MyVA Committee Members Knock Trump VA Reforms
Two MyVA advisory committee members working on the newest VA reforms critiqued presidential candidate Donald Trump for being critical of VA.
Those committee members believe Trump’s reforms improperly focus on increasing accountability for longstanding problems linked to fraud and other bad behaviors of VA employees. Instead, the MyVA committee members think Trump should focus on what VA is trying to do and let those efforts come to fruition before piling on more reforms.
The MyVA advisory committee was first formed in 2015 to help steer VA’s efforts to increase the Disney style customer service Secretary Bob McDonald promised he would deliver.
RELATED: MyVA Reorganization To Downsize VA Workforce
MYVA COMMITTEE MEMBERS SPEAK OUT
Army Major Gen. Josue Robles Jr. (former CEO of USAA) and Air Force veteran Michael Haynie, vice chancellor of Syracuse University, are both on the MyVA advisory committee. They said they were fearful that Trump’s call for greater accountability might derail their efforts to reform VA from within.
According to citations from an interview by Tom Phillpot:
“We all agree that the worst thing we can do is politicize veterans issues such that veterans are last folks people are thinking about,” Haynie said.
Inside the VA, he said, a wave of reforms has been driven by “authentic and purposeful focus on how do we do better by veterans.”
Nothing merits or demands a collaborative approach to developing good policy, programs and services than those aimed at veterans, Haynie said. So it serves everyone, regardless of political orientation, that the VA transformation “not be political or parochial or motivated by self-interest. It the definition of where citizenship should be the prevailing logic.”
In the article, Philpott seemed critical of Trump’s proposed VA reforms, and of Rep. Jeff Miller and his position pushing for greater accountability at all costs.
RELATED: VA Budget Jumps To $182 Billion
Philpott directs the article toward the “’A’ For Effort” argument, where someone who tries should get kudos even if the efforts to create positive change merely unearth more deficiencies or more corruption.
PHILPOTT CRITIQUE OF TRUMP VA REFORMS
In critique of Trump and Miller, Philpott wrote:
Trump and U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., had other goals in mind. Miller, who is retiring, has led criticism of the VA for years, including through the wait-time scandal that found scores of VA executives protecting their bonuses by hiding lists of patients waiting for care.
Despite a near wholesale change in top VA leadership, Miller and GOP colleagues are keeping the focus on fresh pockets of executive abuses and rail against the VA’s inability to fire or swiftly discipline career bureaucrats.
Trump signaled that Miller might be his nominee for VA secretary. In his introduction to Monday’s speech, Miller said veterans have been ill served by the VA, not for lack of budget dollars, which have “quadrupled” since 2001, but due to scandal after scandal allowed by failed leaders. He called the VA “a model of government dysfunction” and tagged Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton “a career bureaucrat” who would allow more scandals.
Trump, Miller said, “doesn’t view the VA’s problems as a fantasy that has been created by the opposition party. He knows that they’re real.”
Are Trump and Miller truly paying politics by highlighting how they will fix an agency that evades accountability at all cost?
What is the real story? Should we give VA kudos for ‘trying’ or should we only judge VA for its final product?
We want an agency where whistleblowers are protected, where veterans are safe, and where corrupt, criminal employees are prosecuted.
The MyVA slogan is “Putting Veterans First.” How long should we wait before being critical of VA for failing to implement those reforms fully?
Source: https://gazette.com/va-advisory-group-critics-wrong-to-ignore-myva-reforms/article/1580564
Dear Mr. Krause:
I co not see an immediate change coming for veterans until the government reform starts from the top on down, I see the corrupt the V.A. agency as an extension of the federal government, and nothing can be done about the corrupt government at the top is dismantle,d, after all I see the V.A. is in existence with the blessing of the corrupt top.
Any more then you will cure cancer by squeezing the boils without getting to the root of the problem.
If nothing is done about the root problem you will always have a recurrence of the cancer.
Yours for GOD and Country
Frank P. Calderon
Veterans voices I wonder if they are contacted their beliefs on improving Veterans Healthcare to their Senator office remember if you don’t you should not be on here?
Hey Welsh,
Many of us on here know that it is a total waste of time contacting there Senators on Veterans issues. While it may work in other states like in Wisconsin with Senator Ron Johnson for most of us on here it doesn’t and is only a waste of time.
