Trump is already screwing vets

[wolfriverjoe 1,351]

airdvr

OK. It's 90 days. Not forever. Just until we can get a grip on the cesspool that is DC.

You mean "clean out the cesspool" like not bringing in cabinet members from Goldman Sachs?

Or by not allowing his senior staff to use Private E-mail Accounts?

You call him a "successful businessman" in an above post.

That's a bit of an exaggeration. He couldn't even make a profit with a casino.

He's a con man. Pure and simple.

Fortunately, more and more people are realizing this. From the National Parks Service, who are now Tweeting on their free time, to Greenpeace, who hung a huge "Resist" banner in D.C.
Even Fox is calling him out on his bullshit.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[jakee 1,257]

airdvr

OK. It's 90 days.

It's 90 days until an OMB plan is recommended. The hiring freeze expires when a plan is implemented. There is no deadline stated for the implementation of any plan, therefore there is no deadline for the expiry of the hiring freeze. It is indefinite.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[DJL 232]

airdvr

He didn't make it worse. It's a hiring freeze until he can see WTF is wrong. I guarantee you what is wrong is too many chiefs and not enough indians.

He never expected to become President and spent the last month and a half ignoring briefings, going on self congratulatory tours and getting in pissing matches with actors. What makes you think he cares about learning WTF is wrong?

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

[airdvr 198]

DJL

***He didn't make it worse. It's a hiring freeze until he can see WTF is wrong. I guarantee you what is wrong is too many chiefs and not enough indians.

He never expected to become President and spent the last month and a half ignoring briefings, going on self congratulatory tours and getting in pissing matches with actors. What makes you think he cares about learning WTF is wrong?

As it was for me and Barry we'll just have to see. I understand your concerns but you are jumping to conclusions and some of those are a pretty far stretch right now.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[brenthutch 388]

Of all of the posters on this thread, how many of you are even veterans? Roll call!

I am and I know "my existence while grotesque and incomprehensible, to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall! You use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something, you use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination, to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I'd rather you just say 'thank you' and go on your way."

[jakee 1,257]

A) You realise that guy was the bad guy, right?

B) What does it have to do Trump?

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[RonD1120 58]

brenthutch

Of all of the posters on this thread, how many of you are even veterans? Roll call!

I am and I know "my existence while grotesque and incomprehensible, to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall! You use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something, you use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination, to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I'd rather you just say 'thank you' and go on your way."

As a veteran, it aggravates me when progressive liberals who never served in the military express opinions on the VA.

There are many problems but the wise approach is to stop adding people until a management analysis is completed.

Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

[brenthutch 388]

jakee

A) You realise that guy was the bad guy, right?

So am I

[jakee 1,257]

brenthutch

***A) You realise that guy was the bad guy, right?

So am I

You used the cover of patriotism as an excuse to do whatever the fuck you wanted even if it contravened the UCMJ, US law, and got people killed?

I wouldn't be too proud of that if I were you.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[DanG 1]

Quote

As a veteran, it aggravates me when progressive liberals who never served in the military express opinions on the VA.

There are many problems but the wise approach is to stop adding people until a management analysis is completed.

As a veteran it aggravates me when right-wing conservatives who never served in the military prevent the VA from filling thousands of open positions, and reduce the already low morale by insinuating that existing VA staff are all corrupt or incompetent.

The wise approach is to let someone who knows what the fuck he's doing (like the Secretary of the VA) make management decisions instead of dictating from a position of complete ignorance.

- Dan G

[melch 0]

DanG

Quote

As a veteran, it aggravates me when progressive liberals who never served in the military express opinions on the VA.

There are many problems but the wise approach is to stop adding people until a management analysis is completed.

As a veteran it aggravates me when right-wing conservatives who never served in the military prevent the VA from filling thousands of open positions, and reduce the already low morale by insinuating that existing VA staff are all corrupt or incompetent.

