them per Ben’s post.

    I guess I will save the emails I received from his posted comments.

    1. 91Veteran : Do not worry. We are now working with Ben now. It will be reposted (but names of the innocents redacted to protect them). He will get the originals and can write about them.

      Yes – Stephanie Barna and Rosemarie Williams are old pals.

      Old, corrupt, ethically challenged pals with penchants for retribution. So the people who know all their awful deeds are going to prosecute this more carefully with Ben’s help. We cannot be sloppy.

      There are many patriots who are alarmed and working against this corruption. Do not worry.

      Batman

    1. Is that you, Rosemarie?

      Oh – we wish this was not true. This is an actual IG Complaint filed within DoD and VA. The electrons can be posted online for everyone to see. Maybe Benjamin will do just that.

      Beltway Batman

      1. I believe you. I’m not sure why my other reply did not post.

        Is Barna connected to Rosemary?

        Friggin thieves!

      2. Hope, if all is real and substantiated, you forward in-same directly to Benjamin Krause at the link on this website to contact him.

      3. Not sure what is happening with Ben’s site, or your posts Batman, but I received the email for your Part Two comment, but it is no longer on Ben’s site.

        As it is, I received two emails for your Part One comment. It was to the first email I received that I replied to…which did not get posted here.

      4. 91Veteran : Do not worry. We are now working with Ben. It will be reposted (but names of the innocents redacted to protect them). He will get the originals and can write about them.

        Yes – Stephanie Barna and Rosemarie Williams are old pals.

        Old, corrupt, ethically challenged pals with penchants for retribution. So the people who know all their awful deeds are going to prosecute this more carefully with Ben’s help. We cannot be sloppy.

        There are many patriots who are alarmed and working against this corruption. Do not worry.

        Batman

      5. I truly hope that Ben will be able to do good with the information you provided.

        I really don’t know what to say given what you provided and the impact that corruption has had, and continues to have. It has been such a very long time since I have seen senior personnel act with such honor and selflessness.

        All I can offer is my thanks.

      6. The fact that you are a SES employee tells me all that I need to know about you. That is you are willing to sell your soul for money and power. Willing to look the other way repeatedly to keep your job.

        Also the fact that you invoke Senator John McCain’s name leaves you even less credible.

        Although I do not doubt that Rosemary Williams is corrupt and scamming the system for money as all VA employees do.

    1. Thanks for exposing this. I understand a little about the risk you are taking.

      Barna is sure a piece of work.

  26. @Seymore, namnibor, 91Veteran –

    On that “shooter” at the Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood Airport. This just out from “The Alex Jones Show”, ‘David Knight Reporting’!

    “Is the Ft. Lauderdale Shooting a False Flag”

    Interesting turn of events down here. The local law enforcement is spreading bull shit!
    Y’all gotta check this video out!

    1. Funny you should mention that because I am still amazed how the video, albeit short, I saw where he simply laid down his dun and laid down and was not shot once be the literal ARMY of SWAT and other Agents already there.
      I know it was probably in the heat of the mement and maybe out of necessity, but one mistake I saw was leading all those people off tarmac along and right beside railroad track with several tanker cars no doubt filled with highly flammable jet fuel with an active shooter….bullet + tanker=BOOM. Nevermind me, always scanning the options visually just like a cat.
      Now, where’s my reptile tranquilizer blow dart?

  27. Expect some more scapegoating — Vet Shoots UP Florida Airport.

    “Not the same after he came back from Iraq”.. Made it through induction, boot camp MMPI and rigors, and came home a homicidal maniac. All will be blamed on his family and prior service and Benjamin. No adequate effort to get appropriate mental health care for the veteran before he went berserk.

    An act out of violence instead of the internal point of suicide by gun on the VA door step. And yet both have the same root. Combat. Were there organic problems that were overlooked? Nobody is checking.

    But I’ve seen it in PTSD groups I attended. And know of it first hand from within myself having almost gone berserk in 1983. Who’s to blame? In adequate release examinations is where I lay the blame. A redo of the induction exams would go a long way to highlighting a problem. Both the skill exams which use different parts of the brain so a potential damage area would be highlighted and the MMPI for strictly PTSD unrelated to any organicity.

    Want to answer Rosemary and your other detractors, Benjamin. Start making positive ways to improve getting veterans due compensation whether claimed by themselves or not, identified and compensated to alleviate some of that anger that turns in (suicide) or turns out. (berserk)

    1. They are reporting tidbits now that the shooter had a General Discharge and had INDEED gone to even the FBI up in Anchorage *for help*, and the FBI is playing CYA by issuing that blanket statement of, “we were aware of him”….WTF? Is that like saying, “we knew the man working as a clown in your neighborhood is a known serial killer with a killer dirt basement…not to worry, we were aware”? WTF?

      There’s absolutely no talk about this Vet going to a VA because I am pretty sure with a General Discharge under the auspices of domestic abuse and more up in AK, he probably was told he did not qualify for VA Healthcare or benefits at all, if any. So, no excuse whatsoever for any such pillage, and am not making a case for him, however, it sure seems quite a lot of blaring red flags were missed because they also report that the shooter claimed he told the FBI up in AK that he claimed the gov’t was making/forcing him to watch ISIS videos, et, al. So, am just saying there seems to already be efforts to plaster him as a bizerko Veteran with a gun than to blame the cause or even search for it.

      I really pray that Pres. Elect Trump instills law and order and accountability in all Fed. Agencies, not just the VA.

      I bet Rosemary is busy creating the smokescreen as we breath now on this unfortunate situation. It’s amazing he was not made into meatloaf with the amount of SWAT and Agents already there. Well done, Florida. Not so well done, FBI. This is on Obama’s “legacy”, like it or not.

      1. So why is it so difficult for me to get into a neurobehavioral lockup ward when I feel the need?

        I don’t hear voices. My TBI isn’t in the “schizophrenic” area of the brain but my neurobehavioral testing says “schizoid adaptation”. The mid to right fontal lobe damage is the area I believe is depressed or damaged in schizophrenic “hearing voices especially those of authority and being spied on by authority with every satellite dish in sight.

        Notice how quickly the VA “cooperated” in this case with getting out the name and details of treatment.

  28. Rosemary/Sonja, I guess you might not have time to read anything here since an Iraq war veteran is reported to be the shooter at the airport in Florida. You may want fire off an email to the Associated Press and to Military dot com who reprinted the AP article saying that veteran had sought psychological help.

    “https://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/01/06/reports-multiple-people-shot-ft-lauderdale-airport.html”

  29. The more I think of this claptrap the more it pisses me off.

    First things first. If Rosemary or Sonja and the VA claim that policy prevents them from providing any more information on this suicide, then why didn’t she HELP VETERANS by providing that policy as an attachment to her condescending email?

    Maybe you should FOIA that too Ben.

    Her email to you suggests that you are not helping veterans if you are posting anything other than what she deems favorable to the VA. You might also read between the lines and see that by posting negative information, you, and we veterans commenting here, may have contributed to the suicide of this or other veterans.

    My question for Rosemary or Sonja is, did you send the same bullshit email to USA Today after they printed their articles on VA employee bonuses? You know, the $142 million in 2014. The same $180+ million that Shulkin is bitching isn’t enough this year? Hey! There’s some money that can be saved!

    How about the Daily Caller? Any emails to them about not printing stories negative to the VA? You know, the one reporting the VA employee given a week off to recover after beating an elderly veteran to death?

    How about emails to the Daily Beast or nj dot com? Surely both of those warranted a smart ass email from Rosemary or Sonja since they both printed articles about Charles Ingram burning himself to death outside a VA clinic after he couldn’t get help. Hop to it ladies! Fire off an email!

    Oh, but surely AJ Lagoe and KARE11 got an email after showing the VA used unqualified quacks to defraud veterans. Or do Rosemary and Sonja think going to a neurosurgeon for their butthurt is a good idea? Qualifications clearly don’t matter, right?