So your comment on who should not be on here doesn’t hold water.
Tonight on CNN. The contents will be about three major subjects;
1.) “Immigration”
2.) “Terrorism”
3.) “Veterans”
I hope y’all tune in….
Ben, you may want to look into a UPI news article that just came out touting a RAND corporation study of VA medical records claiming VA performs as well or better than other health systems.
A quote from the article: “There were some areas without enough previous research to make a comparison, such as timeliness, efficiency and patient-centeredness”.
I believe those 3 areas are some of the biggest problems in the VA.
The RAND study is basically a review of other studies of the VA, but they say more research is needed, which doesn’t surprise me.
Given RANDs history, I get the impression someone in the VA wanted a certain conclusion, and gee what a co-inky-dink, here comes a Report from RAND concluding exactly what was wanted.
Thanks for the heads up. I am looking into it now.
Trump. Has made almost everyone mad. But to me that’s a good think.
My wife calls him down almost daily and she trying to get me to vote against him. I would not vote for him or Hilary. But I’m so pissed off at the VA for what they have done To our veterans.
I maybe grasping at straws in an effort to see the change that must happen at our VA. !
The way they treat veterans is criminal. I really believe that the 22 veterans that took their lives each day. Is not the whole truth. !
The VA experimental use of drugs on us maybe causing veterans to kill themselves or it’s killing them. !
I am going to vote for trump. Hoping he will put some of these employees in jail or the highway. !
VA makes excuse after excuse why they are they way they are. !
If he’s elected. I’m writing him about the illegal disruptive committee. About how they use this committee to punish veterans. Without due process. !
Veterans first. Wife will get over it. Sooner or later. !
@James and Ralph
How about y’all go to my earlier comment on why Trump is going to be the best for us, (veterans)!
I use an analogy of the “exterminators” trying to rid a home if “vermin”!
Isn’t that what we have in VA, vermin?
I’d say AFGE President David Cox looks like the vermin’s leader in a Grandpa Smurf kind of way. 🙂 (no offense to Smurfs)
James,
There is only one way to deal with this with your wife.
Time tested and wisdom passed down from father to son; lie to her.
Tell her you voted for the really hot Democratic chic, then buy her some strawberry Pop Tarts. It might not be ethical but I am from the “who cares” camp on this one if it just keeps the little woman happy!
Dennis, I gotta agree. Lie your ass off on this one thing.
“A happy wife IS a happy life!”
I have given a name to my enemy.. Just about an hour ago I was seen by yet another Physicians assistant who told me that there is no more that the VA can do for me. I’ve been trying to get my shoulder fixed for 9 months. I am in 7-8 Pain and I only have (about) 10% use of my left arm and my right is following right behind the left one These Bastards had me on Morphine for 12 years. The’ve used all manners of VOODOO on me , none which have given me any relief whatsoever. I asked the quack today. Whats next, Aroma Therapy? What really bothers me is while I am not going to die from this. What about my brothers and sisters who have serious and life threatening problems? If I’m having a problem getting care for a stupid shoulder, how bad are the serious cases getting fucked off? Yup you guessed it MY ENEMY IS THE VA
VETERANS FOR THE ABOLISHMENT OF THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION
(Our assholes are getting sore!)
Ben,
You wrote a sentence I have seen before and would like to comment on. “…avoids accountability at all cost.”
Well, what is the cost? According to truecostofhealthcare dot net, rounded as well as my pea brain can round from a graph, in the ten years leading up to 2014 more that $50,000,000,000 was paid out in the US to compensate the victims of malpractice.
It is reasonable to assume anecdotally that VHA doctors exhibit no more skill or competance than their peers in he general population.
Since the government rarely if ever compensates for malpractice, the expense of the damage is shifted to the patient, instead of to he doctor like the rest of America.
How much does it cost? Billions of dollars in shifted expenses away from the professional medical staff that caused the damage and onto the families of those damaged. Billions of dollars of cost shifted onto the sick and maimed and away from those who maimed them. That seems like a pretty high price for society to pay and VHA healthcare just got vastly more expensive if we are honest about it.
Medical malpractice by the VA is compensated with the disability compensation schedules. You do not have to prove maleficence. Only that you were worse off after the care given than before.
