An independent watchdog group named Democracy Forward…
I’ll bet they’ve been busy this past year and a half.
Oh pish-posh, tRump has concluded, laws are for little people.
Full steam ahead…
Correct and as a VA user you can place bets that privatization will cost us the taxpayer $$$$$BILLIONS$$$$$ while services hit the crapper. Example, had brain surgery in September 2017 at a local hospital, the Neurosurgeon charged less than 1/2 the ENT guy did. For an under 5 minute progress exam a month later the ENT charged the VA $847, plus a $50 copay. The Neurosurgeon charged for his follow up exam $0.
In every way possible, this nutjob in the White House is a disaster. I hope you’re doing well. Brain surgery is daunting even without having to worry about costs. If you had to add the stress of costs to your healthcare with how they’d screw up privatization, only to make health companies benefit from added costs, it would only spiral out of control into added costs down the road for all beneficiaries. Like car insurance, I’ve never experienced a reduction in how much I pay for any extended period of time unless I went with a bare-bones policy. Its just not in their business model.
I feel the same way about privatization and the theocratic takeover of our public school system by Betsy DeVos. She’s a one woman wrecking ball and has put the CEO of Devry, who was being sued for cheating students and making them pay for their malfeasance, in charge of recouping student loans that should have been forgiven according to the previous administration under Obama. Its flat out corruption. Not to mention the way she uses our taxpayer money to re-segregate our schools with her charter school initiatives. She’s already single-handedly fucked up Michigan public schools, which used to be among some of the best schools in the country, with her strong-arm tactics and takeover here with our legislature. She simply funded enough politicians with her billions to give her what she wanted. That’s how these tRumpsters work. They buy off politicians and keep them in their back pockets whenever they want them to vote their way.
So who is going to take this issue up? The republican-controlled courts, or the republican-controlled congress?
And at best, what we get is not even a public pillorying. It’s a court order (that can in turn be ignored and litigated) telling the administration to follow the clear letter of the law.
They might be changing their name to Democracy Treading Water and Beginning to Lose Ground before long.
Good Afternoon Ms, Olstein,
I am a Veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom. I worked at the Albuquerque VA Regional Office at 500 Gold Ave. Please Read the following statement sent DIRECTLY to the President of The United States of America (among Multiple other outlets) on or about May 11, 2018…
Dear Mr President,
_________________ I served four years and had the opportunity to serve in Afghanistan in the early phases of OEF. My innate love for our nations military and Veteran heroes made me a perfect fit for a, seemingly, prosperous career with The Department of Veterans Affairs. I started my career as a temporary file clerk with the Albuquerque VA Regional Office (on 500 Gold). I rapidly excelled through the ranks and made it into middle management. The entry into this corrupt group of individuals _________________________ caused my quick departure from the Department All-together after a 9 year investment into the organization.
When I quit the first-time I told _______________ that I was leaving because the above individuals were bound to retaliate against me This was only a mere allegation so I told him that I was, also, going back to school in order not to cause an uproar within the office. But also emphasized that I would request to come back once the above employees retired.
After about 18 months I received word that ____________ asked if I was ready to come back. I figured; (a) The retirement of both had passed, or, (b) He had controlled the situation to where retaliation could not occur. In October of 2016 I went back to work at the office.
I caught the above employees, writing policy based on a misinterpreted interpretation of 38.cfr3.344. This allowed the office to erroneously drop disability benefits for hundreds within the offices jurisdiction in order to falsify their production numbers for the period July 2015 through April of 2017. _______ covered her tracks by having the acting secretary for benefits (Thomas Murphy) sign off on the interpretation.
While this did protect her (she was found guilty by a federal judge but was fully reinstated to her position as the senior supervisor of the office’s middle management (not accountable!!!)) The other supervisor retired once allegations of corruption surfaced (again not accountability). This is Very disappointing seeing as I resigned, again, due to retaliation from them in April of 2017. This was shortly after I spoke to your secret service detail at the White House. The unintended consequence of Mr. Murphy’s approval is that the interpretation went Nation-wide. All Offices were given the opportunity to follow this interpretation. Once it got out that this was, indeed, a misinterpretation which negatively Hurt the lives and livelihood of thousands of Veterans Mr Murphy snuck into the accountability office to cover his tracks.
Mr. Murphy was Acting Secretary recently… Please hold him and the Albuquerque Office Accountable Mr. President. I Beg You!
Very Truly Yours,
Former File Clerk, Claims Assistant, Veterans Service Representative, Rating Veterans Service Representative and Assistant Supervisor of the Albuquerque VA Regional Office (at 500 Gold Ave)
I have redacted some of the names from this document. Before you publish something please learn both sides of the story. Your article was VERY flawed. Please support our Veterans NOT the Crooked bureaucrats! There are Multiple accounts of blackmail and other scandals coming from the Higher echelons of the Department of Veterans Affairs Executives. They are hurting our Veterans.