Trevor Noah: VA Is Like ‘Absentee Dad’ On GI Bill Foible
In case you missed it, Trevor Noah hammered VA over its initial refusal to repay veterans on the GI Bill, calling the agency an “absentee dad” refusing to do the right thing after getting caught screwing up.
“Every time America’s going to war they find the money for drones that are so advanced they can zap a pimple off an ISIS fighter’s face. But when the soldiers get home all the sudden America’s like, ‘Yeah, we can’t pay you. Our computers are running windows BC, so sorry.’… I don’t trust a computer that has a built-in ashtray.”
No kidding.
Noah’s roast of VA continued, “The VA came out and said that because the number of unpaid veterans is so high it would be too much effort to figure out how to pay them all. So they’re just not going to pay them what they’re due. That’s not the attitude of a responsible government agency; that’s the attitude of an absentee dad.”
Noah’s team parady’s how obsurd it is that VA is relying on 50 year old computer systems to process its GI Bill payments, and that those old ass computers are the cause of hundreds of thousands of veterans not getting their monthly subsistence.
Most of you know VA completely failed its veterans after botching the transition from the Post 9/11 GI Bill to the Forever GI Bill. Over the past 8 years, the agency received hundreds of millions in taxpayer money to update its GI Bill process software and systems.
God only knows where they actually spent the money, because it sure and hell was not on updating the computer systems to prevent the kind of massive glitch exposed this August when the agency was unable to start processing the new GI Bill appropriately.
RELATED: Worley Given New Gig After GI Bill Screw-up
A congressional hearing two weeks ago revealed the agency relied on 50 year old computers as part of the problem. The other part of the problem? Total lack of accountability for agency leadership responsible for the program.
While Congress and IG may not do much, at least the press is not letting this go, and neither are comedians like Trevor Noah. I am glad to see he is continuing the path of Jon Stewart in hitting back at VA idiots for treating veterans like nusance children.
Filed with JCAHO yesterday
I am a Disabled Combat Veteran and former VAMC Employee and I have been repeatedly abused by VA Medical Staff. The latest incident now involves the active solicitation by e-mail to undego ELECTRO-CONVULSIVE SHOCK TREATMENT in the form of an advertisement. This is harassment as I have indicated in my previous counseling session with DR Elizabeth Ross this treatment is CRUEL and UNUSUAL treatment and I consider it a form of severe punishment for having PTSD related to military service and for complaining about the quality of care there was this and other forms of retaliation including Federal Police on the medical campus, additionally I have severe ischemic heart disease. Electrocuting my brain even if anesthesia is administered will probably kill me if the anesthesia does not. Before you snap to judgement on my complaint consider the fact that I have taken patients through this treatment and I know the outcomes- they are ineffective , resulting in whats known by us nurses as ” Frequent Flyers”, Complaint 2: the use of e-mail to solicit dangerous treatments that are proven ineffective constitutes levels of fraud meeting criminal statutes for the allegations on the use of mail and the use of electronic devices to commit such acts. Consider thayt I have a complaint before the VA-OIG for abusive treatment and criminal acts committed at the VAMC-Albuquerque. Consider the fact that I am credentialed: MBA-Healthcare management, BS-Nursing (25 years experience), BSIT, BA- Psychology. And lastly consider that I have written books in the area of Patient Safety . Finally, you may contact me for further information: I have saved the solicitation aforementioned and I am willing to prosecute my complaint, if an attorney is necessary I can provide that too. You may contact me for the solicitation and I will be happy to forward the web link. That the VA may be and probably is doing this to Veterans nationwide becomes a MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE . I have saved a copy of this complaint for my records.
Te IG is overloaded and front loaded with DOD directives not to assist- just sayin my opinion. These are worst human beings in history working at the VA. A couple of weeks ago one of them tried to poach my bank account numbers over the phone. I filed a White House complaint and actually got a descent response; They are going to counsel the employee. Now you know thats double speak for she’s on the radar for VA Bank Fraud for the rest of her life…
The message is true, but I will always have a hard time with this messenger, an anti-American foreigner who had no problem giving Obama and his team, the Democrats, a pass for nearly 8 years.
That said, I have personally witnessed great improvements since 2004 and hope they continue. Everyone involved in this latest VA GI BILL debacle should be demoted or fired, it’s time to take out the trash.
AGREE…” this messenger, an anti-American foreigner who had no problem giving Obama and his team, the Democrats, a pass for nearly 8 years.”
