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

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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?

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2011 FROM ROSE COVERED GLASSES

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Traces of TCE in Camp Lejeune’s Water Supply Could be the Cause of Some Veteran’s Health Concerns

This article is brought to you courtesy of Douglas Karr a US Navy Veteran and highly regarded blogger at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog:

http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/doug/bio.htm

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Following service in the military, many servicemen and women think their most complicated battles are behind them. Unfortunately, many veterans suffer long-lasting mental and physical health issues. Scientists and doctors are continually making connections between veterans and the multiple diseases and health conditions that seem to plague them.

Though it has long been known that the nation's veterans are at high risk for developing asbestos cancer or mesothelioma, other cancer risks are newly emerging. In fact, as recently as early October 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency warned that anyone who served or lived on base at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina between the 1950s and 1980s is at risk for developing a number of cancers related to water contamination on the base. Though multiple cancers are listed as possible risks, the EPA specifically linked consumption of the water's contaminants to breast cancer, kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and liver cancer.

Apparently, trichloroethylene - known as TCE - made it into the water supply at the base. TCE is highly toxic to humans and causes multiple types of cancer. Exposure to the contaminant is responsible for claiming many lives, including children living at the base. Some diseases related to the exposure are latent, meaning it may take many years before they develop in the body. Unfortunately, those effects may continue for many years to come. According to the EPA, individuals who lived or worked on the base between the 1950s and 1980s were exposed to the chemical, placing them at risk for many years to come.

The discovery is no surprise to the countless men, women and children who have fallen ill due to exposure to the water at Camp Lejeune. What else could account for the more than 70 recorded cases of male breast cancer at the base? Despite decades of suspicion surrounding the water at Camp Lejeune, previous studies from the National Research Council found no confirmation of a link between the base's water and the multiple diseases that service members and their families were suffering. However, the recent discoveries by the Environmental Protection Agency disprove those previous reports, raising hope and awareness for veterans who have long sought out answers and recompense for their suffering.

Franz Gayl Needs Your Help

UPDATE from POGO - 17 November 2011:

"The Marine Corps whistleblower who exposed the Department of Defense's (DoD) delay in providing troops with Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles (MRAPs) has received notice that he can return to work, ending a four-year ordeal in which he had lost his security clearance and faced the loss of his job.

The Navy’s decision (the Marine Corps is within the Navy) to reinstate Gayl’s security clearance came after the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) intervened in the case in October by asking the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) to stay a decision to give Gayl, a Marine Corps science advisor, an indefinite suspension without pay. Gayl's decision in 2007 to tell Congress and the public about the delays in providing troops the heavily armored MRAPs forced the DoD to speed up production of the vehicles and, as a result, likely saved the lives of thousands of troops and prevented serious injuries to many thousands more.

In its request to the MSPB, the OSC cited a petition that the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) and the Government Accountability Project (GAP) had submitted to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. Nearly 4,000 people signed the joint POGO/GAP petition. The OSC agreed with petitioners that “there are reasonable grounds to believe” Gayl's suspension violates the Whistleblower Protection Act.

The MSPB issued a 45-day stay on Oct. 13 to give the OSC time to investigate whether Gayl had been retaliated against. After Gayl blew the whistle, he lost his security clearance, which kept him from returning to work. His attorneys at GAP argued that the indefinite suspension without pay was a way to "starve him out" of the Marine Corps.

"As former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates noted, thousands and thousands of Marines owe their lives and safety to the brave actions of Franz Gayl," POGO Executive Director Danielle Brian said. "What Gayl has endured is a gross injustice. It's not the way this country should treat its heroes and only underscores the need for Congress to immediately pass the Platts-Van Hollen Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2011."

Gayl issued the following statement through GAP:

“I want to express my deepest thanks to all who have supported me throughout this ordeal. It goes without saying that absent the continuous advocacy of GAP and POGO, I would have been forced from government service years ago. However, the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) under the inspiring leadership of Carolyn Lerner has been the godsend that enabled this recent turn-around. OSC's determination to request a stay, and the MSPB's willingness to support it, allowed enough time for the Department of the Navy to deliver a considered and favorable security adjudication that now permits me to get back to work. I am as committed as ever to return to my Marine Corps to work hard in support of all Marines in the capacities for which I was hired. Again, without OSC, GAP, POGO, and the MSPB, this renewed opportunity would not be possible!”

According to the Washington Post in the following article, Marine Corps Civilian Scientist, Franz Gayl:

“…..made a name for himself a few years ago as a Marine Corps whistle blower, a civilian scientist who helped push the Pentagon to shift its Iraqi weapons strategy. Senators called him a hero for disclosures that helped get heavily armored vehicles known as MRAPs to the battlefield.

But a few weeks ago, Gayl found himself booted from a room where confidential materials are handled and stripped of his security clearance. His superiors accused him of "a disregard for regulations, a pattern of poor judgment and intentional misconduct" - behavior that they said "indicates you are unreliable and untrustworthy."

The article goes on to explain that incidents sited in the clearance removal decision were not reported officially as security breaches, but were judgement calls on the part of Gayl's immediate superiors, upon whom his disclosures in the whistle blower incident had applied considerable pressure.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/19/AR2010111903475.html?sid=ST2010111903784

The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) has mounted an electronic mail-in campaign to get the decision reversed:

https://secure3.convio.net/pogo/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=194&autologin=true

Will the public respond to this project and can we continue to tolerate this kind of behavior on the part of military officials in a bloated Pentagon spending billions of tax payer dollars each year?