Fake Outrage!

[Vermonter]

We all have heard about the 40 American Veterans who died waiting to see a doctor in Phoenix.

And the politicians on both sides of the aisle are pretending to be outraged.

But let's face it, there's nothing they can do about it. Our Federal bureaucracy has become so bloated nobody has any control over it anymore. The employees have such a strong union it prevents anyone from getting fired when a new administration comes in.

And to a degree I guess that's good.

But the workers have become so insulated they now can do whatever they want and nothing will happen. Sharon Helman, who was in charge in Phoenix, isn't under indictment, she isn't being investigated by the Phoenix Police, she's on "administrative leave". In other words, "Go sip some sherry while we figure out how to protect you."

But things are moving swiftly in Washington! The political merry go round is in full swing. And General Shinseki, a fine and honorable man whose hands are completely tied because of the infinite layers of bureaucracy, is on the chopping block.

This is not a Democrat or Republican issue any more. It just one tiny segment of a system where government employees will do whatever is necessary, even to the point of letting people die, just so they can look good and get a bonus!

So what happens now?

Well, an Inspector General is going to go to Phoenix sometime in the near future (when??) and 'investigate', and in a few months or so, issue a report.

Wow! A report!

This report will go up the chain of command and I guarantee it will be edited by those who may be culpable, until it gets to General Shinseki. (If he's still there.) This could possibly be done in 6 to 8 months.

Then he can go to Congress and announce there was a problem in Phoenix and it has been "addressed". Then everybody on the panel gets a close up asking General Shinseki a "tough question" that will be played on the evening news back home.

My question is "When are we going to realize the federal bureaucracy is so out of control, neither the President nor Congress has any power to fix it?"

The ONLY person in Washington who has any power to go after lawbreakers in government is the Attorney General. He can call in the FBI this afternoon and tell them to get to the bottom of it and arrest people. But he won't. Because even he is afraid of the bureaucracy involved.

More so than the politicians, our government needs to be reigned in. And I'll cast my vote for either a Republican or Democrat who has the balls to do it.

 

[occupied]

I am sure the outrage is real on a personal level but the truth of the matter is that a lot of those people in congress are prepared to send any number of soldiers off to die for whatever reason and really have no idea what do with them when they somehow survive to return. For years we have been faced with shameful figures on veteran homelessness and sickness and yet budgets for that are subject to ruthless politically motivated slashing. We could really do something about it but as always there is plenty of money to fight wars but never enough to deal with the terrible aftermath.

 

[pvsi]

More so than the politicians, our government needs to be reigned in. And I'll cast my vote for either a Republican or Democrat who has the balls to do it.

Just remember, such a democrat or republican will never be presented as a legitimate candidate IN THE END when it will matter - they may dangle him in the off season though, to gain credibility. Why not join together with the new world government?

 

[Vermonter]

Why not join together with the new world government?

Run by whom?

 

[waltky]

What a sham...

Obama and Congress move to address VA firestorm
May 17, 2014: WASHINGTON — The Obama administration and Congress are moving quickly to respond to a growing political firestorm over allegations of treatment delays and falsified records at veterans' hospitals nationwide.

The top official for veterans' health care resigned Friday, and House Republicans scheduled a vote for Wednesday on legislation that would give Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki greater authority to fire or demote senior executives and administrators at the agency and its 152 medical centers. The actions came as federal investigators visited a VA hospital in suburban Chicago to look into an allegation that secret lists were used to conceal long patient wait times for appointments. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., meanwhile, called for an investigation into reports that schedulers at a VA medical center in Albuquerque were ordered to falsify patient appointment records.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said the Veterans Affairs Department is suffering from "a systemic, cultural problem" that cannot be solved with piecemeal responses, such as the resignation of a top official. "What's needed is a total refocusing of the VA on its core mission of serving veterans — stretching from its top political leadership all the way through to its career civil servants," McCain said Saturday in the weekly Republican radio and Internet address. Citing news reports that VA managers received performance bonuses even as internal audits revealed lengthy wait times for health care, McCain said top VA officials too often have been "motivated by all the wrong incentives and rewards."