Let us be careful when providing ammo to these anti Trump Messengers. The Democrats will do much worse…
Oooooh Yeah! Take that VA – However I don’t like to generically lump all problems and issue on the “VA”. There are people who are responsible for doing their jobs and they sometimes fail. When this happens, step aside and find another person who is better able to do what they are being paid to do. The system would work if the employees were competent and actually doing their jobs. Oh yeah and then there is the issue of outdated computer systems and the money being dumped into upgrading them, to no avail. Where’s the money?
Let me regress from the first comment and add, the system is a good system if the technology, training of employees and the competency of employees were efficient to manage the agency. Let’s not fall into the trap of “all or nothing” thinking. There is a source to the issues and problems, people. Just saying, when there is an issue, identify the source instead of saying the “VA”. It’s the people not the agency. But I’m preaching to the choir aren’t I. Oh well.
Godspeed
The mothership is responsible for the actions of its people , sorry to disagree with TLC- it ain’t working for me , thy is trying to kill me.
If one wants to take directives from or work for criminals then one should not be surprised when classified as the same. The VA is not a good system, never has been never will be, When VA lies and deceives, it destroys all credibility for everyone that works for or participates in that system.
Veterans are treated better now then even before. I fear to think what would have happened if the other party won….
Gulf War and OEF Disabled Veteran.
How long does this type of crap have to go on? The VA bureaucracy in Washington doesn’t give two shits about us or our problems! What is it going to take for somebody to grow a set of balls and start putting some of these clowns in prison before we finally get treated like human beings? Wonder how many of these ass-hats have actually been in harms way? I thinking a very small amount if any because they don’t have a clue how people that served their country are supposed to be treated. I’m not wanting or asking for a lot just to be treated with a little respect and dignity that I’ve earned or at least to be treated as well as the people trying to get into our country from our Southern borders that are demanding their rights which they so richly deserve or so they think. How many Vets lives have to be sacrificed before somebody takes notice? But the VA doesn’t want any one to know how many Vets are committing suicide in front of the clinics due to being frustrated that they are not being heard.
Cute move for Noah and Comedy Central to use stuff for hopeful ratings, hearts, minds, emotions and nothing will change from it. Like it was intended for any serious investigations or focus… from Hollyweird? While he happily totally ignores very serious events and issues in his own homeland American media refuses to report on, and stuff I won’t mention today. Shuusssh, I be labeled. George Carlin said it all well enough and nothing changed but sure got plenty of ratings and laughter. oh ha ha.
Just heard of another vet suicide. No big news, no reports, no outcry, nothing on Comedy Central about it. I don’t have much stomach left for comedy or Hollywood.
I’ll be damned… a story that couldn’t be swept under the carpet leaked out… countless thousands flushed. That is why some global villages and college towns are censored from capital city news stations and papers. Wonder why.
-State’s VA director resigns amid assistance fund controversy-
“https://www.ibj.com/articles/71640-states-va-director-resigns-amid-assistance-fund-controversy?utm_source=ibj-daily&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=2018-12-07”
When hundreds of thousands of people are not paid some of them die.
VA management is the computer virus, infecting the system.
Pork instead of conscientious contract with intelligent oversight.
Trevor Noah is spot-on and awesome!!
VA- You are all greedy ingrate assholes with gravitational fields for your daily donuts intake, and if these were foibled Non-Performance Bonus Checks….you would not only get paid, but you assholes would pay extra % to yourselves for the inconvenience BUT BY GOD, should ANY Vet report ONE DIME over on Travel Pay….Barney Cops and full SWAT Team is on the fucking menus…
…meanwhile back in burning Rome…anyone wondering WHICH 6 Veteran’s Groups (VSO’s) were BABOOZLED By then POTUS-Elect on their paid D.C. drinking and opulence tour at Trump Hotel?
HAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHA….Where’s that organ grinder…? “Dance Monkeys, DANCE”!!! HAHAHHAH
Trevor Noah hates America and everything it stands for.
If you think this mediocre diversity hire running script, “ORANGE MAN BAD” is awesome, I suggest you run a debugging routine on your NPC system.
This story is not genuine, it’s yet another attempt to “own” President Trump.
As usual, young Mr. Noah is spot on with his message. About time VA was taken to task on some nationally broadcast comedy shows. Perhaps the message will begin to get across to America’s citizenry writ large.
Props to Mr. Noah for that piece!
James Clement if you chat on here today and everyday and Veterans and People you know and they have to be a Veteran email their Senators or Representative contract the Board of Veteran Health Care Budget raise the Budget for Veterans Health Care no excuse do it Remember don’t Surrender do it every day …..Semper Fi. and Benjamin Krause do the same no excuse.