Posted on 05/30/2014 11:48:47 AM PDT by Lower Deck
Obama will PUT another AA in the position...note that AA already run Homeland sec/ Justice/ Freddie/Fannie/
Don't be overly impressed. It didn't take a genius to realize that Shinseki's days were numbered, and Carney has been talking about leaving for some time.
Unless the right secretary is appointed and given the authority to clean house. Unfortunately I don't see that happening.
Max Cleland WAS Administrator of Veterans Affairs from January 20, 1977 toJanuary 20, 1981, under President Jimmy Carter.
Does he need a 2nd dip at the well?
Mattis is the only one worth a damn. Webb served honorably in Vietnam (and he’s a pretty fair writer), but he was a flop as both Navy Secretary and a Senator. Can’t get along with anyone, and gets bored with his assigned duties (or sees them as beneath him). Webb resigned as Navy Secretary so Reagan wouldn’t have to fire him. Not the guy you need to fix the VA.
General Mattis would only be effective if he had the authority to completely clean house and fire hundreds of incompetent and corrupt bureaucrats. But Obama will never allow that; the VA has a unionized workforce, and those public employee unions will never stand for reforms that would actually work. In fact, it was revealed the other day that the VA has dozens of senior employees—on the public payroll—who spend all of their time on union activities.
The best hope for VA healthcare is to implement a voucher system, allowing vets to utilize private doctors and hospitals. Unfortunately, that system will quickly become riddled with corruption, much like Medicaid and Medicare.
Addendum: overall, a very unimpressive list. One final thought: the last person we need running the VA is Holly Petraeus. She’s one of the architects of the “military education reforms” that have made a hash of voluntary education for active duty personnel and vets.
Jim Webb is his #1? I quit reading. He’s a tool.
I suggest Col. Allen West. Heads would roll.
Barf
Take McCain
I’m sorry, but the VA doesn’t need a good manager right now. What they need is an interim head chopper. A guy who can come in and fire the people who need to be fired and isn’t afraid of lawsuits. I’d find some nasty old guy with two years to live, and turn him loose.
"Great speech... now What?"
Removing the head is symbolic at best. My 'ol lady works as an RN for the VA and we're both vets. I find it very disgraceful that some bureaucrats pulled this crap and their collective heads should roll (along with loads of others in this leviathan we call .gov) Her office is not in this mess. They're running legit and best they can with what they have. She sincerely does the best she can every day to help these guys within the system. Even with them yelling at her and not doing their part to get the help they need, or helping themselves (complying with treatment). They are under staffed and the hiring process is a nightmare (took her over 6 months). The trouble, as I see it, lies in the bureaucracy and union entanglements (say it ain't so). She is not union. But I've seen the union help where some middle management tried to over step their bounds. Mainly because they're....wait for it... short of help.
We ride with the Patriot Guard and have been on vet supporting trips with others who also work there. We support our vets when and where we can.
I know guys like it simple and it's so much easier to simplify things by just saying ta he!! with the whole thing and let's burn the chief at the stake. I see this, "simplification", applied in many areas here and everywhere. And as much as I'd like it to be that simple, nothing ever is. (Pick one. Race, religion, left, right, whatever) So keep in mind that there's a lot of good people working at the VA before you simply damn the whole thing or go in for an appt loaded for bear over this thing. The little red-headed nurse behind the desk just might be my ol' lady, and she's one of the good guys in the middle of this big bureaucratic chit stew. And belive it or not, she's from the government and she's here to help...really!
And keep in mind that with all these "headlines" here lately, there's always 3 sides to every story (this side, that side, and the truth).
Flame away, FReepers. -Schneeks. d:^)
-PJ
The entire list is wrong...
Sloan Gibson, Shinseki’s deputy at the VA...
I’m sorry, I have my doubts about this one...
To be honest, I am not sure anyone would be convinced by any appointment at this point, because nothing tangible has been to clean the systemic problems...
Keep in mind, I believe the problems are not total with the VA, there are regions with facilities that ARE doing the right thing...
There are obviously facilities that are doing horrendous things in their positions within that organization...It will not be hard to find them, and deal with them accordingly...
I still believe the fix is already in place within the VA’s charter...Congress passed that fix in recent history, and it was left to each region to implement in their own way...
THAT is where it can be easy to see where the deficiencies are...
Remember the president said he has a phone and a pen...This would be a good time to exercise those tools...In the interests of our Veterans, it would be a political bucket of water on the fire of the masses with short attention spans...
But far be it for me to state the obvious...
No...No...Please take him...
Just take him!!!
;-)
I have seen a lot of people walk away from this Administration. And without exception, each and every time that happens, they end up being replaced by someone even worse.
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