    As a veteran who comes here to read posts by Ben so I am fully informed every time I take my life in my hands when I go to the VA, I very much believe he is helping veterans, as I believe every veteran commenting here is doing the same.

    If Rosemary and Sonja have a problem with that…tough shit. Resign like that precious snowflake did because she mentally could not handle the thought of Trump being elected.

    Oh, one more thing. I read an article yesterday about how Obama fell short of fixing the homeless veteran problem. McDonald was quoted in the article about it being difficult for homeless veterans particularly in winter.

    You might want to fire off an email to Wisconsin Watchdog since they ran articles about kicking 50 veterans out of a homeless shelter at Tomah. Yes, you can praise VA efforts for changing their minds and that those veterans actually are not being booted out.

    I firmly believe they would have been booted out and would be ice cubes right now if it were not for Wisconsin Watchdog reporting on that.

  30. Ben, how you are able to do what you do, is incredible. I don’t know how you can do all of this, and sleep. Suicide is always tough to deal with. I have been around a few. Known a fist full. I totally agree that the VA, just possibly, has a BIG part of Veteran suicides. The VA could be behind,………. scandalous action to preserve and protect their lair. I recently realized y’all go back to past articles, and add at later times. Thank y’all, and God Bless the Veterans, and their families. Shut the VA down. They are part of the problem, not the solution.

  31. Ben, I’m very happy you kept your post today as written, included Rosy’s rosy email and did not tone down anything to preseve access like any VSO would.

    Her email was condescending and unprofessional, which has gotten so typical with so many in the VA. It reminds me of the emailed response from the head of the Patient Advocates (Chief of customer service as the VA has misnamed them) to the director suggesting they should cut off all contact with me.

    I guess they have a completely fucked up idea of helping veterans.

    Maybe Rosemary could explain how it took a FOIA to McDonald’s office to finally get me some help?

    She whines about killing the spirit of some VA quack. Was that the shrink who resigned because she couldn’t handle the thought of Trump?

    Yeah, THAT resignation really helps vets.

    Particularly when we vets see problem after problem at VAs across the country where vets end up being killed by VA quacks.

    It makes me wonder, what the fuck do I care about her spirit?

    If you want to rattle Rosy’s cage, I strongly urge you to immediately file a FOIA for any work related emails from her Yahoo account. Clearly she uses her personal email for work related issues, which seems to be all the rage in Obama’s administration, but Judicial Watch is making clear that those are work records.

    Did she CC a copy of her email to you to her work account for records retention? If not, why not?

    You might ask her to explain, rather than hiring 127 Interior Designers, the VA didn’t hire more mental health providers.

    Talk about killing the spirit of veterans when we see that crap happen.

    Finally, I have to ask. Why is it when veterans call their crisis line that often the cops show up at their house, but when a veteran shows up at the VA in person with the same kind of crisis, the VA sends the veteran away?

    WTF? Can you explain that Rosemary?

    Don’t give up Ben.

    1. 91Veteran, I absolutely love your talking points. It appears that I am on the same page with you all the way. Your comment about when a veteran calls the hotline cops show up at their house and when a veteran shows up in person at the VA, the VA sends them away is absolutely right on target. I agree with you. The VA does not make a bit of sense with most that they do. I tell you what 91Veteran “I certainly believe that if these VA employees do not start to display some kind of common sense reality with accountability in all aspects of the VA, their days are numbered either way. They are going to sink either way. This is what I mean. If Mr.Trump stays true to his plan of reforming the VA, the corrupt employees will not survive in a Trump administration. And, too, if the VA stays it’s course, the VA will eventually crash and destruct. The VA will become a Venezuela within the United States. Either way these employees who are unaccountable are doomed. The employee gravy train will not survive. What comes around usually goes around. Thanks.

      1. Or what goes around usually comes around.” I also forgot my quotation marks. “30.7 million wasted by VA and discovered by an audit. It is 5:53 am on Monday morning and new VA findings coming on at top of the hour on Fox News with Fox and Friends.” This piece of exposure by a whistle blower is about to be reported on.

      2. I’m ….shocked….

        Not really. And if you listen to some commenters, the VAs problem are simply one of underfunding and understaffing.

        …yet somehow they found over $30 million to waste…

      3. The waste goes to a particular congressman’s district. The underfunding is the limitation on salaries and benefits as well as what used to be scholarships paid back by service instead of a life of paying the banker for an overpriced guaranteed loan.

        Yes, it is micro management by Congress to a large degree brought on by corruption. And all the change did was shift the place of corruption to the micro manager. And now to the “privatized contractor”. Health Net, Inc the “Choice Program” contractor paying 25 million plus for its top 5 executives when the Foundation that started it was limited to less than the VA Secretary’s salary for top executives by California Law.

      4. Yes, unjustifiable spending for 2014. Over 30.7 million dollars on the employees once again. The coverage is being reported by Fox News today. I watched the details earlier today. I do not know any new details. I am sitting in Toyota getting my car serviced.

      5. The point that I am making and we all know this is: “Socialism does not survive and will never survive.” The VA is a socialist health care system. Maybe one day they will learn. They keep beating their heads up against the same walls and expecting different results. For different results and successful results to happen, the whole damn system has to be reformed. Not just one little piece. They think that if they fix one little piece or one little part within the VA that the situation will change. No it will not. The VA problem is systematic with the failed rules and regulations. The whole system needs to be reformed with an innovative approach with applying new rules and regulations to promote positive change Thanks.

  32. Personally I would not nor do I post or give ANY recommendation for someone to use the “Veteran’s Crisis Line”. Normal everyday actual HOT LINES will NOT get you ARRESTED or HARASSED for seeking help.

    1. Nor will an everyday actual “Hot Line” get an order of suicide by cop simply because the VA hack on the other end was butthurt over “concerning language”….it’s a freaking Suicide Hotline…not a wedding cake order line…bastards!

  33. @Seymore,
    Yea, I read that about the Navy Stand down happening through “military.com” a day or so ago. Pitiful.
    We’re definitely not looking good on protecting our nation. Which is what Obummer’s main duties are!

    ——————–:—

    On a brighter note, here’s an article from:
    “Patriot Videos” via “The Conservative Tribune” out this week.
    Titled:

    “Teens Serve as Pallbearers for Vet With No Family!”

    A 70 years old Navy Vet, who passed Dec. 12, and was buried this week, had a Navy Honor Guard.
    The “Flag” was presented to the owner of the funeral home, who then presented it to the teens!
    How’s that for a warm feeling?
    _____________

    Now, for something more serious!

    From; “The Alex Jones Show” a few hours ago. Margaret Howell reporting.

    “BREAKING: Gunman Opens Fire in Fort Lauderdale Airport!”

    The scene was panic and confusion for some time. While the airport was on “lockdown”!
    No news has surfaced yet on who, why, (or motive), over 5 dead and 8 injured.
    The internet is ablaze with this story.

    1. “Fort Lauderdale Airport Shooting Leaves 5 Dead”,By LIZETTE ALVAREZ, NEIL REISNER, ERIN McCANN and CHRISTINE HAUSERJAN. 6, 2017

      “The sheriff said investigators were trying to determine the motive of the gunman, who was identified by Senator Bill Nelson of Florida as Esteban Santiago. Mr. Nelson said he was carrying a military identification.”

      “https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/us/fort-lauderdale-airport.html?_r=0”

      1. Notice that the VERY FIRST data released about this shooter is that “he had a military I.D.”….I would not put it past the VA to paint we Vets as psychotic trigger-happy types considering the VA’s sinking so low in desperation and public affairs hacks such as Rosemary Williams. Wait for it… (hell, the VA could have even staged this…never know)

      2. “Esteban Santiago ID’d as Airport Gunman; Flew With Gun in Checked Luggage”
        “Fort Lauderdale attacker is an National Guardsman with a history of domestic violence who took a handgun from his bag after getting off a flight.”
        Brandy Zadrozny, 01.06.17 3:20 PM ET

        “Esteban Santiago, 26, of Anchorage, Alaska, has been identified as the gunman who opened fire at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday.

        Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca wrote on Facebook that Santiago landed at the airport after a flight. Santiago checked a handgun in his luggage and retrieved it at the Terminal 2 baggage claim, LaMaca wrote, adding that he loaded the gun in a bathroom then came out and opened fire. NBC News, citing law enforcement officials, confirmed LaMarca’s story.

        Santiago was taken alive into custody. Five people were killed and eight people were wounded by Santiago, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Department.

        Santiago was born in New Jersey, according to NBC News, and was a member of the U.S. Army National Guard. ABC News reports Santiago joined the National Guard in early 2016 and was honorably discharged approximately four months ago.”

        “https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/01/06/esteban-santiago-id-d-as-airport-gunman-flew-with-gun-in-checked-luggage.html”

      3. @Seymore and namnibor,
        Reports, not on MSM, are surfacing where there were “…multiple shooters…”!
        Witnesses have confirmed this!

  34. If you are a combat arms qualified veteran and need some assisstance on a legitimate claim..i may be able to giude you..email me a synopsis of your claim staus..

    1. @WillyP-
      Why would a Veteran need to be specifically “combat arms qualified” (your post), when all active military are qualified as such in order to acquire assistance on a Vet’s claim? Do you determine what a “legitimate claim” is? FYI- ANY claim that has an unmistakable link to Service-Connection or was aggravated BY active duty, is a….legitimate claim and long as the nexus can be identified and supporting paper trail to back it up.

      Better yet Veterans, go to the excellent website “hadit dot com” and help yourself help yourself. Be wary of anyone wanting you to send you them your claim info without knowing straight-up whom you are dealing with.
      Why?
      Because the very enemy against Veterans, some nefarious VA employee may be a wolf in sheep’s clothing…same pretty much goes for the main VSO Groups. Help yourself at “hadit dot com” because you always have your OWN best interest at hand, whereas someone posting on here asking post your claim may very well be preying on your desperation and may very well be doing yourself more harm than any good.

      1. @Namnibor – I was leery of the above post as well. And, to clean the slate, not every military personnel needs to be certified as “combat ready” in order to file a claim. Something smells here!

      2. @ANutterVet- Yeah, I smelled a nest of rats and just thought I’d intervene to at least intercept a desperate Veteran taking the bait…but I could very-well have been wrong, am just not all that trusting of a human being these days, esp. something that mentioned that about “combat ready”….clear case of watch your six.

      3. Though it took me over ten years of going up against the VA to receive service-connection disability, I don’t think the fact that I never qualified on a weapon, or used one while in service, made a difference, or the fact that I had peacetime service.
        For years I tried to give the VA system the trust I thought it needed (because I was putting my body and mind in their hands– right?). But time after time, and incident upon incident, changed my mind. I was given a sterilizing operation when in fact I needed a completely different surgery. When I wrote of a complaint regarding the use of lab chair that fell on me, it was written up in my medical records that I, “threw a fit in the laboratory”. When I would speak to a few others about things that would happen at the VA hosp or with the VA, my friend or family would tell me that I shouldn’t complain because– ‘you receive a great check and free medical care’.
        I have told those I have met online and in person, to always make hard copies of any military forms, actions and especially medical records– one doesn’t know if they’ll ever come in handy. And I have, over the years, bought inexpensive cassette players and blank cassettes, to keep by the phone. I figure anyone taping my calls receives the same business from me. Trust doesn’t come easy anymore, so giving it away to those who don’t deserve it seems insane.
        Thanks and keep up the good work!

      4. Hi LittleSandyRiver, I wanted to comment on your message about how your family and friends speaking to you and telling you not to complain. Well, I have been told the same here recently. I do not look at this as complaining. I look at this as speaking up against what I consider is wrong. When I do speak up, it is how the situation could be improved. Not saying that I am right or the expert but damn when veterans are homeless and dying and too, when, I have a eye infection with not being able to see properly due to an incorrect prescription, and the VA tells me well I have an appointment next year, there is a problem. My eye pressure is sky high with the borderline glaucoma and they say they just want to send my glasses back to be redone which takes at least 2 months if then if they can even get it right then. They told me that I did not need to see an eye doctor but yet it took the private doctor at least 4 appointments initially to get my eyes cleared up. Then Tricare determines my eyes are medical and not just a refraction exam. It is not about complaining. It is about the fact that I would like to live a life with what is left of it. And too, I do not want to kill anyone on the road while I am driving because I can’t see. Yes, the VA has been helpful to me in many ways with my compensation income and yes, I have a decent psychiatrist. I have had some really good providers but most of the good ones have left the VA because of the bureaucracy. All the worked that is being done is shoved off on the providers who care and do their work. The system is terribly stressful for these good providers. There are bad seeds in this VA system like every where. Yes, if it was not for the Navy Medical doctors, the DAV, and the VA, I might not be alive today. It is not about complaining. It is about accountability with all aspects in the VA with particularly demonstrating true passion and conviction for a human life. We are all a precious creation from the Lord Jesus Christ above. He wants us to be able to live our lives to the fullest as best we can. It is about treating others as well would like to be treated. When one has climbed from almost death, I do appreciate what I have at
        this time because I know we could be a Venezuela.

  35. Im a Ranger qualified Paratrooper..fired many a doctor and psycholgists..the degree of cover up..is ..real..and clear..most IG complaints are forwarded to VA facility that you complained about..the VA has a paid employee to intercept your forwareded concerns by congressman..its beyond insane..and obvious coverup..veteran suicides are directly linked to VA incompetence and laziness..this relationship has never worked for veterans..its about jobs in congressional districts..and big money..for those districts..most employees are real..garbage..retired while working..

    1. Yes, I want to add even more to my comments as I know that I have written a book. I say that if the VA employees have even a miute touch of a value system about themselves and if the leadership will stand firm with accountability and for once take an approach to value lives over a dollar bill, change will occur in a positive direction. It all starts at the top and getting rid of the union.
      An environment promoted with some respect, passion, and incentives offered for productive work performance will take off like a roadrunner. All you veterans know as well as I do that good work ethics can start to surface among the employees if it is instilled at the top. It takes a few but eventually it could be contagious if the directives or objectives are defined to the employees by the very top leadership. I know when I do the next right honest thing and treat a person with kindness my productivity goes way up. This concept of good moral values could be promoted within the VA if all heads were put together with the goal of offering quality service to the Veterans as well as other employees. Displaying acts of kindness towards others and displaying conscious efforts towards doing their jobs as best they can will lead to an overhaul of the moral at the VA but it has got to start with the appropriate VA secretary. All discrepancies need to be kept open by applying open communications similar to Mr Trump’s tweeting. When all decisions are kept in the open and all discrepancies are exposed then, positive change can occur. When what ever is going on is exposed and not hidden, then, the VA can start to align with more established accountability. Moral of Veterans and moral of employees could improve. I guess I have gotten my point across. All you veterans know it starts at the VA top and of course the 115th Congress and Senate with the head cheese Mr. Donald J TRUMP himself. Thanks.

      1. Your right. But first all of the bad employees and management have to go. Many will never change and will only act the part. Hopeing they can weather the storm and then back to the same I.

        Your word eventually. Has been said since the VA started and here we are. Unless employees see for themselves that all will be accountable eventually will never come.

        Yes I higher management must hold a moral code of the highest degree and every employee must be held to that level. No if ands and buts !

        It’s just the like the military if you have a good or great leader. You would follow them to hell and back.

        If they have a leader who would sell them out. That leader may not return with the one’s left.

        As one veteran says a good enema. Will do wonders. Knowing you got ride of the big turds.

        We veteran have waited a life time for these coming day’s and when all said and done. We veteran’s can hold our head’s up high again and the remaining employees will be able to do the same.