McCain, a Vietnam veteran, said Congress must give VA administrators greater ability to hire and fire those charged with caring for veterans, as well as give veterans greater flexibility in how they get quality care in a timely manner. Reports of long waits for appointments and processing benefit applications have plagued the VA for years. Officials have shortened benefits backlogs, but allegations of preventable deaths that may be linked to delays at the Phoenix VA hospital have triggered an election-year uproar. A former clinic director said up to 40 veterans died while awaiting treatment at the Phoenix VA hospital, even as hospital staff kept a secret appointment list to mask the delays.

A VA nurse in Cheyenne, Wyoming, was put on leave for allegedly telling employees to falsify appointment records. A VA investigation in December found that staffers at a Fort Collins, Colorado, clinic were trained to make it appear as if veterans got appointments within 14 days, as VA guidelines suggest. Problems also have been reported in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Missouri, Texas, Florida and others. Amid a growing outcry, the administration and Congress took steps to reassure the public that problems are being addressed. Robert Petzel, the VA's undersecretary for health care, had been scheduled to retire this year but instead stepped down Friday. Petzel had said he would remain until the Senate confirmed a replacement, but a department official said Shinseki asked Petzel to leave immediately.

MORE

See also:

Top VA health official steps down over care scandals
May 16, 2014: WASHINGTON — Dr. Robert Petzel, Undersecretary for Health in the Department of Veterans Affairs, has resigned amid a firestorm over allegations of fraudulent wait lists for care and a host of other problems at the VA.

According to a statement put out by the VA, Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said the following: “Today, I accepted the resignation of Dr. Robert Petzel, Under Secretary for Health in the Department of Veterans Affairs. “As we know from the veteran community, most veterans are satisfied with the quality of their VA health care, but we must do more to improve timely access to that care. “I am committed to strengthening veterans’ trust and confidence in their VA healthcare system. I thank Dr. Petzel for his four decades of service to veterans.”

Petzel, who was the top health official at the department, oversaw an annual medical care budget of over $54 billion, along with 277,000 staff members, according to his official VA biography. The Veterans Health Administration operates more than 1,700 healthcare locations, including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and counseling centers. More than 8 million veterans are enrolled in the system, according to VA. But Petzel had announced in September that he would retire this year, perhaps blunting the effect of this announcement. The VA said at the time that Petzel would be retiring “as planned, following a four-year tenure,” but would remain in the job until the Senate confirms a successor.

The White House announced May 1 that it intended to nominate Jeffrey Murawsky, director of the VA’s Illinois-based Great Lakes Health Care System, as the new undersecretary for health. “Today’s announcement from VA regarding Undersecretary for Health Robert Petzel’s ‘resignation’ is the pinnacle of disingenuous political doublespeak,” according to a statement from Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. “Petzel was already scheduled to retire in 2014 and President Obama has already announced his intention to nominate Petzel’s replacement, so characterizing this as a ‘resignation’ just doesn’t pass the smell test. ... the VA has resorted to what it does best: splitting semantic hairs to create the illusion of accountability and progress. After yesterday’s out-of-touch performance from Sec. Shinseki, I was disappointed. Today, I am even more disillusioned.”

MORE

 

[Avatar4321]

More so than the politicians, our government needs to be reigned in. And I'll cast my vote for either a Republican or Democrat who has the balls to do it.

Just remember, such a democrat or republican will never be presented as a legitimate candidate IN THE END when it will matter - they may dangle him in the off season though, to gain credibility. Why not join together with the new world government?

Because no one is going to sacrifice their liberties to chase your world wide government.

 

[CaféAuLait]

I read an article the other day absolving Shinseki of any responsibility. It was written by someone that stated he was Shinseki's friend, a Lt. Col, if I recall correctly. He went onto state we should close the VA's and allow vets to go to civilian hospitals and just have the government pay the bill without charge to the vet. I agree with him in part, the system has been broke for too long.

However, I do not agree Shinseki is not at fault. He moved Helman 6 times in 7 years. 6 different states. One scandal after another. She was removed from Spokane, WA for lying and covering up suicides and other centers for different issues. Then she managed to kil at least 40 vets in LESS than 1 year in AZ.

