From Sen. J.B. Jennings:
Our Veterans and the VA System
I am appalled and saddened by the Veterans Administration scandal. Long waits for appointments and medical care are an old story of the inefficient operation of the VA medical system. However, the new aspect of this old story is the rising numbers – more than 57,000 veterans waiting more than 90 days for their first appointment. An additional 64,000 who requested medical care never made it onto VA waiting lists. This is not who we are as a nation!
According to the federal audit released June 9, the average wait time for new patients seeking a primary care doctor at the VA Maryland Health Care System is 81 days, the fourth longest at the facilities examined in the audit. The wait is five times the 14 days set by VA guidelines. Rubbing salt into the open wound of this national scandal, the most recent VA audit found that 13% of VA schedulers were told to falsify appointment request dates to make patient wait times appear shorter.
The other new aspect of the current national disgrace is that, blessedly, it has brought congress together to quickly fix the problem. The eyes of the nation are on Congress and the VA. Acting VA Secretary Sloan Gibson stated that VA officials have contacted 50,000 veterans nationwide to get them off waiting lists and into clinics. They are in the process of contacting 40,000 more.
Our Vietnam veterans returned home from war and were met with disrespect and anger, a treatment they were not deserving. We, as a country, learned from our past mistake and now our returning Iraq & Afghanistan war vets are returning to a supportive and thankful Nation. However, with all of the support our veterans are getting many still cannot find jobs or receive necessary psychological treatment for PTSD. Too many are condemned to homelessness. Every day, 22 veterans commit suicide, but less than one-quarter are enrolled in the VA health care system. Often, those who attempt suicide in the service receive general discharges instead of honorable discharges and thus, are not eligible for VA mental health services or financial assistance for school. Currently, these discharges are being reexamined.
Twice a year – once Memorial Day in May and again on Veterans Day in November – American patriotism is front and center with parades, ceremonies and concerts giving well-deserved praise and honor to our veterans. In all U.S. wars, from the Revolutionary War to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, one million men and women have given their lives. Over one million have been wounded, their lives and the lives of their families forever changed. Our veterans deserve to be honored 365 days a year. They have more than earned the recognition, respect and the best treatment by their countrymen and their country. Right about now, you’re probably asking – “What can I do?” Well, for openers, the next time you see someone wearing a baseball cap with “Vietnam Veteran”, “Korea Veteran” or wearing anything that shows they are a veteran…go over and shake that person’s hand and just say, “Thank you.”
As the VA investigations proceed, the questions asked will hopefully be answered and I know improvements will be implemented to provide our veterans with the high-quality health care system they should have. You have my assurance I will continue to work with Maryland’s Congressional Delegation and our State Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain Maryland does everything it can to protect those who protected and continue to protect us.
Please do not hesitate to contact me on this or any other issue of concern to you. Your input is important to me. I encourage and welcome it.
Best regards,
Senator J.B. Jennings
Rob G says
Very well said J.B it’s been a long time but it seems some of the problems with the VA health system are now being exposed. Hopefully some of the wrongs that have be propagated against our Vets can now be address in a proactive manner by those with the authority to change things!!
tickle knots says
Some of the problems with the VA can be traced back to federal shut downs by the Republican Congress and their brilliant idea to shut down the federal govt ability to pay its bills.
Union Member says
Name one?
Arturro Nasney says
Tickle Knots; Are you truly that simple? The entire problem began when the government shut down? First off that shutdown was a failure of the congress, not the republicans. Neither side gave an inch so a deadlock ensued. Both sides of the aisle share responsibility equally. The problems at the VA began long before any shutdowns. That is one problem that Obama can really say that he inherited, but so can both Bushes, Clinton, Reagan, carter and Nixon. The VA is a glaring example of a totally corrupt and self serving government worker mess. The management at the VA has been setting ridiculous goals and then giving each other bonuses for mediocre work. The worker bees have been understaffed for decades. The union stewards/managers have been working full time for the union but being paid by the taxpayers. and so on and so on. Bottom line – screw the vets, they don’t really count because they don’t really vote. Watch them this November however. They will be voting as a block, and we are pissed off at all of those slovenly sobs in DC>
tickle knots says
I don’t remember saying that everything was at the hands of the govt shutdown? Are you the simple one? Can’t your read?