        God bless America and all my fellow veteran’s and lets be great again.

    1. You might want to back track in the comment section and read the last one posted by Disgruntled Veteran. He has some very sound advice that might help you out.

  36. Hey Elf,
    Remember what brought the US into WWII was the fact that we were bombed in Pearl Harbor. It was the one time in history where our Navy had stood down and had no ships active at the time so it was very devastating to our Navel Capabilities.

    Since that action when our Navy was on stand down and we lost so much our Navy has never been stood down to that point again until now. Obama is setting us up period.

    “No US carriers were at sea for the past week. That hasn’t happened since World War II”, By Jamie McIntyre, Washington Examiner, 1/5/17 “https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/us-deploys-aircraft-carrier-after-historic-gap/article/2611007”

    “Communist China Moves Against Trump, Asserts Control Over Strategic Ports”
    “China taking over key shipping lanes, morphing into Portuguese Empire 2.0”, Clifford Cunningham, Infowars, January 5, 2017 “https://www.infowars.com/communist-china-moves-against-trump-asserts-control-over-strategic-ports/”

  37. About the witch assistant secretary Rosemary Williams, head of VA propaganda within the VA’s Public Affairs division. She is history on the 20th of this month.

    “In Break With Precedent, Obama Envoys Are Denied Extensions Past Inauguration Day”, By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVISJAN. 5, 2017
    “https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/05/us/politics/trump-ambassadors.html?_r=0”

    All appointees must leave the government on schedule, just as thousands of political aides at the White House and in federal agencies must do. All political appointees were told they must submit letters of resignation effective Jan. 20.

    To think this incompetent political hack was rewarded a job collecting a pay check through the VA for her work as a political hack that supported Obama during his campaigns. She has no qualifications what so ever.

  38. Great article Ben, don’t know how you find the time. I have come to the conclusion, the VA has got to go. The taxpayers are straight up, being robbed by the VA. Veterans are dying, because of the VA. Looks like McDuck had ONE BUSY MONTH. All the taxpayer dollars, and for what? For a mandate of smoke. I have always wanted to read the memos the VA sends to its own, as to how to treat Veterans. The crap McDuck has put out this last month, won’t be the same when it comes to the Veterans. The money will go somewhere else, probably to cover up another wrongful death. I thought many of McDuck’s new innovations were supposed to be in place already. It’s looking like McDuck, still lying, wants to keep his job. Our lives are being wasted on the VA. I am tired, beat up, and I am running out of time. All the VA has done, for so many Veterans, is to aid in the destruction of Veterans families, and Veterans lives. Shut the damn thing down.

    1. So much needs to be changed at the VA and the situation with the veteran suicide is horrific. Much is wrong, but seems most do not know what is changing to help us. Yes, the MyVA Advisory Committee of top experts in many fields evaluated our situation and things have been put in place to make the VA what it needs to be. You can’t evaluate and then change the 2nd largest agency in the government with perhaps 300,000 employees and numerous facilities in just 2 years!! Would be great if we could do that for all the government!

      Much is in place and more to come and with any changes they take time to take hold. I want to see where we are in a couple years with these innovations! McDonald is a good man and a West Pointer, not political and only returning from retirement to help veterans.

      The research is done, the team has made the recommendations, much is in progress– why would we stop and start all over again??? I want to hear the report about these experts and these past 2 years and that is coming on the 10th at 8:15am.

      Heaven help the next VA Secretary. It is a powder-keg with Congress playing with our needs and insulting us- and denying the help we truly need– like the Veterans First Act but so very much more!

      1. One change made was the Authority to fire bad employees and McDonald lied and many other VA heads lied about the number of employees fired. Please tell us what the changes that were made and when and how they have helped any veteran in the Last two years.

        McDonalds office received 10 years of gathering information, that proved the Denver Disruptive committee Punished me using hearsay evidence, letter’s to and from Senators that proved the VA falsely accused, even going so far as to tell the that due to the reporting, there was never any action taken by the VA, Stating James Official records were never coded for disruptive behavior, nor where his records ever Red Flagged.

        A letter from the VA admitting they had no proof, where the VA Denver would send any inquiry right back to the employee making the false allegation’s to answer any way she wanted and she continued to bad mouth me and saying shit like James can not return to his clinic, Because he will not Admit to being Disruptive. Who in the hell is going to admit to something they never did and when I asked my Senator what are you going to do to make the VA change this mess.

        His Response we can do nothing to force the VA to do anything. So with that in mind, they continued to punish me. McDonalds office received all the evidence and what they did is common practice, I don’t want to hear it, Send it all back to the Denver to deal with. His staff member Stephanie told me that the employee who falsely accused me of the disruptive behavior NO LONGER works for the VA, that was a lie and I told Stephanie, Someone lied to you or your lying to me, as the employee in fact is still working.

        And yes they can do away the VA or pay them $1 or get rid of positions and now our elected can do what they were elected to do, HELP and not have their hands tied and VA employees running amuck will no longer be able to hurt any other veteran with out paying a price.

        Like Mr. Trump said yes Hillary you had 40 years of good intentions and the power to change things and you have done nothing but talk, why are we still in the same boat and noting has changed and has become worse.

        Veterans are the pawns stuck in the middle and being denied their benefits, treatment and being reported as being disruptive if they say anything about how they are being treated by VA employees.

        Things have to be done and now is the time for action and I hope Trump does what ever is necessary to accomplish the mission. The VA and other government agencies’ have brought this down on themselves !

        Being held accountable is a good thing.

      2. There is authority to fire but when compensation is at a level you only can recruit the bottom of the barrel for replacement what good does firing do? And that is also the crux of the problem of looking away when false claims for bonuses occur. Congress pulls the purse strings on VA employee compensation. The VA can’t compete with the OBAMA CARE private sector.

        The good ones that serve us do so more out of altruism than compensation. Wasn’t always true. In the 1980s the VA had benefits the private sector didn’t match. But the private sector has far surpassed the VA now.

      3. which part of the barrel did you come from, Bonus I call B.S., The VA has been reaching the bottom of the barrel for years. How do you think the VA got into the position they are in now. This Bonus money is nothing but Hush money.

        You can lye to the people some of the time, but not all of the time. Some people tell lies and if they tell it long enough, they start believing it as fact. A good liar can trick other into believing it and off to the races we go.

        What they forget that eventually they will slip and the Lie catches up with them and they call foul or plead the 5th. Review the Committee on Veterans Affairs with Jeff Miller and hear what they hear coming out of Managements mouths, if that don’t sway you thoughts, then you have not understood.

        Playing switch chairs to do damage and then move on, so when asked who was responsible they can say well I’m the person in charge now, BUT that was done before I came on. Well has anyone been fired “WELL”, so the answer is no !

        Listen to the veterans, I mean really listen and forget about the employees. This is not about money, its how veterans are ignored. I hope the next Bonus is a pink slip ! Then employees will not ever have to worry anymore.

        Since many employees can not see the facts, for what they are. Then shut it down and they can thank greed for them loosing their jobs. Over 300 thousands jobs, will be lost because of people who abuse their power and that deserves nothing.

  39. I have now had the time to read this article, your related links, and my fellow veterans commentary.

    I am pyssed beyond belief after reading the related link dated August, 29 2016 entitled “Did Veterans Affairs Outsource Its Veterans Crisis Line To India?”

    It was a real epiphany. That article was written about six weeks before I found this blog. I was completely unaware of its’ existence.

    I was medically discharged October 29th, 1993. On that date, I had served 17 Years, 9 Months, 6 Days of honorable service. I was serving on my retirement-eligible enlistment. I have been fighting for my lost retirement benefits ever since. Additionally, I am required to repay to the government the money I was paid as Disability Severance Pay. My indebtedness to our government will not be satisfied until the year 2025.

    No one at the Veterans Administration, nor any of the dinosaur VSO’s has given me one iota of help at getting my situation straightened out. So, I have fought them alone as best I can from that time with my very limited resources.

