Posted on 07/27/2016 3:15:52 AM PDT by HomerBohn
It’s been over two years since the Veteran’s Affairs scandal first broke, when whistleblowers revealed that the agency in charge of providing medical treatment to our veterans was grossly callous, negligent, and inefficient. Countless veterans were dying while waiting for treatments, and VA workers were covering it up. And unfortunately, the VA is still just as bad at treating our veterans, if not worse, than it was in 2014.
Two years after this scandal first broke however, we’re still learning about some of the terrible things that the VA did while their patients were waiting to be treated. Recently it’s been discovered that throughout the scandal, instead of spending money on the vets, they were buying art.
According to a joint investigation by COX Media Washington, D.C. and OpenTheBooks.com, the VA spent $20 million on various art fixtures. “The VA bought Christmas trees priced like cars and sculptures that cost more than five-bedroom homes.”
And when you dig into the details of some of these purchases, it only becomes more rage inducing. “Then, there’s the two sculptures — with a price tag of $670,000 — for a VA center serving veterans who are blind.“ Because as we all know, blind war vets appreciate expensive art that they can’t, more than being treated for their blindness.
America would save billions annually!
Another big savings would be realized if our troops were kept at home to protect the United States.
Why were they NOT FIRED and their pensions removed?
Why is NO ONE accountable in the entire USA
among the EXEMPT (above-the-Law by Comey) class?
IIRC, at some point there was (maybe still is) that Federal building budgets had to include a certain percentage for “art.” Don’t know if this is still operative, however.
Someone is thinking the same thoughts as you:
http://rsbn.tv/watch-donald-trump-speaks-at-vfw-convention-in-charlotte-live-stream/
God willing he will be able to implement it start next year.
PS: You asked yesterday if the terrorists who attacked the church in Normandie had been known. I sent you a prel answer. I hope you have seen now to what extent one of them was known. If not send me a pm.
I did, FRiend. Thank you.
Give Mr. Trump credit that he is speaking out for the vets.
Protected by AFGE.
I am a big fan of art, even (especially?) in hospitals. However, (1) a $20 poster looks close to as good as a $200,000 original, and (2) if you want sculpture, a hospital can get donated works from an art school.
The VA is an utter disgrace to America and our Vets, and a glimpse of what universal healthcare would be.
I hope VA is Trump’s first housecleaning, with a big dumpster for what he’ll be discarding in it.
Then on to DOJ, IRS, EPA, DOE...
That is one of the infuriating aspects of this, quite apart from the obvious negligence and malfeasance by those officials.
When massive quantities of private data on citizens was hacked from the IRS computers, was a single person disciplined or fired? Not that I ever heard.
When the EPA punched a hole in a mine out west and polluted a river with toxins leftover from mining operations (some said deliberately done, and I agree) did anyone even get so much as a slap on the hand?
Now this?
It is preaching to the choir here when we talk about the evils of federal bureaucracy, that has turned into a gigantic liberal jobs program that people can’t be disciplined in or fired from, but this is ridiculous.
The VA needs to be a branch of the military and its executives need to be honorably discharged veterans.
Yes. I am not decrying anything done to address the look and feel of any VA Hospitals, but...buying ANY sculpture or art that costs “more than a five bedroom home” is criminal.
Criminal. Criminal. Criminal.
I am not saying don’t spend money on things to improve the look and feel, but THIS fills me with anger.
Art purchase = kickback to some Dem supporter.
View Trump’s speech - I posted a link above. Individual responsibility for bureaucrats is one of his themes whenit comes to the VA.
Veterans are an inconvenience to the VA. They are like those pesky farmers to the Department of Agriculture. They often interfere with promotions, junkets, and uninterrupted pornography viewing. The public has to understand that these employees are of the highest caliber. Federal employees at the Environmental Protection Agency have been instructed to stop defecating in the hallway of a regional office in Denver.
GS employees are exempt from the law.
The VA bureaucrats can spend $20,000,000 on “art” and $300,000 to move one employee 100 miles, but they will fight a Veteran to the death over a nickel.
The VA bureaucrats are just organized crime.
If you know how the federal government works, then you'll understand this. There are different colors of money. Money slated for X, cannot be spent on Y. It's not all in the same bucket, and yes, someone can go to jail for overspending on X, even if there is cash left in Y's coffers. These measures were originally put in place to track the funds that the feds got, because the public was tired of seeing stupid stuff like $20,000 hammers.
They used to have some leeway in how the funds were spent, but if the funds were allotted to "art" or "building improvements" as you say, there's not much they could do about it, save petition congress to re-allocate those funds, which is what should have happened.
As a CPA for one of the then Big 8, I audited hospitals. After that I formed my own firm as a consultant for hospitals, switching them from the old cost reimbursement system to the DRG (Diagnosis Related Groups) system and setting up accurate cost accounting systems. Thus I have had considerable experience with quite of few hospitals as an outside observer having access to the internal workings.
I’ve long since retired, but now have first hand experience in dealing with the VA system. It’s about as screwed up as it gets.
The main problem I see in the VA system is that there are minimal vertical lines of authority.
For example, if you were to observe a department hierarchy, you would find that the employees within a department do not answer to the department head.
Social workers answer to the Chief of Social Workers...
Psychologists answer to the Chief Psychologists...
Psychiatrists answer to the Chief Psychiatrist.....
So if they are all working together within a department, the department head must deal with all of the section chiefs rather than the employees working within their department. Accountability is non-existent. This is one of the greatest problems with the VA system.
In addition, the VA has promoted non-MD’s into positions of authority over MD’s. It is a screwed up management system and it is no wonder that the quality of health care is suffering.
If you really want to see a screwed up mess, look at the time line for diagnostic tests for a person with cancer. It’s better than in the past but still not good.
By requiring tests in a sequence and having long waiting times for each test, early detection is difficult and thus patients often die rather than get treated. But it saves $$$$.
Yes. Color of money and all that = Understood....and it is entirely possible if that rule still exists this could happen. I don’t say it does but I do know at one time that was a requirement.
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