He was aware, he shares the blame. End of story.

 

[depotoo]

I am sure the outrage is real on a personal level but the truth of the matter is that a lot of those people in congress are prepared to send any number of soldiers off to die for whatever reason and really have no idea what do with them when they somehow survive to return. For years we have been faced with shameful figures on veteran homelessness and sickness and yet budgets for that are subject to ruthless politically motivated slashing. We could really do something about it but as always there is plenty of money to fight wars but never enough to deal with the terrible aftermath.

Really? VA budget 2012 $125.3 billion dollars
2013 $138.8 billion dollars

 

[depotoo]

When will people wake up and realize just throwing more money at a problem does not solve a systemic problem?

 

[depotoo]

Another one of those resignations that is actually a planned retirement.

What a sham...

Obama and Congress move to address VA firestorm
May 17, 2014: WASHINGTON — The Obama administration and Congress are moving quickly to respond to a growing political firestorm over allegations of treatment delays and falsified records at veterans' hospitals nationwide.

The top official for veterans' health care resigned Friday, and House Republicans scheduled a vote for Wednesday on legislation that would give Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki greater authority to fire or demote senior executives and administrators at the agency and its 152 medical centers. The actions came as federal investigators visited a VA hospital in suburban Chicago to look into an allegation that secret lists were used to conceal long patient wait times for appointments. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., meanwhile, called for an investigation into reports that schedulers at a VA medical center in Albuquerque were ordered to falsify patient appointment records.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said the Veterans Affairs Department is suffering from "a systemic, cultural problem" that cannot be solved with piecemeal responses, such as the resignation of a top official. "What's needed is a total refocusing of the VA on its core mission of serving veterans — stretching from its top political leadership all the way through to its career civil servants," McCain said Saturday in the weekly Republican radio and Internet address. Citing news reports that VA managers received performance bonuses even as internal audits revealed lengthy wait times for health care, McCain said top VA officials too often have been "motivated by all the wrong incentives and rewards."

McCain, a Vietnam veteran, said Congress must give VA administrators greater ability to hire and fire those charged with caring for veterans, as well as give veterans greater flexibility in how they get quality care in a timely manner. Reports of long waits for appointments and processing benefit applications have plagued the VA for years. Officials have shortened benefits backlogs, but allegations of preventable deaths that may be linked to delays at the Phoenix VA hospital have triggered an election-year uproar. A former clinic director said up to 40 veterans died while awaiting treatment at the Phoenix VA hospital, even as hospital staff kept a secret appointment list to mask the delays.

A VA nurse in Cheyenne, Wyoming, was put on leave for allegedly telling employees to falsify appointment records. A VA investigation in December found that staffers at a Fort Collins, Colorado, clinic were trained to make it appear as if veterans got appointments within 14 days, as VA guidelines suggest. Problems also have been reported in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Missouri, Texas, Florida and others. Amid a growing outcry, the administration and Congress took steps to reassure the public that problems are being addressed. Robert Petzel, the VA's undersecretary for health care, had been scheduled to retire this year but instead stepped down Friday. Petzel had said he would remain until the Senate confirmed a replacement, but a department official said Shinseki asked Petzel to leave immediately.

MORE

See also:

Top VA health official steps down over care scandals
May 16, 2014: WASHINGTON — Dr. Robert Petzel, Undersecretary for Health in the Department of Veterans Affairs, has resigned amid a firestorm over allegations of fraudulent wait lists for care and a host of other problems at the VA.

According to a statement put out by the VA, Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said the following: “Today, I accepted the resignation of Dr. Robert Petzel, Under Secretary for Health in the Department of Veterans Affairs. “As we know from the veteran community, most veterans are satisfied with the quality of their VA health care, but we must do more to improve timely access to that care. “I am committed to strengthening veterans’ trust and confidence in their VA healthcare system. I thank Dr. Petzel for his four decades of service to veterans.”