The wise approach is to let someone who knows what the fuck he's doing (like the Secretary of the VA) make management decisions instead of dictating from a position of complete ignorance.

^this.

Also, as an active duty member, I hate when people place veterans on a pedestal. We blindly assume that someone holding a veteran status is an untouchable demi-god. In the last year, I separated 10 soldiers for a variety of reasons (drugs, domestic abuse, and BAH fraud, good 'ol fashioned oxygen thieves, etc.) all of whom get to claim the title "veteran" and serve as a political lever for others' agendas. Mostly because people don't care to make the distinction between honorable service and a title. As far as the VA, I'm thankful we get anything at all (something is better than nothing). In my opinion, we should embrace the selfless service aspect a little more and stop asking, what's in it for me and wean yourself off the government teat.

[airdvr 198]

DanG

Quote

As a veteran, it aggravates me when progressive liberals who never served in the military express opinions on the VA.

There are many problems but the wise approach is to stop adding people until a management analysis is completed.

As a veteran it aggravates me when right-wing conservatives who never served in the military prevent the VA from filling thousands of open positions, and reduce the already low morale by insinuating that existing VA staff are all corrupt or incompetent.

The wise approach is to let someone who knows what the fuck he's doing (like the Secretary of the VA) make management decisions instead of dictating from a position of complete ignorance.

Absolutely! Because that approach has worked so well over the past 8 years.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[DanG 1]

Quote

Absolutely! Because that approach has worked so well over the past 8 years.

Actually, it seems like things were improving. Maybe they weren't improving fast enough, that's subjective.

Preventing the VA from filling open positions simply doesn't make sense. I realize it is your side doing it, but it doesn't make it smart.

- Dan G

[airdvr 198]

Billions spent to fix VA didn't solve problems, made some issues worse

http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/05/politics/veterans-administration-va/

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2016/images/07/05/commission-on-care_final-report_063016_1815-3-1.pdf

308 page report which, in my opinion is an example of why things don't work when the government is in control. Instead of having a special policy for the VA why can't they just be treated the same as everyone elso on Medicare? Why do we need a special set of rules?

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[normiss 622]

Yahtzee.
Well said, thanks.

[airdvr 198]

jclalor

***Hi airdvr,

Quote

I doubt it stops them from replacing those who leave.

It did under Pres. Reagan's hiring freeze.

And re: 'As I understand it', just how do you understand it?

Jerry Baumchen

I have a coworker RN who was in the beginning process of getting a job at the Pablo Alto VA... not anymore.

An RN won't have any problems getting a job in Palo Alto.

https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=Registered+Nurse&l=Palo+Alto,+CA&matchtype=b&network=g&device=c&devicemodel=&creative=62982592289&keyword=_inurl%3Awww.indeed.com%2Fq-%23inurl%3A-l-%23inurl%3Ajobs&placement=¶m1=¶m2=&random=1471735522843380558&aceid=&adposition=1t4&gclid=CjwKEAiA2abEBRCdx7PqqunM1CYSJABf3qvap2VnA2Sc6xESzR3N-pZ3aRFJMyfn1z0_9neVhdt9bRoCSr_w_wcB

Or are you saying she wanted to work at the VA and now she doesn't?

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[gowlerk 1,923]

I'm a little reluctant here, being a none military foreigner and all. I have nothing to say about the VA hospital system. Except to wonder, why is it necessary to have a separate system for veterans? Why can't the wonderful US health care industry take care of this demographic?

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[billvon 2,426]

> Because that approach has worked so well over the past 8 years.

There's no problem so bad that Trump can't make it worse.

[brenthutch 388]

+1
I don't understand why we have a parallel healthcare system for veterans. We don't have a parallel education system for vets. I think a G.I. Bill for healthcare would be a much better system. The VA should limit itself to providing care to uniquely battlefield related ailments.

[DanG 1]

Quote

Billions spent to fix VA didn't solve problems, made some issues worse

How is a hiring freeze going to turn that around? One of the finding of that report was that there were too many vacant positions.

