VERBATIM
Tequila Volare sends us a link from the
Atlanta Journal Constitution that recounts the battle that Veterans Affairs is having with their oversight committee on their irresponsible spending that is not helping veterans one whit;
“There is a culture at the VA that doesn’t put the veterans first,” complained Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX), who said videos of dancing bureaucrats in Orlando brought back memories of the GSA conference in Vegas.
“I don’t want you testifying about this kind of crap,” Flores told the VA’s Gould.
Of course, the battle is over the $6 million that DVA spent on training conferences last year, which we discussed earlier. The article says that the DVA has finally admitted that they spent $85.6 million on conferences last year, if I’m reading the article correctly, but the article is as convoluted as the DVA’s responses to 66 responses for the House Veterans’ Committee which has arrived at that number.
It seems to me that $85.6 million dollars would go a long ways to cleaning out the VA’s backlog of veterans’ claims, not that it matters, apparently, since it looks like Veteran Affairs has more to do with entertaining it’s employees than doing the business of veterans.
With the large number of phonies we’ve seen getting benefits they didn’t earn, I guess the DVA is more interested in rewarding everyone except veterans.
TSP Added Content follows:
Content Warning: I am worked up so language and attitude warning: OOPS It just Slipped Out
Shit ² Away
Both
campaigns seem to have left us off the side perhaps in an effort to not bring
the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the associated Veterans and service
members who are broken or injured from their service there into the limelight
anymore than possible.
Why would
that be? Well both parties and many past administrations going back well before
my service have had the re-occurring problem of the VA and its piss poor
management of Veterans services. Backlogs of claims that keep growing, and
every new administration has the cure, another program, more money thrown at
the problem with more administrative personnel that never really seem to fix
the problem, if they did there wouldn’t be a close to a million claims
backlogged awaiting adjudication for service connected issues and injuries.
We a have a
hodge podge of programs, TDRL, PDRL, CRDP, CRSC, VA, TERA, Chap 61 , and probably
more plus a whole gambit of rules, regulations, and laws that experts and even
their own people can’t get correct. We get some but lose others, three
different entities (DFAS, VA, SSD) trying to coordinate payments to the
disabled and retired taking money here giving back there. Then the insurance nightmare, VA vs. Tri-Care vs.
Medicare vs. Medicaid vs. Private Insurance and now Obama Care.
SO, I am
pointing the finger right at the “Ruling Class” both Republicans and Democrats,
you court us for our votes, use us for your flag waving image, prop up our
wounded and injured, get photo ops at our fallen Brother’s and Sister’s funerals
and with their families. Then you promptly forget about us until the next
election and try to pacify us in between with tidbits here and there.
So for what good it will do to all of those politicians who will never read this, pull your head out of your 4th point of contact (ass for you politicians just so I am not misunderstood), take stand damn it , actually hold someones ass to the fire for mismanagement, fraud, abuse. Appoint a prosecutor, charge them if applicable, fire them if nothing else. Do the right thing for once in your career dammit.
Then there is the growing problem of suicides not only among Active Duty personnel but the DVA reported 3,871 Veterans enrolled in VA care took their own lives in 2008 and 2009.
Though timely numbers are elusive, the Department of Veterans Affairs reported that 3,871 veterans who were enrolled in VA care killed themselves in 2008 and 2009. Stars & Stripes
The question becomes how many of those Veterans where experiencing problems with claims delays?
How many of those waiting on claims were in financial distress? How many had a spouse and children? Homeless, or about to be Homeless?
How many lost a home they had no prior problems paying until injured or put out of the military for service connected injuries?
How many were ushered out the door quickly by the military and told see the VA they will take care of you with out proper follow up care post-deployment?
How many of those if we now looked at the circumstances would we say they slipped through the cracks?
What can we do to fix that? NOW, not with a 2 year study and 10 million dollars, but right NOW so others don't slip through.
SO, let move down the food chain a bit to the Secretary of the Veterans Affairs, Eric Shinseki Gen (Ret.) Respectfully sir, I know you are a fellow war Vet, Army dog, and have a service/combat related disability.
I respect your service and the your career, and the fact you completed the Ranger course. That being the case sir: RANGER THE FUCK UP! There are fellow Vets being left behind due the bloated inefficient mess at the VA.
Your subordinates of which YOU took responsibility for almost 4 years ago just admitted they spent $85.6 million on conferences last year.
Would you as a BN, BDE, DIV, CORPS, or 7th Army Commander tolerated such wasteful use of money?
I bet they taught this one at West Point, I know as a lowly NCO I was taught it, "You can delegate Authority, but you cannot delegate Responsibility"
Well Sir, I would say some ass needs kicked and some necks proverbially stretched as you and your command just got butt fucked by the established and entrenched VA bureaucracy and left to fend for yourself in front of Congress.
You may be okay though , with the exception of Allen West LTC (Ret) they don't seem to have enough testicular material to make a pair to fill a nutsack amongst the whole damned lot of the worthless bastards in either the House or the Senate.
The VA collectively is leaving men and women behind all the while they are going off to party on money better spent fixing or improving quality of life for VETERANS, NOT VETERANS AFFAIRS EMPLOYEES.
One bit of advice Sir, Think NCO. Rough, tough, down and dirty, crusty, cranky, take no shit, stone faced, dedicated, and in your face, truth hurts NCO's. (No offense intended toward my Commissioned Brethren, its just the task at hand is down and dirty, and most of you are Gentlemen, or Ladies respectively. The point being made is for more VETERANS in positions to make change and realistically Officers are fine, I am just trying to make a point)
There is your answer to your problem, you may get the livin shit sued out of you by the SEIU, but the Vets would probably be better served.
After all, we as NCO's took care of our soldiers in the combat zone, why in hell couldn't we do it here?
Besides, the VA should hire mostly Vets anyway, medical specialist maybe not available. I know at mine on the staff there aren't too many vets around unless they are sweeping the floor.
Bottom line SHIT NEEDS TO BE SQUARED AWAY.
But what the hell do I know?