The Repubican’ts main goal has been to get rid of Obama for the first 4 years and to say no to anything post 2nd election. I don’t see you ultra right wing party winning any general election in the near future. Immigrants, women, gay and environmental issues will make sure your party doesn’t win any general election. You can still carry Texas and Arizona for sure and hazard county too.
Vietnam vet says
It’s a big issue, at the present time. but rest assured it will be swept under the rug. I hope and investigation for those vet’s that have PTSD issues will be resolved as far as discharge. I made mention in 1970 to the Aegis paper some thing needed to be done. at the time PTSD was not recognized.
We vet’s knew we returned a changed person. combat in Vietnam could be extensive in Vietnam going weeks at a time.
tickle knotst says
Union Member, stop being so lazy that you can’t even research some stuff and ask me instead to name one. In fact I will name instead a few and you can research if VA, GAO or other agencies had similar issues.
VA report– outpatient facilities for VA are leased space and agency reported for the past few years inability to obtain needed funding to lease out space to provide rehabilitation services.
GAO report– VA scheduling system is over 25 years old. You figure out what technology from 25 years ago can actually work well enough in today’s environment.
GAO report– VA doesn’t have enough staff to answer the phones!!!
Federal shutdown delayed and kept agency from moving on leased projects, increasing capacity. I said that the shutdown affected all their problems, not excusing keeping separate lists and getting paid bonuses on the side. Criminal behavior should be prosecuted.
Union Member says
Criminal behavior absolutely should be prosecuted.
Not a single thing you described was related to the government so called “shut down”. All of what you described would have been in the budget to begin with and since the standoff regarding raising the debt ceiling was resolved, any approved budgeted issues would be paid.
VA funding, to include that 36.4% of the VA budget that goes to medical care has increased every year since 2006. In fact the total VA budget has grown by 68% just since 2009, the year Obama became President. To say VA problems are laid at the feet of people who are responsible for “funding” is laughable.
tickle knots says
Your lack of perspective doesn’t surprise me one bit. Let’s tie cinder blocks around the swimmer and then blame him for drowning. VA issues have been festering for years because demand for services have increased ten fold in the past 10 years with two wars. It doesn’t matter that funding increased by 37%. Facilities and staff needed to handle the demand have been inadequate for years. 2 on going wars and their collateral damage (people, limbs and brains) can’t just be resolved by throwing 37% more in funding. Nursing students and doctors don’t think of VA as a place to earn a good wage or get paid like private hospitals do. There are hundreds of unfilled positions with the VA system specially in specific areas such as mental health, rehab services, physical therapy and outpatient services. Before you mouth off about something, please try to actually become informed on the subject.
Ralph says
So, the VA decides how much to pay it’s employees.
The VA decides how many employees it needs in a given specialty.
The VA requests funding from Congress to provide for those positions.
The Congress provides the funding.
The VA does not fill hundreds of those positions because, as you say the VA structured the pay for those positions too low and the supply line of qualified employees decide to go into private hospitals for better pay.
And you want to blame the Congress for the VA situation.
the professor says
1. VA decides the pay structure within the confines of what Congress authorizes them to spend.
2 VA can request any funding, however it is Congress and politics that decides how much they get.
3. Congress is at fault along with the President for any lack of funding and performance for any federal agency.
4. Two wars, 10 years and less staff than 20 years ago along with no outpatient facilities to speak of to handle the outpatient demands that our veterans require today.
Ralph says
I’m glad you separated funding and performance. I agree, Congress is responsible for funding and the President is responsible for performance.
There are many VA facilities that are performing top notch, while others fail. This has nothing to do with funding by Congress. This is a lack of leadership requiring performance levels be met at the failing facilities.
The VA probably does not get 100% of the funding that they request each year. However, if funding has increased ten fold in the past 20 years (68% just since 2009) and, as you say, there are fewer positions in VA now than 20 years ago, where is all that extra money going?
While it is VA health care that is getting all of the attention these days, health care only comprises 36.4% of the VA total budget. Mandatory VA benefits consume 58.4% of the total VA budget. Together, these two areas amount to 94.8% of the entire VA budget….. not much left over for anything else.
The VA in many ways is just like public schools. Regardless of the money provided, schools lacking motivated professional staff will fall short of the education goals. Other schools with significantly less funding per pupil will exceed the achievement goals and provide a great education for their students because the school has effective leadership and motivated staff to provide the best service possible.