Petzel, who was the top health official at the department, oversaw an annual medical care budget of over $54 billion, along with 277,000 staff members, according to his official VA biography. The Veterans Health Administration operates more than 1,700 healthcare locations, including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and counseling centers. More than 8 million veterans are enrolled in the system, according to VA. But Petzel had announced in September that he would retire this year, perhaps blunting the effect of this announcement. The VA said at the time that Petzel would be retiring “as planned, following a four-year tenure,” but would remain in the job until the Senate confirms a successor.

The White House announced May 1 that it intended to nominate Jeffrey Murawsky, director of the VA’s Illinois-based Great Lakes Health Care System, as the new undersecretary for health. “Today’s announcement from VA regarding Undersecretary for Health Robert Petzel’s ‘resignation’ is the pinnacle of disingenuous political doublespeak,” according to a statement from Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. “Petzel was already scheduled to retire in 2014 and President Obama has already announced his intention to nominate Petzel’s replacement, so characterizing this as a ‘resignation’ just doesn’t pass the smell test. ... the VA has resorted to what it does best: splitting semantic hairs to create the illusion of accountability and progress. After yesterday’s out-of-touch performance from Sec. Shinseki, I was disappointed. Today, I am even more disillusioned.”

MORE

 

[Vermonter]

Shinseki had to keep moving Helman around because he can't fire her. Political appointees can't fire government workers.

 

[jillian]

We all have heard about the 40 American Veterans who died waiting to see a doctor in Phoenix.

And the politicians on both sides of the aisle are pretending to be outraged.

But let's face it, there's nothing they can do about it. Our Federal bureaucracy has become so bloated nobody has any control over it anymore. The employees have such a strong union it prevents anyone from getting fired when a new administration comes in.

And to a degree I guess that's good.

But the workers have become so insulated they now can do whatever they want and nothing will happen. Sharon Helman, who was in charge in Phoenix, isn't under indictment, she isn't being investigated by the Phoenix Police, she's on "administrative leave". In other words, "Go sip some sherry while we figure out how to protect you."

But things are moving swiftly in Washington! The political merry go round is in full swing. And General Shinseki, a fine and honorable man whose hands are completely tied because of the infinite layers of bureaucracy, is on the chopping block.

This is not a Democrat or Republican issue any more. It just one tiny segment of a system where government employees will do whatever is necessary, even to the point of letting people die, just so they can look good and get a bonus!

So what happens now?

Well, an Inspector General is going to go to Phoenix sometime in the near future (when??) and 'investigate', and in a few months or so, issue a report.

Wow! A report!

This report will go up the chain of command and I guarantee it will be edited by those who may be culpable, until it gets to General Shinseki. (If he's still there.) This could possibly be done in 6 to 8 months.

Then he can go to Congress and announce there was a problem in Phoenix and it has been "addressed". Then everybody on the panel gets a close up asking General Shinseki a "tough question" that will be played on the evening news back home.

My question is "When are we going to realize the federal bureaucracy is so out of control, neither the President nor Congress has any power to fix it?"

The ONLY person in Washington who has any power to go after lawbreakers in government is the Attorney General. He can call in the FBI this afternoon and tell them to get to the bottom of it and arrest people. But he won't. Because even he is afraid of the bureaucracy involved.

More so than the politicians, our government needs to be reigned in. And I'll cast my vote for either a Republican or Democrat who has the balls to do it.

it has nothing to do with "bloated" bureaucracy. it has to do with funding. if you recall, privatizing VA facilities led to the same problems under baby bush. you can't keep cutting money for things that help people while cutting taxes over and over again.

 

[Votto]

We all have heard about the 40 American Veterans who died waiting to see a doctor in Phoenix.

And the politicians on both sides of the aisle are pretending to be outraged.

But let's face it, there's nothing they can do about it. Our Federal bureaucracy has become so bloated nobody has any control over it anymore. The employees have such a strong union it prevents anyone from getting fired when a new administration comes in.

And to a degree I guess that's good.

But the workers have become so insulated they now can do whatever they want and nothing will happen. Sharon Helman, who was in charge in Phoenix, isn't under indictment, she isn't being investigated by the Phoenix Police, she's on "administrative leave". In other words, "Go sip some sherry while we figure out how to protect you."