    On June 8th, 2015 I mailed a letter to the President of The United States detailing my situation, and what I believed should be done in order to resolve it.

    Here is a link to that letter:

    “https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BwW3GYHN5AtcQ0dydlJoV052Unc”

    Just remove the quotation marks.

    The only thing I have redacted in the letter is personal contact information. I also did not share the enclosures to my letter. These enclosures are the U. S. Government documents that I sent as evidence to the truthfulness of my story.

    I heard nothing for a period of two to three months. Then, I began receiving voicemails to my phone with an East Indian accent begging me to call the Veterans Crisis (Suicide) Line. Since I was not feeling suicidal at the time, why would I do that?

    I ignored them for about a month. Then I received a letter from the Veterans Administration here in Honolulu explaining precisely what I needed to do to resolve my situation. It was quite clear from their response that they had zero clue as to what was going on. They merely “parroted” solutions I had mentioned in my letter that could not possibly work for many various legal reasons.

    About a month after that, a Veterans Administration Employee (identified himself as retired Navy Senior Chief) whose name I did not get, called to assure me that everything the Veterans Administration was doing was legal, and really in my best interests. This man even went so far as to say: “I really hate to see fellow veterans hire lawyers. The VSO’s would help them for free, and they should not have to pay a lawyer to fill out a few forms”.

    Imagine! The Veterans Administration cares for us.

    My view is that the first thing a young veteran should do when filing a claim with the Veterans Administration is to find a good attorney who is well-versed in Veterans Claim issues, and hire them.
    Because if they don’t – – – they are blindly trusting some of the most devious, incompetent people our nation can produce to cover their six.

    Our battles were overseas – – – Our war is here.

    And the Veterans Administration gives a shit about NOTHING except their job security and their Bonuses. I did not choose the moniker “Disgruntled Veteran”. The Veterans Administration awarded it to me.

    Keep Up the Good Fight!

    1. By having you contact the Veterans Crisis line, I bet they would have a record of it, and use it when needed to discredit you.

      Why else suggest it?

      1. @91Veteran – Of course there would be a record. Use when needed to discredit me? I really cannot say. But I certainly would not bet against it.

  40. Here’s something additional concerning the FBI’s investigation on the DNC’s computer (alleged) hack.
    Today, officials from the FBI are meeting with President Elect Trump to discuss how officials of the DNC “REFUSED” access to their computers!
    Thereby, not allowing the FBI to come to any conclusion of a hack!

    (Think about this, *IF* the FBI was granted access, what would they have found? Would there have been ‘incrimenating evidence’ showing illegal activities taking place by DNC officials? Who knows how much trouble DNC officials would be in!)

    This factual information is available through “The Horn News” today, 6 Jan. 2017!
    There’s a few other articles from “The Horn News” today y’all might be interested in.
    For example; RADICAL “liberals” are attacking Obama over his FAILED attempt to help Hillary Clinton in her bid for POTUS.
    Clinton just can’t bring herself to admit SHE WAS THE REASON WHY SHE LOST!
    ________________________

    I also do not believe the issue over the criminal activities committed by those attached to the Foundation is over!

    1. Hey Elf,

      The fat lady, Hillary, hasn’t song yet on the email case. An appeals court has opened the door for that opera.

      “Federal Appeals Court Invites Trump’s AG To Enter Clinton Email Scandal”, by Richard Pollock, Daily Caller, 12/27/2016
      “https://dailycaller.com/2016/12/27/federal-appeals-court-invites-trumps-ag-to-enter-clinton-email-scandal/”

      “Trump gets green light to go after Hillary’s emails”, by Bob Unruh, World Net Daily (WND), 12/28/2016
      Law ‘strictly limits circumstances under which records can be removed from federal custody’
      “https://www.wnd.com/2016/12/court-opens-door-for-trumps-ag-to-act-in-hillarys-email-scandal/”

      “DC Court of Appeals re-opens search for deleted Hillary emails – this time with grand juries and subpoenas, if necessary”, By Thomas Lifson, American Thinker, 12/28/2016
      “https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/12/dc_court_of_appeals_reopens_search_for_deleted_hillary_emails__this_time_with_grand_juries_and_subpoenas_if_necessary.html”

      1. Hmmm. Maybe Rosemary should read these articles to see what her future might be like.

  41. This morning on “military.com” (Daily News), an article about “veteran homelessness” appeared.
    Titled;
    “As Obama Era Closes, Goal to End Veteran Homelessness Unmet!”
    6 Jan. 2017
    Associated Press | by Jennifer McDermott.

    Two things on this.
    First, this article, in my opinion, defends the VA and McDipshit in particular.
    Secondly, Here in Florida, the homeless were ‘housed’ in old dilapidated motel rooms. Then, after a short period, they were cut loose. Back on the streets to fend for themselves. This was reported on a few of the local news stations.
    Back to a question asked yesterday. Just what did McDipshit do in Hawaii over Veterans Homelessness? And, just what the hell has McDipshit been doing since he took over the VA? It looks like he went there to play golf. I wonder how many golf courses hes visited since his appointment?
    Isn’t this what Obama’s been doing for eight (8) years!?
    _________________

    #2)
    From “The Alex Jones Show”
    “Owen Shroyer reporting”.
    6 Jan. 2017 (19:01 minutes long)
    Title to google;
    “Senate Hearing On Russian Hacking Fail”

    Regarding the multiple LIES coming out of these ‘posers’, it’s no wonder the American People are discouraged and angry over what their hearing. Especially, concerning the lack of truth about the Russians hacking our elections. Now, the CIA is not releasing any info until next week! They’re moving it back again! Will the American Public ever learn the truth?
    Even IF they did hack the DNC, why isn’t anyone talking about all the illegal acts committed by the DNC during the election process!?!?!

    Regarding these LIES, on hacking the election, could these “…faulty assessments and lying under oath…”, by certain elected officials, possibly lead the U.S. into war with Russia?
    Title to google;
    “Can We Trust Lying James Clapper On Russia Theory?”
    6 Jan. 2017 (5:36 minutes long)
    ________________

    On a brighter note!
    From the “Connors Report” (TCR)
    “AMERICA’S BIKERS FOR TRUMP ARE DC AND LAS VEGAS BOUND FROM EVERY STATE IN THE NATION!”
    Jan. 6, 2017 (4:15 minutes long)

    A beautiful site to behold. According to Connors, approximately 2 million bikers will be on hand to “NON-VIOLENTLY” defend President Elect Trump’s smooth transition come inauguration day!
    Even if only 1 million show up, that’s still one hell of a lot of people!

    1. I read the same article about homeless veterans Crazy Elf. What you said about veterans being cut loose now makes sense with what I read.

      The article mentions how several non-profits have been involved in supposedly helping these homeless vets.

      To be blunt, several non-profits saw an opportunity to get on some government gravy train, and did enough to collect some “administrative” fee for finding some veteran a place to sleep. Once the money was paid to the non-profit, the veteran was forgotten.

      I suspect the stories of the homeless vet population will soar in the media once Trump takes office and these non-profit money laundering schemes are stopped until a better program with accountability is created.

      1. Think you need to look at the huge progress made against Veteran homelessness in LA (which was the worst) when the VA and private organizations team up which is what they are working on. Google it. More needs to be done. Vets should never be homeless. FYI- I never saw any article of McDonald ‘visiting’ any golf courses like his Democratic boss. Republicans work, Democrats play.

      2. In the same article I commented on it mentioned the homeless vets in LA.

        My overall thought is of the waste of money skimmed off the top by politically connected non profits.

        There is a long history of such under Obama. In fact he fired at least one IG because of it.

      3. Don’t doubt some skim and always is corruption- but from what I read about Homes for Heroes- non-profits weren’t involved. Veterans were given vouchers and landlords were contacted to accept those vouchers. If there are kick-backs, who gets those and for how much? The situation in Florida sounded bad, but the situation in LA seems very promising. What am I missing?