Well, the Regs. may state that in Title 38 but the VA does not play nice…and VA M.D.’s simply do not admit any mistakes, let alone ASSIST any Vet with their Claim, as they are supposed to do. Veteran is the collateral each and every time. Hell, the VA does not follow orders from Congress, let alone any written reg.
Bet it made you feel good typing that, though.
You ask the pointed question at the end Ben, and I answer that we have waited long enough.
Whining that criticism of the VA and pointing to their continued scandals shows either their “reforms” are worthless, or are not being implemented by the very bureaucracy that just gave a giant middle finger to Congress and veterans when they said they would refuse to follow the law Congress passed increasing accountability.
Who is being political, parochial or self interest serving when the VA does that?
Who has clearly acted as political, parochial or self interested when the AFGE pressured Congress to guy any accountability legislation?
Show some improvements from these unnamed “reforms” and you might have a point that criticism is unfair.
Krause, who do you think will represent us veterans the best? Hillary or Trump. I want veterans to win in this next election, all the way around. We have to get better than what we currently have. I need a knee joint replacement.
Bonnie…of course it is Trump…stop stirring the pot and het back to work at doing nothing at the VA
Bonnie R- Since Hillary still thinks the problems at the VA are wild conspiracy theories and “not as bad as reports say…”, and Trump has been the only candidate talking about cleaning-up the corruption at the VA ***AND** ensuring we Vets are given the “Square Deal” as is on front of every VA as you walk in…let’s see, this is such a hard choice to make! But that choice is all about perspective.
Which side are you on? Vets or the VA/AFGE? Tick, Tick, Tick….
Robin, I firmly believe seeing Hillary’s history first hand on veterans throughout the 90s that the VA will be the same or much worse.
She abandoned Gulf War veterans after her photo op using us.
She will do anything to protect the idea of government run, single payer health care being better.
She will do anything to protect the huge donations she has gotten/will get from the AFGE.
I don’t support Trump…yet. But I figure veterans will be better off with the media holding him to his promises to veterans than in covering for the disastrous VA because it might reflect badly on her if she is elected.
Sorry, my comment was in reply to Bonnie.
If Trump wins it’s going to be Jim Jones Koolaid time at the VA.
@Robin Mitchell
We can only hope!
I don’t care about Philpott. He gave a couple comments from the independent MyVA committee. What else did THEY have to say?? I remember when they were formed they sounded like a who’s who of top military, business, and technical leaders. Where can I find their report?
We really do need Trump and Miller!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trump maybe, but Miller kept sending more money into the VA without real oversight.
Miller is the worst!! He has had oversight for decades and only plays for his political career- 100%. He pretends he can fix things but won’t even give the VA the legislation they have asked for to make changes that are needed. It is all politics. He speaks out of both sides of his mouth, depending on the audience!
I’ve read somewhere this morning where Miller is; either wanting to be Secretary of VA. Or, he’s been asked to take that job!
In my opinion, either way, it would be very bad for veterans!
He’s a pussy!
My wife just showed me a “Facebook” post. Where some asswipe(s) had, over night, spay painted graffiti on the “Vietnam Veterans Wall” in Washington!
This shit is going to get deep my friends!
That is a federal offense.
Where in the fuck were the guards? Were they given “Stand Down Orders” to not intercede?
WTF OVER!
(I’m having my wife send it off to Ben!)
crazy elf– Here in Ohio there’s been a rash of Veteran Grave Stones graffiti painted as well…thinking some people were given “painting orders”…this is way too much for my brain and stomach to endure.
I refuse to blame the VA for what these monsters are doing. Sorry. Cannot and will not. Everyone has free will and when that free will is used for destructive means filled with hate and officially calling for deaths of Officers….nope, no free pass or passive-aggressive excuses of…Oh, the VA could have prevented this….pl–l–lease!! 🙁
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial which was a targeted was in California. The asswipe plead “not guilty” in court today!
@namnibor, Seymore and all others.
Sometimes a television show, or series, will be right on the mark as to the “WHO, WHAT, WHY, WHEN and HOW” a specific topic is interpreted by individuals. In this case, Americans should listen closely. America is, in my opinion, on a crash course to oblivion! Yet, we do have a chance to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and act like men, and women, again.
