The Real Issue of Gun Control

As  former military men, security specialists and those who have taken lives in combat, we  assure you of the following:

If you are carrying a gun and you are NOT one of the following:


1. A soldier

2. A policeman or a duly authorized security officer

3. A licensed hunter of wild animals in the woods


 You are part of the problem, not part of the solution.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2012 FROM ROSE COVERED GLASSES

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VETERANS DAY - 11 NOVEMBER 2012

12 Names on a Wall in Washington D.C.

Forgotten by Many but Not By Me

To those who died serving USAECAV 1966-1968 Countrywide 

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall Page
 

Database of the 58,195 Names on The Wall in Wash,D.C. This is the most accurate database online.

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VOTE TO "DE-CONSTIPATE GOVERNMENT"

VOTE:

The candidates who will make conscious decisions to participate in bipartisan plans to "De-Constipate" government as a first priority.

The laxatives are: Leadership, Listening, Compromise and Action - in that order.

PRACTICAL REALITY IN GOVERNMENT FOR 2013

George Friedman at STRATFOR recently offered two commentaries on our nation and its future leader that we find worthy for consideration on the eve of the 2012 Elections.

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http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/purpose-presidential-debates?utm_source=freelist-f&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20121024&utm_term=gweekly&utm_content=readmore&elq=8924874ddc944edf9cb519320735b9a2

http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/character-policy-and-selection-leaders?utm_source=freelist-f&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20120904&utm_term=gweekly&utm_content=readmore&elq=b785529990204ebfbe83d08a9a9b9051

Mr. Friedman points to a practical reality.  Presidents manage as they must. The real issue for the winner of this election will arise when the Chinese and our other major creditors stop showing up at our bond auctions and our credit and credibility diminish to dysfunctional levels on the world stage.

Until then our stagnated, polarized, congress will kick the can down the road as they have with current legislation that postpones any consideration of the issues until after the election and lays the challenge off on Sequestration, due to begin in early January, 2013.

The new White House occupant (or the same one) will be just as bound and tied by the inability of our elected representatives to compromise. This situation is an economic illness.

We have seen a similar situation take down other countries in recent times and place them at the mercy of the international community.  It has threatened the financial future of Greece and other countries in Europe. 
 
Our country has caught a catchy illness of political diatribe and inaction.  Let us hope for some leadership in Congress that is driven by the practical reality of the world at large and is not based on the rarefied air of financial pocket-lining on the Washington D.C.  Beltway.  

The clock is ticking:

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

THE UNITED STATES VETERANS ADMINISTRATION - PROGRESS AND PROCLIVITIES

INTRODUCTION

We have noted improvements in the medical element of the U.S Veterans Administration with significant advances in patient care, records keeping and service to soldiers in need when they return from war or fall into circumstances in which they require assistance:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1376238,00.html

We believe the VA medical care veterans are receiving, and the associated facilities are top notch.  We base this belief on having received this care  ourselves and observing the results from others receiving VA medical services around us.

As the US has continued its war fighting incursions into foreign countries, the VA has been required to expand exponentially in terms of coverage, organization, programs and budget from the tax payer coffers. The most current budget request by the Administration for the VA tops $140 Billion for the next fiscal year.

This growth has resulted in administrative and management challenges due to the broad swath the VA must cover across the spectrum of our society and the transitions in which it must participate within people’s lives from the aging vet to the returning combatant.

RECENT DISTURBING TRENDS AND OCCURRENCES

At this juncture it must be noted that the VA is falling into several of the traps that other large federal agencies have encountered.  The government is in the business of spending money, not making it and growth of the type the VA has undergone requires strong management and oversight. 

Below are examples of areas outside the medical care elements of the organization that are never the less posing substantial risk to the care of our veterans.

Blatant Issues in Handling Veterans Care Application  Backlogs

As noted by Time Magazine:

“The Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general reported that paper had piled so high at the VA’s regional office in Winston-Salem, N.C., that it “appeared to have the potential to compromise the integrity of the building.”

http://nation.time.com/2012/08/10/guess-the-va-does-have-a-paperwork-problem/

Mismanagement of Human Resources and Training

As noted by DOD Buzz:

“The chairman and ranking members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee are demanding a complete accounting of where and how the Department of Veterans Affairs has spent money on employee conferences since 2009.