  42. She erased her email account already.
    I sent her a message and it was not delivered.
    Sorry, we were unable to deliver your message to the following address.

    :
    Remote host said:
    554 delivery error: dd This user doesn’t have a yahoo.com account
    I sent her this:

    “Slowly, Congress and it’s advocates will get rid of every good public servant”

    Do you consider yourself a good public servant?
    I am not the least bit surprised that you could rise to the level you did within the VA with no higher education.
    We have a president elect who is uneducated and incompetent so you really can be anything you want in America.
    All your fellowships and books you wrote mean nothing to people who witnessed the insanity of combat that they endured on behalf of an ungrateful nation.
    How does your presence at the Department of Veteran’s Affairs benefit anyone?
    Are you there to help veterans or simply help the organization maintain it’s image?
    A Veteran shot himself in the face because he was refused service that he needed.
    There is no way to spin this.
    Why is this not being reported?

    It is real simple what needs to be accomplished; take care of veterans before taking care of staff.
    Laws are in place that simply transfer incompetent VA executives to different facilitates so that they can in turn bring their new location to the depths of hell.
    You must be taking that from a page of the Catholic Priest Child Molester Handbook, Just transfer people.

    We go to war and do not ask why.
    All that one expects is that they are taken care of when they return.
    From facility to facility in the Various Cities I have sought VA care from has been bottom of the Barrel Treatment.

    I was at risk from contracting Hepatitis/HIV from a VA facility due to unsanitary dental equipment.
    I would be willing to be that the Director of that facility received NO discipline whatsoever and is still employed, most likely at a different location and making more money.

    When people are shooting themselves in your parking lots, when claims are back logged for years, when whistle blowers get punished for exposing fraud, when executives commit crimes and go unpunished, you need to take a deep look in the mirror and ask yourself “How can I do this”.
    Do you have a soul?
    If so, quit being the Joseph Goebbles of the VA and speak the truth.
    Make a difference and become a history maker by exposing the corruption and lies
    Think of the good of everyone instead of toting the company line and being a puppet.
    Be a good public Servant.

    1. @Tommy,
      I agree 110% with everything you’ve stated. Except for the ‘dig’ on our new President Elect!
      You could have left that out.

      1. Response to comment about Trump and this VA news commentary by Benjamin. Trump is very educated and he is certainly not incompetent. Do your research. Benjamin, I have not posted in awhile on your Web site because all this VA corruption has really been making me physically nauseated. I am not joking. I would love to reapply for Chapter 31 for the upteenthtime, but I believe they would just shit on me. I have moved much of my care out of the VA to private providers with using my Tricare. I want to also point something out too, even if the VA has their imaging testing sent out to Fee -Basis private sector radiologists, when the results come back, the VA denies the diagnosis of the outsourced medical professional.
        They disagree with the expertise of the outside medical professional. The VA makes this decision when they are not qualified to make the decision. If the VA is going to make the decision at the end why waste taxpayer dollars by sending the imaging product outside to a Fee Basis Radiologist to be analyzed. Due to the fact that I do not know what is what with the first two diagnostic decisions, I am now having to go to a third medical doctor to get my medical issue analyzed and treated. What a waste with the VA being involved in this particular medical issue of mine.A confirmed diagnosis and treatment could not be determined to assist me. It does not matter if even medical issues or whatever are outsourced to private providers, the VA still does what the hell they want to do in the moment. Ben, I am writing up feedback to be submitted to Mr.Trump on issues regarding the whole country and offering some solution ideas. President Elect – Trump has the section on his website to submit ideas to help this country. I am going to utilize this option and hope the Trump administration will possibly at least listen to my suggestions. Benjamin, we veterans need you unequivocally. I very much appreciate your advocacy for all veterans while breaking down and exposing the dinosaur system corruption. The unaccountability and corruption runs deep. Like I mentioned earlier, I can’t hardly fathom it. The exposed VA issues nauseat me. I have no Trust in the VA whatsoever. Each day I await for another scandal or what is going to happen next. Scandals are a routine in the VA. I pray that Mr.Trump and his administration can innovate solutions to apply to our dinosaur VA system with including VBA voc rehab chapter 31, all chapters, and VHA. Thanks to all for being apart of Benjamin’s website. There is strength and power in numbers. Tremendous change can happen if we veterans stay the course with advocating for accountability, veteran centric VA regulation reform, and veteran centric healthcare. Thanks.

      2. Angela, you say you are moving your care outside the VA. Are you still getting any care at the VA?

        I ask because the VA called to schedule my annual primary care appointment. I told them I only wanted to be seen by them for service connected medical care.

        I was told by the scheduler she would have to talk to the primary care provider about that, and suggested she may not want to see me unless it was for ALL health care, and claimed it would be unethical for her to only see me for service connected conditions.
        She called in mid December. She said she would talk to the PCP and get back to me. I haven’t heard from them since.

      3. 91 Veteran, yes, I still have some of my care in the VA. 91 veteran I had to move some out. The first move was when the optometrist did not get my eye prescription correct plus they did not catch my eye infection. The VA is greedy and short changes the veterans on their eye glasses with the lens. With all the technology today, there is what one calls blue violet light that is emitted from the technology including cell phones, computers etc. Well, because the VA is so cheap with their eye glass lens, that they used an old version of bifocal lens for my glasses plus the VA does not have the PREVENCIA protection applied to the lens when they send the prescription out to make the lens. 91 veteran I have been trying to go to school and without proper eye glasses without appropriate protection for looking at the computer screens. Anyway, my eyes are service connected but I still had to see a private doctor to take care of the situation. I could not wait on the VA to drag around until 2017 to take care of my situation. All this started happening last summer into the fall. I would have had to drop my classes due my eyes. The private doctor had to treat my eye infection before she could do anything else like checking me for a correct prescription, glaucoma etc. I had a series of about 4 appointments with the private provider to get my eyes straightened out. Due to the VA skimping out on the protection in the eye lens, I now have scar tissue in my left eye. Like I mentioned though my eyes are service connected but at 0 %. The VA really needs to change this rating percentage because my eye condition is a medical condition and was diagnosed in the Navy. Even if I had tried to wait on the VA, they still might not have corrected the situation. The private doctor is seeing me for continued follow up to lay out an appropriate diagnosis. Can you imagine having 6 eye diagnostic exams in a 12 month period with the VA? No way this would ever happen in a hundred years. The VA is so cheap with the veterans. The VA had rather put the money into bonuses for employees.
        I have some other issues that I have moved out of the VA and, I will maybe share later. However though, to answer your question concerning the VA when they called you, the VA was not truthful when they spoke to you. A veteran can have the care broken up with some with private and some with the VA. I am having to or I would be in trouble particularly with my eyes. There are some conditions that one may can hold off on but the eyes one cannot. My care is broken up by different areas. I have my eyes care outside the VA, have dermatology outside the VA, podiatry outside the VA, psych in the VA, primary care in the VA, dental in the VA. As for other specialities, I am awaiting to see what is what with their analytical medical diagnosing process and with their treatment. I am skeptical about the dental because one never knows if the dentist is cleaning equipment or not. For my upcoming primary care appointment, I have had to assert myself into initiating my own blood work for what I needed checked. I had an outside advocate bring it to their attention. I have got to constantly stay on top of taking care of myself with doing the research so I know if they are feeding me a crock of shit or not. I do not trust them one bit. When I speak with them, I know what the levels should be in the blood work etc. I get my facts in order so they can’t squirmy out of the situation. The VA that I am in certainly has its issues but not like the Hines VA like Benjamin has she’d light on. 91 veteran, do not wait for them to call you. 91 veteran call them and schedule your appointments. I would not even tell them what all you are doing with your care. One thing though, do let the areas of care overlap for example: derm in and out of the VA, because if you have Tricare or even Medicare, it might not pay because of the overlap. But if the VA screwed up then it is a different story. I am figuring it out as I go trying to fill in the gaps where the VA has not done it’s job. I am only doing my best. I would love to get back in the workforce and eliminate the VA health care all together. If I could hold up to work and if the TRUMP administration revamps the private care medical care, this might could happen. The VA reform is going to be a arduous ordeal I do believe because of the VA union. Anyway, I have wrote a book and hope I was helpful. Thanks.