Only, it will take being courageous and defiant in the face of corruption and dishonesty by those wanting to destroy us from within!
A few days ago, I again ran into this video from HBO’s “The Newsroom”!
Even though it was published on some time ago. These words have the same meanings today.
I would strongly recommend googling it and pay close attention!
titled;
“Why America isn’t the greatest country in the world anymore”!
We need to take our country back!
I am still trying to figure out why the hell I raised my right hand some 40 years ago.
It certainly was not for this.
I am very uncertain about Trump, but on the other hand I am very certain about not another Clinton taking up residence in our national park. Unless it is Alcatraz.
@Bill
If your worried about Trump. Read my ‘analogy’ I give in my previous comment on “exterminators”!
Trump may be brash and very outspoken. Yet he’s definitely not a liar!
I commend you on not voting for Hit-LIAR-y!
This just out on channel 27, local news.
The shooter in Baton Rouge was not only a BLM Supporter, he was a “former Marine”!
Do y’all see what’s happening here?
These deranged radicalized individuals are, in my opinion, being used for some other purpose. Like maybe, a “false flag scenario” to implement “Martial Law”. Then, usher in U.N. troops to enforce their criminal activities, is; stop the election in November to insure Obama stays in power.
Does anyone remember how, during the “Rise of the Roman Empire”, General Pompeii was routed and ultimately destroyed by Julius Caesar? Does anyone see what is really going on? There’s a “power struggle” going on in America.
On one hand, you’ve got the “big corrupt corporations (big pharma, banks, lobbyists etc.), corrupt politicians and more” vs. “We the People”!
Isn’t this what Mr. Trump has been alluding to, since he announced his bid for POTUS?
Crazy elf- I do not believe in coincidences any longer. BOTH Dallas and Baton Rouge BLM Terrorists were ex-military and not very extensive ones at that, but still, both military. I see a pattern the law of statistics is telling me is BLM trying just what you wrote, to incite conditions for Marshall Law or all out war.
ANY OTHER previous President would have called-in the National Guard long ago, a Summer or two ago, but especially with current conditions.
I also fully expect POTUS to send his DOJ Loretta Lynch to the BLM Terrorist’s funerals….wait for it….
Note: I now have a few new dents in my ’03 car I have taken really great care of. Why? BLM Terrorists on motorcycles pounding on my car while surrounding me with 6 ghetto ricers at an exit ramp trying to get me to roll down my very deep tinted windows. I did not engage them because I was afraid I would just tear loose and end-up dead after taking a few out.
I have NO sympathy for ANY of the BLM, aka to me now as: BoweLMovements. Not a happy caper with this USA to allow this crap to go on and it MUST stop!!!
Let me add that on my rear and front license plates it very clearly shows not only a Veteran but the Seal of USAF next to it. I took it as a personal attack as the bikers wore only black and red bandanas over bottom of neck/face, no helmet so they had to have known a Veteran was in the car!! Could not make a “proper” police report because the damn plate # came-up as stolen, so with a $500. deductible, and my insurance “clearly states” no acts of terrorism, activism, et al, are even covered.
Yeah, it’s just a car but it’s a car I want to last.
Rant out…but shared, because we need to be careful out there and like me, do not engage or lose your cool. Afraid this is only going to get worse because a police officer in Baltimore was acquitted today on the Freddy G. thing. The rant this weekend was BLM were going to burn Baltimore down….be careful out there.
Oh, Troll Alert. Let loose the hounds! 🙂
To all.
I believe today’s blog by Ben will be inundated by VA & AFGE TROLLS!
Let’s keep our cool and attack (flanking maneuvers) accordingly!
Troll Spray now comes in Tanker Truck Size, so all set and ready once the odor defiles the air. 🙂
This last troll that our host commented on is a good example of a feable stab at the Art of War.
In the Art of War, Tsun Tsu said, if your enemy is of a collicky temperament, offer up baits to entice him.” The troll was practicing the Art of War as laid out by the Master by offering up baits to entice the temperamental and emotional veterans like myself into rash responses. My hunch is the copy paste feature is used much in his life and he has chosen a path that leads him not to thhe good beer, great sex, swimming, bbq, and other great activities this summer is offering. But he gets to practice the Art of War on sick vets. Yaya!