The latest demand comes as the committee’s senior members released additional information gleaned from a preliminary VA Inspector General’s report on two Orlando, Fla., conferences held for VA human resources employees in 2011.

Among the findings, the VA spent $52,000 producing two 8-minute videos in which an actor portraying Army Gen. George Patton laid out the role of VA human resources personnel and exhorted them to meet their mission. A shortened version of the video is available below.

The department also spent $84,000 on VA-branded promotion items, including up to $25,000 for pens, highlighters, post-it notes and hand sanitizers.

Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., and Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., want three years worth of data because they say past VA testimony on conference costs has been contradictory, ranging from $20 million in both 2011 and 2012, to $100 million.”

http://www.dodbuzz.com/2012/08/22/va-accounting-questioned-after-ig-report-2/

Mismanagement of Small Business Set-aside Programs

As noted by POGO:

“A new report by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (IG) has found another large business improperly benefited from federal small business contracts. The offender this time is Health Net,  ranked 221 in the most recent Fortune 500 with $11.9 billion in revenue last year.

As POGO takes great pains to point out, the contractors themselves aren’t entirely to blame for misconduct in federal small business contracting. In this instance, the IG found that VA personnel responsible for administering the contracts were fully aware that Health Net, not ETS, was performing all of the work. The VA also did not properly justify its decision to award the contracts as SDVOSB set-asides rather than through full and open competition.”

http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/2012/08/inspector-general-finds-contractors-government-both-responsible-for-small-biz-contracting-violations.html

CONCLUSION

The areas noted above must have management correction, be controlled and brought to the same standards of performance as the medical arm of the Veterans Administration Community. 

The proclivities involving  lax administration, wasteful human resources process and abuse of small businesses, many of which veterans themselves run, must be corrected. 

Doing so will insure an acceptable level of focus on assistance to the men and women who have served in our armed forces.    

CITIZEN PARTICIPATION AND TRUE STATESMANSHIP IN GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS

FORMER SENATOR BILL BRADLEY

ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENTS IN OUR AGE

Tyranny sprouts within massive organizations through influences that embed themselves in economies and assume a life of their own. These organizations become entrenched and difficult to change because they are wired to so much of economic and public life (a defense company in every state, a pork project tacked onto a defense appropriation). We target our elected officials as figureheads for our frustration, when in fact the real culprit is a big, faceless machine grinding onward, never changing, because we (the citizenry and the politician) will not bite the bullet and dismantle it.

SENATOR BRADLEY

We applaud the recent commentary in the May 14^th, 2012 article in Time Magazine by former Senator Bill Bradley entitled “Citizens United”:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2113798,00.html

Here is an extract:

“To begin, citizens should insist on a presidential campaign about the future, not a blamefest about the past. Candidates' narratives can have a historical dimension about how we got where we are, but the bulk of their story must be about the future. If what you hear is only blame or bromides, change the channel. Haven't we had enough of those two things over the past 12 years?

Without leaders who level with the people about what needs to be done and how long it will take, there is no way to build support for the tough decisions necessary to solve our problems. People are tired of seeing moneyed interests dominate the House of Representatives — the people's house. They're tired of narrow interests raiding the U.S. Treasury in collusion with members of Congress who, when they leave office, are employed as lobbyists by the very industries whose interests they promoted in Congress. (The same applies in spades to congressional staff.) They're tired of seeing their Presidents appear at fundraisers and hedge their bets and compromise their beliefs to raise campaign money. People are tired of being taken for granted. They yearn for leaders who will level with them, not pander to them.”

As students of history we know much of what we are experiencing today in war and politics is tied to human nature.