But things are moving swiftly in Washington! The political merry go round is in full swing. And General Shinseki, a fine and honorable man whose hands are completely tied because of the infinite layers of bureaucracy, is on the chopping block.

This is not a Democrat or Republican issue any more. It just one tiny segment of a system where government employees will do whatever is necessary, even to the point of letting people die, just so they can look good and get a bonus!

So what happens now?

Well, an Inspector General is going to go to Phoenix sometime in the near future (when??) and 'investigate', and in a few months or so, issue a report.

Wow! A report!

This report will go up the chain of command and I guarantee it will be edited by those who may be culpable, until it gets to General Shinseki. (If he's still there.) This could possibly be done in 6 to 8 months.

Then he can go to Congress and announce there was a problem in Phoenix and it has been "addressed". Then everybody on the panel gets a close up asking General Shinseki a "tough question" that will be played on the evening news back home.

My question is "When are we going to realize the federal bureaucracy is so out of control, neither the President nor Congress has any power to fix it?"

The ONLY person in Washington who has any power to go after lawbreakers in government is the Attorney General. He can call in the FBI this afternoon and tell them to get to the bottom of it and arrest people. But he won't. Because even he is afraid of the bureaucracy involved.

More so than the politicians, our government needs to be reigned in. And I'll cast my vote for either a Republican or Democrat who has the balls to do it.

Today if you are illegal alien you can go see a doctor immediately. But if you are a veteran who has sacrificed their life for the country you get put on a death list.

Only in America. Anyone serving in this Hitler like progressive military ought to have their heads examined. Let the fuckers get out their themselves and attack places like Syria for their one world utopia hell. I would love to see people like Eric Holder get shot at.

Do I sound angry?

 

[editec]

Today if you are illegal alien you can go see a doctor immediately. But if you are a veteran who has sacrificed their life for the country you get put on a death list.

Got hysteria?​

A message from a veteran who actually uses VA facilities.

 

[candycorn]

We all have heard about the 40 American Veterans who died waiting to see a doctor in Phoenix.

And the politicians on both sides of the aisle are pretending to be outraged.

But let's face it, there's nothing they can do about it. Our Federal bureaucracy has become so bloated nobody has any control over it anymore. The employees have such a strong union it prevents anyone from getting fired when a new administration comes in.

And to a degree I guess that's good.

But the workers have become so insulated they now can do whatever they want and nothing will happen. Sharon Helman, who was in charge in Phoenix, isn't under indictment, she isn't being investigated by the Phoenix Police, she's on "administrative leave". In other words, "Go sip some sherry while we figure out how to protect you."

But things are moving swiftly in Washington! The political merry go round is in full swing. And General Shinseki, a fine and honorable man whose hands are completely tied because of the infinite layers of bureaucracy, is on the chopping block.

This is not a Democrat or Republican issue any more. It just one tiny segment of a system where government employees will do whatever is necessary, even to the point of letting people die, just so they can look good and get a bonus!

So what happens now?

Well, an Inspector General is going to go to Phoenix sometime in the near future (when??) and 'investigate', and in a few months or so, issue a report.

Wow! A report!

This report will go up the chain of command and I guarantee it will be edited by those who may be culpable, until it gets to General Shinseki. (If he's still there.) This could possibly be done in 6 to 8 months.

Then he can go to Congress and announce there was a problem in Phoenix and it has been "addressed". Then everybody on the panel gets a close up asking General Shinseki a "tough question" that will be played on the evening news back home.

My question is "When are we going to realize the federal bureaucracy is so out of control, neither the President nor Congress has any power to fix it?"

The ONLY person in Washington who has any power to go after lawbreakers in government is the Attorney General. He can call in the FBI this afternoon and tell them to get to the bottom of it and arrest people. But he won't. Because even he is afraid of the bureaucracy involved.

More so than the politicians, our government needs to be reigned in. And I'll cast my vote for either a Republican or Democrat who has the balls to do it.

I think your angst is bizarre.