Out of the book stuff, because a rash response exposes overlooked opportunities for the enemy. He exposed to me that he does not know who his foe is, what his foe knows, or why his foe is manuevering they we are.
My read on that last guy is that he likely never gets laid in favor of trolling bulletin boards for sick veterans. I’m just not sure how to feel about that ?
Are you referring to Mister “Sheesh” from last night? I cannot imagine how long it took him to think up creating those different Gmail accounts.
What caught my attention was that he created “[email protected]” as his own and a few others like it. I’ve been using Gmail for quite some time, and I find it curious that someone was able to secure a one word Gmail email address, much less three or four that he made use of on Sunday.
Makes me think the guy was perhaps affiliated with the dark arts of public relations attempting to stir the pot on my website for some kind of political advantage as part of a more strategic plan.
Glad we all know to keep our cool when the trolls come out to play. I expect we will see more of that kind of highly paid belligerence as the election cycle moves closer to finality in an attempt to make veterans look unintelligent and misguided.
After Circuit Court issued a restraining order on my behalf I was flagged violent.
After I appealled that, they issued another stating that each appeal would extend the term.
When I went to my Congressman, they issued another flag, extending the first one.
When I appealled that the response was to issue yet another flag, all within a 60 day period, stating that the CBOC staff had PTSD that I personally trigger, and I was banned from CBOC on that basis.
When I again appealled, they responded to my appeal with these simple words, “…I am afraid that even casual comments like the one you made are taken very seriously.” and the ban enforced based on staff PTSD.
Two more flags issued since then, each extnding the term, each with a different accusation, and five letters from the Director to my Congressman, each accusing me of completely different and unidentified acts committed i unidentied locations at unidentified times.
Newpaper reported full page two issues.
VHA response? They initiated a non flag, flag entered into my record that ALL communication with be forwarded to the Chairman of the DBC.
When I made a civili rights compaint, they terminated all mental health care, again. Patient will not reapond. My PCP in VHA, a man from the Phillipines and a very good grip on the English language, mostly, agreed to prescribe the psychiatric drugs for me instead. I had to ask after 6 messages went unanswerd and finally,
After I left those six messages, the Chief Of Staff, an Islamic dentist from Kenya, sent me a letter. In it he stated, “…on a seperate note, the mental health staff does not have time to listen to your long voice messages, therefor I have instructed the staff to stop listening at 90 seconds.”
Years after the Circuit Court ordered VHA Roseburg to cease “molesting” this veteran, VHA is still denying care. This tells me one solid fact; I am targetted as threatened when I obtained the Restraining Order with a union organized denial of care.
Tell me again that the VA is fixing itself.
P.S.
I’m anxiously awaiting the “DEBATES” between Mr. Trump and Hitlery Klinton! Plus, Mr. Pence and whomever Hil-LIAR-y picks as a running mate!
In my opinion, she won’t have a “Chance in Hell” in defeating him. She has too much garbage in her past.
For example, It took her seven hours to make a statement on the Baton Rouge Police Tragedy yesterday. That’s what has been reported! She must have been asleep AGAIN! Remember Benghazi!?
There’s an article out late yesterday on who will be speaking at the RNC this week. Google it for the lineup.
Also, yesterday, those “28 (redacted) pages of the 9/11 Report” have been released. Looks like, in my opinion, this might be the reasons why the Bushes ain’t going to show at the convention! All their names are mentioned in it. And it ain’t good!
Did y’all see “60 Minutes” last night. Not too good on the “Bush Crime Family”!
Lastly, I do believe VA employees are digging in to stop any and all attempts at making them look bad. Get ready for being treated even worse in the coming months.
Seymore, the VSO’s, if Trump has his way, will no longer be needed to help veterans. At least that’s their beliefs! Of course, we all know they have become as corrupt as the VA! Look at all the negative press they get on the www!