As Mr. Bradley concludes:

“Now is the time for citizens to insist on answers to real questions and for the media to serve the public more diligently than they serve their advertisers. Now is the time for follow-up questions and enough airtime for candidates to lay out their programs. What, specifically, will they do about jobs, the deficit, political corruption? How do they see America's role in the world? Now is the time for politicians to show us that they are more interested in doing something than in being somebody. There is a great difference between a leader and a celebrity. The nation has had enough of politicians fascinated with celebrity. What we need are courageous leaders who serve the public and not themselves, who devise a plan to save the country and fight for it because they know that the well-being of millions of Americans is at stake.”

 OUR CONCLUSION

A new brand of politics and accountability must then emerge, one that will deal from within when organizations self-destruct catastrophically from greed and avarice. The big issue after such events will be: "What do we put in the place of such bureaucracies gone afoul ?" The US political system classically appoints a blue ribbon panel to study such problems spread the blame and write a detailed report no one reads. We must do better then that in the future. The impending trauma will not permit it.

Now is indeed the time for true statesmanship in government business.

Supporting Veterans to Attend Accredited College Programs

This article is brought to you courtesy of June Olson. June recently graduated with a degree in educational psychology. She currently works as a writer on all things education and is always interested in connecting with bloggers online.  You may reach June at june.olsen80@gmail.com

____________________________________________________________________

The argument that many veterans need education and numerous support systems when they return from service is a no-brainer. Adjusting to civilian life after being away at war or stationed abroad is no joke. An economic downturn adds to the problem by making it hard to find a job. Feeling stressed and confused, a veteran must then compete with masses of qualified candidates for very few jobs. Veterans need effective support systems and support for colleges online or on campus that consider all aspects of their needs, including financial assistance and access to educational and/or vocational training.      

When a veteran returns from war, life can be overwhelming. Going from the camaraderie of military life to living alone or readjusting to family is only one factor. Flashbacks to horrifying war images can be common emotional setbacks. Figuring out the next step in life can be mind-boggling and stressful. Especially for veterans who did not go to college or train for an occupation before joining the military, career options can seem limited. Veterans often transition from a situation of a set military schedule and structure to a life of ambiguities and lack of direction.

Searching for work in a tight job market only complicates things. A veteran might be a skilled carpenter but live in an area with no openings in carpentry. Gaining knowledge and skills that can be applied to available jobs is an important first step. Starting college or going back to finish a degree becomes essential for getting a job.

Fortunately, help exists. Veterans interested in college programs that offer two-year degrees or higher can benefit from GI bill programs. The Post-9/11 GI Bill gives veterans who served for at least 90 days on or after September 11, 2001 access to benefits for attending accredited colleges and universities. Benefits include a percentage of tuition and fees, a monthly housing allowance, a stipend for books and supplies and $500 in cash for veterans who must relocate from a highly rural area to go to school. This program also offers tutorial assistance benefits and reimbursement of up to $2,000 for a certification or licensing test. Veterans can receive benefits for up to 36 months under this bill, which helps them get back on their feet.
 
The Yellow Ribbon Program is another alternative. Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, degree-granting institutions can make funds available for veterans through this program. The tuition amount is left up to the university; the VA matches that amount and pays the university directly. Veterans must then apply to the university, which then looks at its number of open slots and notifies the veteran of acceptance into the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Between 2008 and 2010, the number of veterans who took advantage of VA education programs increased tremendously. Although the number of VA undergraduate attendees decreased during that time, attendance in non-degree and vocational programs saw a significant rise. This trend may continue as more veterans take advantage of educational benefits programs.

Short-term training and education assistance is also available for unemployed veterans through the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program. For veterans who are at least 35 and ineligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill or other VA-sponsored education benefit programs, this program may be the answer. It gives participants a year's worth of full-time pay while enrolled in an approved technical school or community college. They must train specifically for high demand occupations in a program that leads to a certification or associates degree. Through this and other GI bill programs, veterans can ease the transition to civilian life by going to school and becoming equipped for a tight job market.