Quote

Instead of having a special policy for the VA why can't they just be treated the same as everyone else on Medicare? Why do we need a special set of rules?

I don't know the history, but part of the deal when people sign up is that if they get hurt the government will take care of them. It would probably save money to just eliminate the VHA and make all the vets use private doctors. But are we going to say that veteran care should only be reimbursed at Medicare rates? Does the vet who lost his leg in service of his country still have co-pays like the fat guy who lost his leg to diabetes? Or do you have special rules for disabled vets, and those rules are administered by different people?

- Dan G

[airdvr 198]

I guess I don't understand. The too many vacant positions problem wasn't solved by giving the VA billions more? I wonder where it went?

You are correct when you question things like deductibles and such, but it seems to me we're trying to invent something that already exists. People on Medicare have supplemental policies (or should) that take care of deductibles and co-pays. Why can't there be a Veterans policy that makes out of pocket costs $0?

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[ryoder 1,397]

gowlerk

I'm a little reluctant here, being a none military foreigner and all. I have nothing to say about the VA hospital system. Except to wonder, why is it necessary to have a separate system for veterans? Why can't the wonderful US health care industry take care of this demographic?

brenthutch

+1
I don't understand why we have a parallel healthcare system for veterans. We don't have a parallel education system for vets. I think a G.I. Bill for healthcare would be a much better system. The VA should limit itself to providing care to uniquely battlefield related ailments.

Agreed.
I don't get the reason the VA can't simply operate like insurance to covers vets going to their provider of choice.

I first hear the VA horror stories from a Vietnam vet in my dorm at college, and that was in the late 1980's! Nothing I've heard since makes it sound like any improvement has ever been made.

And I recently met another vet who had suffered massive leg injuries from an IED. He was lucky enough to have a friend who owned a business who gave him a part time job with full medical benefits just so he could avoid the VA.

And we have crap like this here in CO:

http://www.denverpost.com/2016/09/21/aurora-va-officials-warned-repeatedly/

Auction off the VA facilities to existing medical providers, and function as an insurance provider to vets.

Even better: Just go to a single-payer system for all citizens, including vets.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[DanG 1]

Quote

I guess I don't understand. The too many vacant positions problem wasn't solved by giving the VA billions more? I wonder where it went?

I'm not saying the VA is perfect. I'm also not saying that the recent efforts to improve the VA solved all the problems.

What I am saying is one of the identified problems was lack of medical staff. Refusing to hire more medical staff can never fix that problem.

Quote

You are correct when you question things like deductibles and such, but it seems to me we're trying to invent something that already exists. People on Medicare have supplemental policies (or should) that take care of deductibles and co-pays. Why can't there be a Veterans policy that makes out of pocket costs $0?

I suppose you could work the system like that. The private hospital system would need to be prepared for a huge influx of new patients. I'm not sure we can handle that. The Medicare system would also have to be expanded. I'm not sure you'd really save much money.

The VA does some things really well. Between the last post I made and this one I got a call from one of my providers at the VA. I had put in a request through my primary care giver for a replacement part for my prosthetic last week. Today they called to tell me they are going to send me four new parts so if one breaks again I won't have any downtime. They also made me an appointment to come try out a new high tech prosthetic hand next Friday. Sure, I had to wait on the phone five minutes to get my appointment. Regardless of what Trump thinks, VA healthcare isn't just a pile of dying old men littering the halls of a dusty hospital while incompetent doctors and corrupt staff people spit at them.

- Dan G

[jakee 1,257]

airdvr

Or are you saying she wanted to work at the VA and now she doesn't?

The precise concept of a hiring freeze continues to elude you, eh?

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[Bolas 5]

Good to hear a success story.
Tri Care could also be an option for the non specialized care.

Maybe use Medicare/Medicaid to start with for the less than honorably discharged?

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.