Doing away with the VSO’s might actually be dangerous. Veterans need help to file their initial claims. Dirty lawyers can be sell outs the same as veterans organizations are many times. I personally hate VSO’s. To many of them have no idea of what they are doing. I know VA law better than they do. VSO’s should be licensed college educated paralegals before being able to handle a veterans claim period. Then if the veteran loses at the local regional office, the veteran should be allowed to automatically hire a qualified VA lawyer. In fact the entire issue should be the veterans choice as to who he wants to trust. A VSO, a paralegal that is probably more qualified than a VSO or a real good VA attorney that represents veterans and is a specialist in VA law. Because the truth is the VA laws are really written in favor of our veterans. And the VA adjudications officers have corrupted those laws to benefit the stinking Veterans Administration that has to pay those benefits. I have read all of the U.S Code Title 38 and the CFR 38. That is where you will find the laws that guide our veterans as to their rights for VA pension compensations. It takes up two volumes to read about one inch thick. A good paralegal can whip their butts.
Crazy elf, you should look at that UPI news article I mentioned earlier about the RAND corporation study.
Its infuriating to hear the VA may not have enough money for proper health care, but they certainly can come up with the money to pay RAND for some BS study claiming the VA is as good or better than other health systems, especially when their jobs might be on the line.
If that truly were the case, I wonder where the reports are on private hospitals turning away people for bonuses and those people then dying.
@Don, Seymore and namnibor.
Y’all have hit that proverbial nail on the head.
Just recently I asked a Congressman’s aid, “Straight up, just what can a Congressman do against VA employees?”
His answer was predictable. Basically, VA employees are correct when they say, He/She “…can’t do anything!”
This needs to cease! The fraud, waste, corruption, illegal acts, abuse is rampant within VA! Until MANY are arrested, tried and convicted nothing will change.
Why is it no one is being held accountable? In my opinion, it’s mainly due to a corrupt union. We see VA employees every day getting caught in a scandal. Yet, no one is being hauled off to jail.
The wife was over talking to our neighbors yesterday. They will not vote for Hit- LIAR- y. Yet, their unsure of Trump.
I give this “analogy” when I speak on Trump’s abilities.
Let’s say y’all have an ‘infestation of critters’ in your home. You call an exterminator. A well dressed gentleman comes to your home. After lots of money, you still have an infestation. So, you call someone else. Same thing happens. Still you have an infestation. After a few more wasted times. A friend tells you about an exterminator who isn’t well known. Has B.O., a large potbelly, torn cloths, swears, etc., etc.! Your friend tells you he’s reasonable on price and will get the job done. You call him. In about a week, your infestation is gone!
Now, wasn’t that worth it? I’d say, Let’s Let Mr. Trump give it a shot. It’s got to be better than what we’ve been given for way too damn long! Especially in the past seven and a half years!!!!!!
Want to bet? Six days after this Bob McDonald rushed my husband’s case thru the BVA and he was approved for aid and attendance.
Now Bob has another problem. The BVA deferred two issues until a FOIA request for missing evidence was found. From what I am hearing it’s a mad hunt for it. Not much to be found. Seems someone “lost” evidence after the sent it to me under FOIA…about 3500 pages.
No one can say what that means. Bob emailed me and Zeldin has a copy of Bob saying he has to send it out.
What they’re afraid of is Vets having free choice…sparking a wholesale rush of Vets to outside care….VA hospitals would be ghost towns, AGFE would lose all it’s members and it’s strangle hold on what is left of the VA, Big Pharm would lose it’s pool of guinea pigs, all those incompetent foreign doctors that can’t work anywhere but the VA would lose their jobs, all those incompetent bureaucrats would be out of THEIR cushy jobs…and Vets would get real, competent medical care…and it would probably save the taxpayer billions… Oh the horror….
I’m not sure that it would save taxpayers billions. It would only make the wealthy people in this country wealthier. And those private doctors can scam the VA just as easy as anyone else. What it would do is end the use of Nurse Practitioners playing doctor. NP are not doctors.
Troll ALERT!!!
If I have a choice, I’ll NEVER see the inside of a VHA again PERIOD.
I hear ya bro, they damn near killed me last year do to malpractice and incompetance.
Thank god for real hospitals and ambulances
This is the AFGE and it’s Legion blowing unicorn fart smokescreens and NOT owning-up to fail after fails. They are ONLY frightened that Veterans will have TRUE CHOICE and that their Veteran Cookie Ca$h Jar may not be carte blanche if Trump has his way.
Banish ALL Unions from the VA. Cancer will be severed and the VA can start to regroup and finally heal. DONE.