      4. Much of what you are complaining about is also true in private care, especially if you live in a rural or limited care option area. I saw a NP in neurology in Scottsbluff NE that the attorney for the facility claimed she was qualified to read an MRI radiographic study and overrule a teaching radiologist’s report on the same study.

        Hard to find any clinic, especially a specialty clinic, where a NP or PA isn’t running interference and abusing his position because he/she is cutting down their work load. If you actually see the specialist it usually means more work for them and their deficiencies pointed out.

      5. Yes Lem, I see your point. You are right but how versed is the attorney on the medical procedure or issue. Is the attorney both a medical doctor and an attorney? In the private sector at least sometimes there is accountability. I disagree with a Nurse Practitioner or a Physician Assistant making a decision about a radiologist report. The Nurse Practitioner and PA are out of their job description. In my case, because the VA disagreed with the radiologist report, no solution was even attempted to solve my issue. The VA just brushed it aside a blew it off. So I am headed to a real podiatrist to maybe find an alternative solution so I can damn well walk. From what the private radiologist reported as a diagnosis, there are medical procedures to promote healing of the fractured microfilaments in the bone with putting the foot into a boot that protects the foot where the healing of the bone can occur. Also the soft tissue that has developed might go away because it would reduce inflammation if some healing could occur. I agree with you all the way Lem, but for the VA just to do nothing is wrong. I am about solutions and I cannot stand for the VA just to do absolutely nothing. The VA does not even care. If the VA is not going to solve problems, then, get rid of the VA. The VA creates more problems by not even trying with innovative attempts to treat the medical problems or issues. Why are the American taxpayers even paying them?

      6. There was a very good podiatrist at the Downtown LA VA Clinic when I last went there in 1994. It is also one of the best VAs I ever went to except for some of the turnover.

    2. A good public servant does not destroy government records. If she deleted her Yahoo account, that is exactly what she did. What was the official record? Her official email to Ben, a veterans advocate, in her official capacity as an overpaid but incompetent VA spokeshack.

      One that has bounced around government jobs long enough to know what is an official record.

      Ben, I would strongly suggest you forward a complete copy of that email to a couple different email accounts you may have…after you click to show all headers showing what servers that email went through and other data….and print it out.

      1. 91 Veteran I had a typo. I meant to say do not let the same area overlap in and out of the VA because Tricare may not or even Medicare may not pay. The social security administration is connected with the VA now. So I am making sure there is no overlap. Although, it might not make a difference but one never knows. If the VA did not diagnosis or treat the medical issue correctly or if it is still not resolved, then, I guess it would have to overlap. Thanks. Just finding my way. Tricare is a good health care insurance. The Tricare – Express Scripts manages their prescription delivery with great accountability. 🙂 So far Tricare has treated me right.

      2. Thanks for the info. I figured she was lying to me, but I thought I would give her a chance. Seems to me a month is long enough to wait for her to talk with a doctor she schedules for.

  43. We now know (maybe) how many veterans (20) take their own lives every day, but how many of those have been seen at a VA hospital or clinic. At the very least how many have tried to reach out to the VA by phone, could not get counseling and completed the suicide?

    1. @FLB,
      How many homeless veterans have committed suicide, only to be “brushed under the rug” by our incompetent VA management?
      We hear nothing about this!

      1. True Crazy, Very under served population of veterans, who probably in many instances do not even have access to a phone (to scream out for help) let alone transportation. God Bless them!

  44. PENDEJO VA DC HQ IS A BIG FEDERAL RICO CRIME RACKET RUN FR AFGE UNION CONTRACTS IF THE TRUMPER PTUS DOES NT DECERTIFY THE AFGE UNION CONTRACTS IT WILL BE THE SAME VA NASTY PIG WITH MORE LIPSTICK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! VA BUDGET 2017 182 BILLION $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ THE VA DC HQ RATS ARE DOGS IN HEAT FOR THE BONUS $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

  45. On a positive twisted thought: Rosemary and Friends may just be “helping” drain the swamp by displaying where a steaming pile of incompetence lay within the VA, so if President Elect Trump or his Team are reading, let these VA hacks hang themselves by making Benjamin’s and Veteran’s job much easier by Rosemary Williams being the VA’s own “Poop Canon”. (Dennis, I really like the poop canon metaphor) 🙂

    1. @namnibor,
      Yep, Dennis, you and many others come up with great ‘metaphors’ about VA employees!
      I especially liked the one you came up with for “TATTLE TALE”, which I added to, “SONGBIRD MCCAIN” yesterday.

  46. Go get em Ben! I hope they all burn in HELL for what’s been going on for decades!

    First, my “Foreword”!
    I was “misdiagnosed” for over 23 years, (1982 to 2006), by VHA employees.
    When I found out, I wanted VA to not only correct it, I was deserving of back pay. VA did correct the misdiagnosis, yet, never did anything else! Even today, that misdiagnosis comes back. Where VHA employees try to discredit my many years of military service!
    My wife will “go off” on anyone who tries this crap!

    Now, I see VA employees are eligible for outside mental health issues, over possibly witnessing a violent suicide. Yet, veterans still have to use the incompetent VHA. WTF OVER!

    As I’ve said before, until President Elect Trump can find someone who’s NOT afraid of the VA top echelon, public affairs office and union, it will be “Business as Usual!”
    Once the union is ‘broken’, watch the ‘rat bastards’ jump ship!
    I can only imagine how many suicides the VA has covered up in the many decades they’ve been around. I’ll bet the ‘statistic’ is higher than 20 per day.

    The sooner the American people, taxpayers, understand VA and that worthless union is the most corrupt federal agency to date. We might see something happen.
    I also pray it’s sooner than later!

  47. Hey Rosemary,

    Love the BIO! “She was a principal for many television network start-ups, including MSNBC, NBC’s 24-hour news channel where she was the Executive Producer of News covering Washington, DC and politics.” Really?

    Basically you have been lying to the public for all your life. I find it interesting that you claim to have been an executive producer at that fake news organization. Also that your job there was helping to cover up the truth about the swamp and DC politics. Truly looking forward to finding out why you were fire there.

    Your brand of hiding the facts and disinformation is going to cost you. I grantee it.

    1. BIO at: “https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:o3njof7vu-8J:https://www.va.gov/opa/bios/bio_williams.asp+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

      Gee, with Rosey’s slimy background as a political hack. It is clear the only reason she was hired by McDonald and chosen to represents the VA on the executive committee of the National Alliance for Suicide Prevention. Is to hide the truth about Veterans suicides. What a totally disgusting worthless piece of slime.

      It is clear that McDonald hired this political hack, not to help Veterans in anyway, but only to help him hide information about 22 Veterans per day committing suicide because they cannot get the help they need from the VA. What a totally unqualified piece of slime.

      It also shows just how worthless and corrupted McDonald to hire an unqualified political hack. It is clear he is not about getting help to the Veterans who need it but instead is about giving the appearance that the problem isn’t as bad as it is. Both Robert McDonald and Rosemary Williams are disgusting pieces of shit.

      1. The VA deleted Rosey’s bio on the 6th but if you copy and paste the entire link above it will take you to a web cashed version of her bio.

      2. Interesting. Glad I saved a complete html version of it before it was deleted.
        Along with a copy of her LinkedIn profile.