We had 10 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan and aren't completely done with it yet. We've had numerous soldiers serve multiple tours. The reality of 21st century combat is that you're on the battlefield one week and the next week, you could be stateside drinking a Coke and watching a movie; a movie likely telling a very different story than what you witnessed.

That we have any well adjusted veterans of combat is a testament to the steel of those men and women.

Anyway; what our problem in the nation is (one of them) is that we spend money only when we have to (administrations of all stripes) and it constantly injures us.
Between 1972 and 1992; we had scant involvement on a large scale. In 1992 we had the first gulf war, then after 2001, we had 10 years of battle. That we didn't invest in the VA commensurate with the deployments isn't surprising since you really don't know what the nature of healthcare is going to be needed and certainly do not know the volume of necessary care.

 

[depotoo]

We all have heard about the 40 American Veterans who died waiting to see a doctor in Phoenix.

And the politicians on both sides of the aisle are pretending to be outraged.

But let's face it, there's nothing they can do about it. Our Federal bureaucracy has become so bloated nobody has any control over it anymore. The employees have such a strong union it prevents anyone from getting fired when a new administration comes in.

And to a degree I guess that's good.

But the workers have become so insulated they now can do whatever they want and nothing will happen. Sharon Helman, who was in charge in Phoenix, isn't under indictment, she isn't being investigated by the Phoenix Police, she's on "administrative leave". In other words, "Go sip some sherry while we figure out how to protect you."

But things are moving swiftly in Washington! The political merry go round is in full swing. And General Shinseki, a fine and honorable man whose hands are completely tied because of the infinite layers of bureaucracy, is on the chopping block.

This is not a Democrat or Republican issue any more. It just one tiny segment of a system where government employees will do whatever is necessary, even to the point of letting people die, just so they can look good and get a bonus!

So what happens now?

Well, an Inspector General is going to go to Phoenix sometime in the near future (when??) and 'investigate', and in a few months or so, issue a report.

Wow! A report!

This report will go up the chain of command and I guarantee it will be edited by those who may be culpable, until it gets to General Shinseki. (If he's still there.) This could possibly be done in 6 to 8 months.

Then he can go to Congress and announce there was a problem in Phoenix and it has been "addressed". Then everybody on the panel gets a close up asking General Shinseki a "tough question" that will be played on the evening news back home.

My question is "When are we going to realize the federal bureaucracy is so out of control, neither the President nor Congress has any power to fix it?"

The ONLY person in Washington who has any power to go after lawbreakers in government is the Attorney General. He can call in the FBI this afternoon and tell them to get to the bottom of it and arrest people. But he won't. Because even he is afraid of the bureaucracy involved.

More so than the politicians, our government needs to be reigned in. And I'll cast my vote for either a Republican or Democrat who has the balls to do it.

I think your angst is bizarre.

We had 10 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan and aren't completely done with it yet. We've had numerous soldiers serve multiple tours. The reality of 21st century combat is that you're on the battlefield one week and the next week, you could be stateside drinking a Coke and watching a movie; a movie likely telling a very different story than what you witnessed.

That we have any well adjusted veterans of combat is a testament to the steel of those men and women.

Anyway; what our problem in the nation is (one of them) is that we spend money only when we have to (administrations of all stripes) and it constantly injures us.
Between 1972 and 1992; we had scant involvement on a large scale. In 1992 we had the first gulf war, then after 2001, we had 10 years of battle. That we didn't invest in the VA commensurate with the deployments isn't surprising since you really don't know what the nature of healthcare is going to be needed and certainly do not know the volume of necessary care.

In 2000 the VA budget was$44.8 billion dollars.
in 2013 that budget was $138.8 billion dollars.
Care to show us where spending is being cut, by anyone?

 

[Votto]

Today if you are illegal alien you can go see a doctor immediately. But if you are a veteran who has sacrificed their life for the country you get put on a death list.

Got hysteria?​

A message from a veteran who actually uses VA facilities.

Tell that to your 40 dead comrades.

Do you care? Nope, didn't think so.

 

[Votto]

We all have heard about the 40 American Veterans who died waiting to see a doctor in Phoenix.