Repurpose some dilapidated VA Hospital as a Prison, seal all windows, start filling with AFGE Thugs, rinse, and repeat as necessary. DONE! (GITMO would be an option for most egregious)
@namnibor,
Great suggestion for those VHA hospitals. Let’s start with “Fat Boy Cox!” Then work the rest in.
This just out on our local news, channel 27,
The Dallas Shooter was not affiliated with anyone. BULL SHIT! HE WAS WITH THAT TERRORIST GROUP BLM!
Also, on 27 news. Hit-LIAR-y says her picks of VP “…could include Sanders or Barack Obama!”
She’s really getting “dilutions of grandeur” if she believes Americans will stand for this!
You mean the shooter that had been seen three times at the VAMC Dallas?
I gotta disagree with you on the repurpose the places as prisons. Roseburgs buildings are deemed fit for veterans but as my local PCP friend says, if they were a dog pound instead the humane society would shut them down and imprison the owners for animal cruelty.
I heard good prisoners get to pet dogs. It wouldn’t be fair.
@Seymore,
Yes, that deranged BLM Affiliated shooter that murdered those five police officers. He’s a coward. He shot them in the back!
If he had gotten the care he really needed those 5 Police Officers would be alive today.
I do not think the VA could have penetrated that Dallas or Baton Rouge shooter’s deep hatred for everyone BUT people that think exactly like them.
They are DOMESTIC TERRORISTS, plain and simple.
The Patriot Act would have properly designated BLM as such under a proper President of the USA. We have a BLM POTUS sympathizer that’s fueling the flames and cares more about that than any Veteran.
The VA would only have aggravated their deep hatred and fanaticism.
Namnibor,
The Dallas shooter had serious mental health issues that should have been recognized and treated at the VA. But they were not.
I have a feeling that the shooter experienced exactly the same problems with the VA as most everyone on this blog has experienced.
I know that a lot of people posting here have felt a very distinct sense of injustice in our dealings with the VA. For the Dallas shooter add to that the sense of injustice he likely felt due to his race and how BLM is portraying the police shootings. Also the BLM’s radicalized message they use against police officers.
Also add the injustice he must have felt, as we all do, about the fact our government is protecting the elite from prosecution for crimes ranging from the big banks mortgage fraud, ramped theft and fraud within the VA, to Hillary’s email and the Clinton Foundation’s pay for favors.
Now add to that the fact that his discharge from service was under circumstances which involved mental health issues. He had been seen three times at the VAMC there in Dallas.
Personally I feel had he gotten proper care at a VA Facility he would not have gone so far off the deep end and started killing police officers.
Seymore, it may be likely that had he gotten the proper care at the VA he would not have done this, but I highly doubt it.
From what I have read, he was having issues while he was still in Afghanistan with hanging out with a different crowd after the panty issue. He was ostracized by many in his unit while there and when He came home…rightly or wrongly, neither excuse what He did.
He also started looking at black power groups shortly after he returned.
From what I read, he went to the VA to try get a back injury service connected, and gave up shortly after starting because of the bureaucratic hassle.
Regardless, there have been many veterans whose claims have been denied. There are many veterans who have been wrongly turned away by the VA for care who then have committed suicide.
Those veterans have not gone out with an intent of shooting a certain race of cops as this guy was reported as wanting to do.
Could the VA have helped him? Maybe. I believe he was well past the point of the VA helping.
For those of you who have never been on the verge of going postal, your comments on the shootings are off base. Likely both men had left frontal lobe brain damage, and weren’t diagnosed and treated properly.
The author Tom Philpott should spend a little time learning the facts before publishing trash like his article. For one he wrongly states “Given the drumbeat of criticism still being leveled at the VA, and a feint by the Commission on Care to propose that veterans rely solely on for-profit care”.
That is total fucking bullshit Philpott and you know it you fricken political hack.
Not only has the Commission on Cares final report been released Prior to July 1st. That is more than 17 days before his bullshit article was published. His facts are wrong about the Commission on Care’s proposal and prior proposal. Nowhere in the report does the Commission on Cares propose that veterans rely solely on for-profit-care.
Although the Commission on Care’s report does recommend that Veterans be given a choice in providers in their health care. Also the report recommends the elimination of the 40 miles or 30-day rule in the Veterans Choice Program and allowing all veterans eligible for VA Health care be provided a choice whether they want to receive their Health Care at a VA Facility or from a private provider based on a system similar to Medicare.