Cameo Presentation - Rose Colored Glasses Satire by Tony Rose

With the present day emphasis on the National Debt and Health Care, it seemed only fitting to publish a cameo of the apparently ageless satire by Tony Rose below:

"Economists Coin New Term for Study of Deficit Spending"

"Micro-Electronic Medication of Your Years"

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PENTAGON "STAR CREEP" AND THE "REVOLVING DOOR"

GOVERNMENT SPENDING WASTE

How Does the US Stop the Dramatic Cost to the Tax Payer From Pentagon
"Star Creep"
And
"The Revolving Door”
Between Industry and Government Executives?

STAR CREEP

POGO, the venerable, apolitical non-profit has coined, "STAR CREEP" the monumental increases in general officers in the Military:

" Between May and September, more than 10,000 enlisted personnel were cut by the DoD, possibly in preparation for the end of military operations in Iraq, while more than 2,500 officers were added.

Consequently, for the first time in the more than 200 years that the U.S. has had a standing military, there are fewer than five enlisted personnel for every officer. In other words, today’s military is the most top-heavy force in U.S. history.

But the cost of Star Creep only begins with direct compensation. Other costs that surround generals and admirals—such as staff, contractors, and travel—increase with higher ranks. For example, Bloomberg recently reported that taxpayers in Huntsville, Alabama, footed a $3.8-million bill to build luxurious homes for generals in a successful effort to keep Pentagon pork flowing into the area. One such home, built for a major general, was a sprawling 4,200-square-foot mansion that included granite counter tops, hardwood floors, and stainless steel appliances."

Former Secretary of Defense Gates remarks on this issue per POGO:

"In his August 2010 speech on Efficiency Initiatives, Gates referred to these perks as “the overhead and accoutrements that go with” senior positions, be they military or civilian, within DoD. In an interview with Newsweek, Gates bemoaned these accoutrements and entourages that surround generals and admirals, which he believes are indicative of a military leadership that is “suffering from an inflated sense of entitlement and a distorted sense of priorities"

http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/2011/11/todays-military-the-most-top-heavy-force-in-us-history.html

THE REVOLVING DOOR

The Federal Acquisition Regulation, Section 3.1 sets out definitions of standards of conduct and conflict of interest. It details restrictions on dialogue regarding employment with officials prior their leaving their government jobs and further restricts where an official may work in industry and in what capacities relative to prior government service.

Penalties for violating these rules range from criminal prosecution for government and industry personnel found guilty of violations, to debarment of companies and individuals from government contracting.

POGO has announced: "Two Former Watchdogs Ring in the New Year on the Other Side of the Revolving Door":

http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/2012/01/two-former-watchdogs-ring-in-the-new-year-on-the-other-side-of-the-revolving-door.html

“The first revolver is Michael Thibault, former co-chairman and commissioner of the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan (CWC) who recently joined DynCorp, one of the three primary LOGCAP IV contractors, and currently the 32nd largest contractor in POGO’s Federal Contractor Misconduct Database. It has nine instances of misconduct since the early 2000s and $19.6 million in penalties. The second revolver is Gordon Heddell, who resigned as the Pentagon’s Inspector General on Christmas Eve. The text of Heddell’s farewell email message is posted below. POGO has learned that Heddell also landed a job with a top-tier federal contractor, the global consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton. Booz Allen, the 29th largest contractor in POGO’s database, has two misconduct instances and $3.7 million in penalties. Although it has a relatively blemish-free history, it should be noted that Booz Allen derives a substantial amount of business from contracts with the Defense Department. Booz Allen confirmed with POGO that Heddell was hired last month as a Senior Executive Advisor."

Are these companies and individuals exempt from public law?

Free Download - The 4th Edition of "Small Business Federal Government Contracting"

The 4th Edition of "Small Business Federal Government Contracting" is available as free as a download from the Box Net Cube in the right margin of this site.

The document is expanded to include articles published during the 2010 and 2011 business years at "Small to Feds" and is presented in the logical order of topics normally encountered by an enterprise entering or growing into small business government contracting.

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY THE US HAS A $31 TRILLION NATIONAL DEBT?

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ORGANIZATION CHART
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TONY ROSE

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