Posted on Jul 30, 2015
Is President Obama serious about repairing the Veterans Affairs Administration?
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You have to wonder. Congress passed legislation to facilitate cleaning out the dead wood at the Veterans Affairs Administration and President Obama threatens to veto it. What does that tell us? Come to think of it, how many times did he bypass the VA Hospital in Arizona when the story about "waiting lists" broke there, even though he was in the neighborhood? I guess he has more important things on his plate. What do you suppose they are?
http://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-backs-the-bureaucrats [login to see]
http://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-backs-the-bureaucrats [login to see]
Posted in these groups: 
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Politics
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Politics
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 18
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About as serious as all his predecessors, which is why it is the way it is now.
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CPT Jack Durish
To be honest, you are correct. However, I hadn't heard of any of his predecessors being confronted with the scandal that he has faced and turned away from. Have you?
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MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca
CPT Jack Durish They may not have been confronted with what is facing us now, but the foundation doesn't just crumble and give way all in a sudden. Granted since 9/11 we have put an unprecedented strain on the VA by minting more vets since WWII, but every administration has also known that the WWII vets were getting up there in age and would require more aid as they got older, along with the Vietnam Vets who are in their 60s+. Mismanagement of the system has to have been going on for many years and simply been swept under the rug. Now that the head of the pimple is just popping they simply can't put a band aid on it anymore now because the rug isn't big enough to sweep anything else under it.
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Sgt Spencer Sikder
CPT Jack Durish - Actually in the late 80's VA faced a scandal that changed the face of VA ever since. There was a Hollywood movie made at the time, Article 99, did you see it? Anyway, VA's rules were so mired down in procedures that it was costing millions for simple issues. For example, it used to be if you presented to a VA Emergency Room (mind you, most VA ER's are not truly ERs by the professions' standards) with a sprained ankle and needed crutches, the only way to get crutches issued to you was for the doctor to "admit" you to the hospital. You would be assigned a bed on a medical floor. And sometime through out the day you would see a PT who would provide you the crutches and teach you how to use them. After the PT completed their inservice, you could be "discharged." So, yes, VA has been in the limelight for decades.
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GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad
House passes new VA reforms, but veto threat looms
House Republicans on Wednesday passed new rules to speed the firing of problematic Veterans Affairs Department employees, despite a veto threat from the White House and objections from Democratic lawmakers.
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SGT Jeremiah B.
Interesting. I can see a serious problem with a bill authorizing the gov't to investigate you for union activities. I'm also curious about the Constitutional issues. I don't have time to read this whole thing, but it seems that in brief, yes, there are some long-standing Constitutional challenges to a revamp of the VA firing process if it makes it too easy or doesn't have appropriate safeguards. http://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4997&context=penn_law_review
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Possibly CPT Jack Durish, unfortunately President Obama seems to believe that the fount of wisdom and knowledge is within his administration. There are two elected officials in the White House while the Congress has hundreds of elected members that tend to be somewhat closer to their constituents than the President and his advisers.
The President is from the school that believes that government is in the best position to provide necessary oversight, direction and services throughout the nation at taxpayer expense.
He is probably saddened by what has happened to Veterans and angry when positive media attention is drawn away and criticism of his administration's policies occurs.
He is probably focusing on his legacy - the Iran Nuclear deal, Obamacare, that he is then one who was actually the toughest of the terrorists, etc. He wants to look good in history.
The President is from the school that believes that government is in the best position to provide necessary oversight, direction and services throughout the nation at taxpayer expense.
He is probably saddened by what has happened to Veterans and angry when positive media attention is drawn away and criticism of his administration's policies occurs.
He is probably focusing on his legacy - the Iran Nuclear deal, Obamacare, that he is then one who was actually the toughest of the terrorists, etc. He wants to look good in history.
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