Tom Philpott is nothing but a political hack.
His good buddies at “MyVA”, which really stands for their VA, want to maintain the status quo with a promise of things will get better for Veterans in the future.
When in fact the only thing that is going to happen at the VA is less accountability and Doctors will be replaced by Nurses. Surely a very deadly combination for any Veteran receiving Health Care at any VA Facility.
Philpott even has the audacity to interview Michael Haynie, vice chancellor at Syracuse University and executive director of its Institute for Veterans and Military Families.
Not only is the Institute for Veterans and Military Families tied to Thomas Burch and his sham charity but Syracuse University relies on using Veterans for human subject research and as training dummies.
Of course Haynie doesn’t want accountability at the VA or a decrease in the size of research subject pool his university can use.
A search of the web leads to numerous articles by Philpott promoting Hillary Clinton also a great deal of articles on the great things the VA is doing. He is nothing but a Political hack.
In one of his prior articles with the same interviews, very same message and same bullshit about the Commission on Care, titled “Rhetoric aside, VA reform is making strides”, Posted: July 15, 2016
This hack states “Trump promised to give “every veteran” in America access either to VA or private sector health care, a move veterans service organizations oppose, fearful that ballooning costs would put the entire VA health system at risk, a special concern for severely disabled veterans who rely on VA the most.”
Veterans do want a choice in their healthcare and paid political hacks like Philpott are fighting against Veterans receiving not only a choice in their healthcare but also against veterans receiving Quality health care.
Hey Philpott you want to do a story on politics and the VA.
Here is one from a prior post see if you can take off your Hillary Glasses and stop fighting against Veterans receiving real health care long enough to understand it. Try doing some good for Veterans instead of helping to kill them.
“Regarding Tomah VAMC.
You should remember that one of the Doctors there did blow the Whistle on the prescriptions practices of the Candy Man. He ended up being fired from the VAMC Tomah and took his own life. His name was Dr. Christopher Kirkpatrick.
Senator Ron Johnson who has held multiple public hearings in Tomah concerning the VAMC and has been fighting for Veterans in Wisconsin. Sponsored a bill to protect federal whistleblowers from retaliation.
In honor of Dr. Christopher Kirkpatrick action in trying to raise concerns about patients’ medications. The Bill is named “the Dr. Christopher Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act of 2015”.
Although the bill has full support in both the house and the senate the Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid Blocked the Bill.
The reason is simply because Mr. “I didn’t get the Memo” Russ Feingold is running against Senator Ron Johnson.
Reid blocked the bill so Johnson cannot state it was an accomplishment.
Fucking Reid and Feingold playing election year politics with Veterans Lives.
Hey you AFGE employees. How to you feel about Reid and Feingold stiffing your Union. A bill that would not only help Veterans but also protect AFGE employees who blew the Whistle gets blocked so you will vote for Mr. “I didn’t Get the Memo” Feingold.
Hey AFGE Members Don’t forget to follow your leader wouldn’t want you to get all confused and vote for someone who is trying to protect you.
Sources:
“Harry Reid blocks Ron Johnson’s Whistleblower protection bill” Bill Glauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel July 15 2016
“https://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/harry-reid-blocks-ron-johnsons-whistleblower-protection-bill-b99762461z1-387015281.html”
“For one whistleblower, getting fired was too much”, Donovan Slack, USA TODAY 12:07 a.m. EDT April 12, 2015
“https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/04/12/va-whistleblower-killed-himself-after-dismissal/25587367/”
“Rhetoric aside, VA reform is making strides” political hack Phillott, Posted: July 15, 2016
“https://www.kitsapsun.com/opinion/tom-philpott–rhetoric-aside-va-reform-is-making-strides-379b96f2-c47e-2ff4-e053-0100007ffcd0-387029601.html”
Philpotts Twitter and email address are at the bottom of the linked article. I suggest sending him some notes on his drivel.
What reforms are they so concerned about getting lost? If there were any true reforms, he would have listed them.
He also cited “veterans organizations” without naming them. As we know, most veterans organizations want to protect the status quo at the VA rather than what is in the best interest of their members.
True. They want the status of VSO instead of helping their members. And their executives like getting checks that are bigger than the Secretary of the VA’s.