    2. BIO at: “https://www.va.gov/opa/bios/bio_williams.asp+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us”

      Gee, with Rosey’s slimy background as a political hack. It is clear the only reason she was hired by McDonald and chosen to represents the VA on the executive committee of the National Alliance for Suicide Prevention. Is to hide the truth about Veterans suicides. What a totally disgusting worthless piece of slime.

      It is clear that McDonald hired this political hack, not to help Veterans in anyway, but only to help him hide information about 22 Veterans per day committing suicide because they cannot get the help they need from the VA. What a totally unqualified piece of slime.

      It also shows just how worthless and corrupted McDonald is to hire an unqualified political hack. It is clear he is not about getting help to the Veterans who need it but instead is about giving the appearance that the problem isn’t as bad as it is. Both Robert McDonald and Rosemary Williams are disgusting pieces of shit.

      Reply

      1. There is one thing that is clear and that Rosemary Williams current position at the VA is a political appointment. A political appointee in such positions traditionally resigns at the end of a president’s administration.

        Hopefully this slimy ass bitch is out a job as of the 20th of this month.

      2. McDonald and his team of experts from many fields, have a revolutionary plan in place (MyVA) in less than 2 years that is starting to make the huge changes we need. Our VSO’s know that and have actually endorsed McDonald. These innovations need a couple years to come to fruition. Already technology is improving big time, homelessness is radically down, more doctors and nurses have been hired (in spite of the negativity), thousands more appointments handled, and many areas have reduced wait times.

        We have great care at the VA here, but many don’t. McDonald is a vet, did not need this or any job, and is dedicated to veterans- including the many in his own family. He is not political. Politics is really ugly. Our biggest problems have been Congress who like to use us like a political football and would not support McDonald (though a Republican) because he was part of the Obama administration. Veterans should NEVER be a political football- but that is the way it is.

        We need a new VA Secretary who wants to continue these innovations- and anyone but Pete Hegseth, who would gut the VA. He and CVA lobbied heavily against the Veterans First Act (that failed a few weeks ago) that addressed firings, streamlining processes including disability claims, and much more legislation that is needed to actually make changes. CVA (the Koch brothers) has financial motives and is VERY political- not having the best interests and bi-partisan support to help the VA.

      3. @WR,
        Go back to your parents basement!
        No one on here believes one word you’ve written.
        Yea, “MYVA” stands for all those VA rat bastards who are draining the VA’s funds for their own private slush funds!

      4. @WR – Man, you are so full of shit – – – I can smell you from across the Pacific Ocean. If you have such a great VA Facility, why did you not rave about them by name?

        What is the name or location of this wonderful VA facility?

      5. I should have included WR (Rosemary) in my reply since her comment here contains all the right VA talking points.

        …and ZERO concern for the topic, which is the VA hiding information on a veteran suicide.

      6. WR is probably a psuedo for Rosemary Williams backwards with just the initials. The person responded quickly when called slimy. LOL ???

      7. As Jack Nicholsan said YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH. Much is wrong at the VA, but that doesn’t mean that much is not happening. I want to see the meeting on Jan. 10 at 8:15am with the MyVA Advisory Team- the group of experts from many fields who were formed 2 years ago and who have given their time and input to help turn things around and then see where things are headed on their timeline. And grow up- name calling is rather childish. FYI- Our VA facilities are in GA.

  48. “[What a crock of shit and fuck them very much.]”—Way to go, Benjamin! The asshole of the VA Meat Grinder sure is a mouthy bitch, at that. She has a chronic case of incompetence diarrhea with a large dose of Nazi Stormtroopers. She must be so very proud to be assisting the V.A. Titanic steer directly into the very icebergs of truth she is assisting to cover-up.
    Ms. Williams: Just remember that at the Nuremberg Trials immediately after WW2 the Nazi’s all repeated the same mantra of, “We were just following orders”. Would you care for an official noose knot or an improvised knot that may or may not work, just like VA Suicide Prevention? How about a nice slip knot the first few times just for laughs? 🙂

    1. @namnibor,
      I’m a fanatic when it comes to reading about the Old West.
      Did you know, many who were hung, for whatever reason, actually “…strangled to death on the gallows…”, instead of having “…a clean break of the neck!”
      For as long as “hanging” was used, hundreds of years, as a method for criminal justice. There were more foul-ups than correct hangings.
      Look up what happens to a person who is “…put to death by hanging…” vs other methods.
      The ‘word’ used by many who witnessed these “events” is “GHASTLY”!
      Even this “Description” is not adequate in what takes place to a person’s bodily fluids upon “…reaching the end of [his/her] rope!” (This is where that ‘expression’ comes from!)

      1. All good. Of course, I was only using a “metaphor” in that they hang themselves with their own incompetence. (Rosemary, that would require reading for content)

    2. You know what’s interesting is that Rosemary is rather selective when it comes to how money is spent.

      If you look at her LinkedIn profile here: “https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosemary-williams-41237a4” it shows she was a Senior Liar in VA’s office of communication from 2009 to 2011, then Vice-President at Reingold from 2012 to 2013 before screwing up family policy at DOD and getting her current seat warming position at VA in May 2016.

      What’s interesting is she completely leaves out her job at Reingold as Vice President from 2012 to 2013 from her official bio on the VA web site, although she mentions other work history such as at MSNBC.

      “https://www.va.gov/opa/bios/bio_williams.asp”

      If I had to guess from her work history, she is a flaming leftist who doesn’t give a shit about veterans, which explains why she is more concerned over the VA image than this veteran in New Mexico.

      1. BUWAHAHAHAHA. If you go to Reingold’s web site at:

        “https://www.reingold.com/our-work/”

        Their motto is, “Achieving Client Goals Through Strategic Storytelling”.

        Now we know why Rosemary left out that little stint from her bio.

      2. THAT is PRICELESS!! 🙂 🙂 “Providing Desired Outcomes, Always”!

        I think that we may see even more emboldened outspoken VA rats as their chronic cases of Trumphobia becomes ever-stronger as we near the 20th. 🙂

  49. @Ben Way to go !!!

    Will have to post my thoughts later. Things going on right now that require attention. But will definitely share to Social Media.

    1. Ben
      You have to see President Trump remove leaches like Sloan and ALL CURRENT VA STAFF.
      PROSUCUTE TO THE FULL LIMIT!

      1. What do you think they should be prosecuted for?? How is Sloan a leach? They have only been there for 2 years and are turning things around. Sloan is a good man and a West Pointer who cares about veterans.

      2. They should be prosecuted for the “knowledge test”. If he raise his hand with an oath to defend the Constitution, that is enough when making assertions under oath in many Congressional hearings, but citing employee protections to obscure the law. TROLL!

  50. Fuck Rosemary Hogg !!! That 3 tuna fish sandwich eating in one sitting, big fat bitch does not have a clue. She needs to check her lipidema and shut the fuck up! That fat and tasty is awhy I despise these places that do nothing to help veterans. Fuck all of them! I would take out a public notice in the local paper with that same disclaimer. That will fix that two toned girdle wearing fatty!

    1. You crack me up with your descriptions of these bitches and bastards. I especially liked your “corn dog eating pig snout….” of Isakson back a few weeks ago. What gigantic farts these douche-bags are. I would like to know if they have any friends – ever – at all. I also think we should get Snowden to dig out and expose the VA for what they really are. What’s his address (via carrier, of course) anyway?

      1. Descriptive characters is a stress relief for me. I picture these people a certain way and it just flows out! LOL! Like the acting OIG at the time looking like an inflatable manatee with a broken pressure relief valve, ready to pop any minute!

    1. POTUS TRUMPER V IF YO DONT DRAIN THE VA SEWAGE SWAMPS @THEIR VA AFGE UNION @ CONTRACTS IT WILL BE MORE LIPSTICK ON VA NASTY PIG !!!!!! VA BUDGET FOR 2017 182 BILLION $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ VA DC HQ RATS ARE DOGS IN HEAT FOR THE BONOUS $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ WHAT SAY YO POTUS TRUMPER ???????????????????????????????????????????

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