And the politicians on both sides of the aisle are pretending to be outraged.

But let's face it, there's nothing they can do about it. Our Federal bureaucracy has become so bloated nobody has any control over it anymore. The employees have such a strong union it prevents anyone from getting fired when a new administration comes in.

And to a degree I guess that's good.

But the workers have become so insulated they now can do whatever they want and nothing will happen. Sharon Helman, who was in charge in Phoenix, isn't under indictment, she isn't being investigated by the Phoenix Police, she's on "administrative leave". In other words, "Go sip some sherry while we figure out how to protect you."

But things are moving swiftly in Washington! The political merry go round is in full swing. And General Shinseki, a fine and honorable man whose hands are completely tied because of the infinite layers of bureaucracy, is on the chopping block.

This is not a Democrat or Republican issue any more. It just one tiny segment of a system where government employees will do whatever is necessary, even to the point of letting people die, just so they can look good and get a bonus!

So what happens now?

Well, an Inspector General is going to go to Phoenix sometime in the near future (when??) and 'investigate', and in a few months or so, issue a report.

Wow! A report!

This report will go up the chain of command and I guarantee it will be edited by those who may be culpable, until it gets to General Shinseki. (If he's still there.) This could possibly be done in 6 to 8 months.

Then he can go to Congress and announce there was a problem in Phoenix and it has been "addressed". Then everybody on the panel gets a close up asking General Shinseki a "tough question" that will be played on the evening news back home.

My question is "When are we going to realize the federal bureaucracy is so out of control, neither the President nor Congress has any power to fix it?"

The ONLY person in Washington who has any power to go after lawbreakers in government is the Attorney General. He can call in the FBI this afternoon and tell them to get to the bottom of it and arrest people. But he won't. Because even he is afraid of the bureaucracy involved.

More so than the politicians, our government needs to be reigned in. And I'll cast my vote for either a Republican or Democrat who has the balls to do it.

I think your angst is bizarre.

We had 10 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan and aren't completely done with it yet. We've had numerous soldiers serve multiple tours. The reality of 21st century combat is that you're on the battlefield one week and the next week, you could be stateside drinking a Coke and watching a movie; a movie likely telling a very different story than what you witnessed.

That we have any well adjusted veterans of combat is a testament to the steel of those men and women.

Anyway; what our problem in the nation is (one of them) is that we spend money only when we have to (administrations of all stripes) and it constantly injures us.
Between 1972 and 1992; we had scant involvement on a large scale. In 1992 we had the first gulf war, then after 2001, we had 10 years of battle. That we didn't invest in the VA commensurate with the deployments isn't surprising since you really don't know what the nature of healthcare is going to be needed and certainly do not know the volume of necessary care.

In 2000 the VA budget was$44.8 billion dollars.
in 2013 that budget was $138.8 billion dollars.
Care to show us where spending is being cut, by anyone?

What the government did for these 40 veterans will someday be done for all of us someday.

Something to look forward to.

 

[depotoo]

According to a Government Accountability Office report recently issued, investigators found that during the 2010 and 2011 fiscal years:• A $7,663 performance-pay bonus went to a VA doctor who was reprimanded for practicing medicine with an expired license for three months.• A $11,189 bonus was given to a surgeon who was suspended without pay for 14 days after leaving an operating room before surgery was completed, allowing residents to continue unsupervised.• A $7,500 pay bonus went to a doctor who was reprimanded for refusing to see assigned patients in an emergency room, actions that forced 15 patients to wait six hours to be treated and led nine other patients to leave without treatment.• An $8,216 bonus was paid to a radiologist whose privileges had been reduced for failing to read mammograms and other complex images competently.The VA medical centers' records show that doctors could receive performance pay without taking disciplinary actions into consideration. According to the GAO report, this was evidence that there is no consistent policy for paying out the money, and no clear direction from VA headquarters.

Report: Reprimanded doctors still get VA bonuses

 

[depotoo]

VA*Reviewing*Bonuses*After Awarding $400M in 2011 ...
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2012/06/07/va-reviewing-bonuses-after-awarding-400m-in-2011.html