Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Shinseki
Date:	5/21/2014 10:08:24 AM

If Obama cans Shinseki as VA head, it will just show how much he hates the military.  

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	Shinseki
Date:	5/21/2014 10:30:51 AM (updated 5/21/2014 10:31:27 AM)

Maj, not sure I agree with this although WOTUS canning anyone would be a near on miracle and there is no doubt he hates the military and this country.  Under Shinseki the VA beauracracy has grown dramatically and the issues of long wait times for our veterans is nothing new.  I am not sure anyone can fix this mess but it sure seems to me that Shinseki has not been up to the task.  

I worked for a company that hired a former general as its CEO and while a great guy, he really struggled.  He was used to giving orders and having them obeyed and simply was unable to adjust to senior employees who were also large shareholders blowing him off.  I viewed him as an inspirational leader but he was mostly ineffectual and eventually left for other opportunities. Maybe it was us and not him that was the problem.  He did have one of the greatest lines when discussing the company's past haphazard approach to acquisitions when he said, "We will no longer bungee jump off off the building before we a) measure the length of the cord and b) measure the height of the building".  That one comment alone earned my respect as the company had made a number of very poor acquisition decisions in the 3 years prior to him showing up.

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Shinseki
Date:	5/21/2014 11:47:47 AM (updated 5/21/2014 11:48:53 AM)

Flag officers are often hired for big bucks not because of what they can do but who they know and can influence.  Generally (pun intended) they are kept for a few years until those they know or can control or at least influence move on, then they are sacked or just fade way into the sunset.

And no, success in the military does not always mean the individual will succeed in business.  The military has very clean lines of authority and communcation, and subordinates have one real choice:  do as the boss says.  My experience in the real world....which isn't that real because we are a defense contractor...is that the structure is more loose and one can't easily mandate that a particular order be implemented.  Others can say no or just not do it and the person doing the demanding might not be able to do a solitary thing about it.

And in an organization as big and established as the VA, making changes is extremely difficult.  An awful lot of the employees I'd bet will quietly do things that are in their personal best interest but not that of the veterans they are there to serve.  And they do it with impunity becuase of the Civil Service Rocket syndrome.

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	Oops
Date:	5/21/2014 8:07:34 PM

Not sure why I called you Maj......sorry!

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Oops
Date:	5/21/2014 9:49:24 PM (updated 5/21/2014 9:49:57 PM)

I was one once... no apology necessary!

Name:	muddauber -	Reply
Subject:	Shinseki
Date:	5/24/2014 2:06:36 PM

Speaking as a Vet who uses the VA system.  I strongly disagree with the gross over characterization given to all VA employees in this thread.  I have a number of specialist doctors, hence have moved all of my medical to Birmingham VA from Tuskeegee/Montgomery campuses.  The tie in with UAB has a lot to do with it, but Id rank B'ham VA with any institution in this country, not just VA's. I've gotten extraordinary care.

Couple of examples.  I was scheduled for a CAT scan, but wound up having to go to the ER instead.  The CAT tech saw my name as an ER patient, stole me and got both the scans the ER people would need as well as the one the surgeon had ordered.  Saved me a lot of wasted time and in hospital transport.

Another incident. Scheduled for stomach surgery in two days.  The Neuropathy tech realized that and came in at 6 am rather then 8 am the morning prior to surgery to get my neruo test done.  Otherwise, it'd be some months before I would have been recovered enough to get it done.

I have never been turned away seeing my primary doctor as a walk in. I am an on time patient, and rarely wait the 20-30 minutes unless something has happened.  At that, am informed I can wait, reschedule  or get worked into another doctor. Or they call to let me know what is wrong.

Now then, that is Birmingham.  Tuskeegee and Montgomery campuses are just so overwhelmed they cannot give that level of service. And indeed, do things to make themselves look better than they are.  I had a 1030 am appt with pulmonary, the Night before the appt was changed to 0830.  No phone call, message, nothing.  Not even the doctor knew. When I showed up, they had to call him to cover the appt. He stated this is a tactic Montgomery has used to make the Vet look like he missed the appointment and take the blame.  Pissed off was he.  Yes, I filed grievence with the patient advocate per the doctors request.  That is when I moved everything out of Gumontery to B'ham.

All of the above said, Dental is The Major exception. Got a toothache, shcedule is full for the next 2 or 3 months.  Go see a private dentist and no, the VA will not cover it.  I've tried.

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	Shinseki
Date:	5/25/2014 10:14:34 AM

This thread is mostly about the leadership and bureaucracy in the VA, not the good people that provide medical services. I'm glad you generally get good service but I can tell you from my older brothers experience it is not like that at the Hampton, Va facility.  He too is a Vietnam vet and is a quad that lives at the facility.  Lots of delays getting procedures he needs and yes, dental is the worst.  Food is awful and I bring him a double cheeseburger and large milk shake every time I visit (he jokes that the only thing on him that works perfectly is his sense of taste.......thank God for anti-depressants). But overall the people there do their best to care for too many people with too few resources. The VA is just another example of why govt can't do anything well and why I am all for limited govt and a voucher system that pays for vets care. 

Name:	muddauber -	Reply
Subject:	Shinseki
Date:	5/25/2014 11:32:49 AM

I am sorry for your brother. I know that feelling and it is just not right.

Vouchers work. I'd like vouchers. Good idea.

Food. Ah yes, how can I forget that?  Only the military can take something like a scrambled egg and make its texture like sandpaper and taste worse than that.

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Shinseki
Date:	5/30/2014 11:38:25 AM

Took longer than I expected, but it happened.  Anyone want to compare the treatment given Sibelius and Shinseki?

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	Remember the difference
Date:	5/30/2014 1:22:13 PM

There were plenty of Dems in Congress who expressed similar outrage at this issue which was the end of Shinseki.  No such response on the failure of Obamacare because the Dems in Congress own it lock, stock and barrel.  For them to trash her would be to invite her saying, "I was just implementing a deeply flawed law passed by Congress, don't blame me!"  That kind of truth telling would be far too honest and dangerous to their socialist wet dream.  

Shinseki had no hope of surviving this......sadly, TOTUS may escape his responsibility because the govt media complex cannot participate in exposing the truth about his failed administration on almost every single issue foreign and domestic.