Nothing new here.
tickle knotst says
you’re right the increased funding isn’t paying for new positions but for benefits for veterans. Increased funding for veteran benefits does not translate to increased capacity to provide medical services. The VA has systematic problems in recruiting nurses and therapists and is unable to contract out medical services either from private companies, hospital services, mental health or any ancillary positions. The money isn’t going into direct care but the demand has increased in a chronic manner, that is many service persons require extensive on going rehabilitation and they occupy the available units with no end in sight. Americans just rather focus on children coming from Central America as a more pressing issue that our wounded veterans.
tickle knots says
I remember during the shutdown the Republican’t Congressperson (voted to shutdown govt) berating the Park Ranger when closing federal sites. He looked so pompous and full of himself while the Ranger respectfully told him the park was closed. The Congressperson looked out of touch pretty much like you guys when you complain about the any problems while you supported not funding those agencies in the first place. You guys are a bunch of hypocrites!!!
ticklenotright says
Tickle not,
Once again, more government lies. The Park Rangers blocked access to private property, refused to let a bus of seniors stop at a rest stop while leaving Yellowstone – and last but not least – blocked entry to a war memorial while letting a amnesty rally take place. The Rangers were directed to bring pain – to those selected of course.
tickle knotst says
You seem to have very selective memory. The shutdown effectively “shutdown” government operations and parklands part of the US and administered by the US. Your ability to rationale what constitutes a service indispensable to the public is the same service that needs to be paid with taxes and a budget authorized by Congress.
ticklenotright says
Tickle Snot,
Selective memory? You have no memory at all about what went on – but, I suspect your news comes from the government narrative media, which means you get practically nothing of any real consequence. The sequestration was a pittance, exactly why the executive branch wanted the public to feel as much pain as possible. You can ignore what the Park Rangers chose to do; most government folks are either ignorant of the facts or their eyes glaze over when confronted by facts.
It is more than laughable that every spoken word or written word from government folks about government has have words like essential or indispensable tagged along with it – almost as though they are trying to convince themselves that it’s true. Every one else usually thinks of waste, fraud and abuse.
tickle knots says
Nothing is ever of real consequence unless you are directly affected by it. Seniors care about getting their check and so do our military. Ari traffic controllers, meat inspectors, and passport processing isn’t needed unless you need those services which makes them indispensable because you can’t get those services someplace else. My friend was stuck for 3 weeks in South Korea because he couldn’t get a passport during the shutdown and the delay thereafter. I think he thought of the service as necessary and important. Go ahead and live in ignorant bliss because things are important even if you don’t ever need any services or assistance. You the voter and taxpayer need someone to take care of these things or your ability to go about your daily activities would be compromised and God knows once you are fed up you will just blame the government for everything.
hopeandchange says
Truth about the VA:
Congressional testimony showed that the VA carried over $1.449 billion in medical-care funding from fiscal year 2010 to 2011, $1.163 billion from fiscal year 2011 to fiscal year 2012, $637 million from fiscal year 2012 to 2013, and $543 million from fiscal year 2013 to 2014 – and the VA spent more than $3.5 million on furniture the night before the government shutdown on the last day of fiscal year 2013 so as not to lose that money in the department’s budget the next fiscal year.
tickle knots says
Please cite the report that shows those amounts? That amount of 3.5 Billion sounds a bit high and excessive. Are you talking about sofas and chairs or medical equipment? If they did the purchase while authorized by Congress, what is the problem?
WHO ME says
hopeandchange says
tickle me elmo,
First, you need a passport to leave the country, so I guess you friend was not a US citizen – otherwise he would already have one. So, your friend must be South Korean. In that case, he would have a passport from his home country – so our cutbacks have nothing to do with shutting down the South Korean government.
Oh, the amount was 3.5 million on furniture. Just do a search about the subject and several links will appear. Bottom line the VA had plenty of money. And, so did virtually all of the government agencies. You are uninformed because you want to be.
tickle knots says
your rationale excludes US citizens whose passport expired while out of the country, lost or stolen passports? Are you an idiot or just a tea bagger?
hopeandchange says
Tickle you an idiot or a liar – or both,
You are a liar or your friend is a moron who could not find an embassy – or, just like most of your crap you made it all up. As a minimum one is asked when they will return and it is matched against the expiration date – if stolen you go to the embassy (I always kept my passport locked in a hotel safe). And, since you didn’t know which up front, what you write is crap. You were caught.
Fact is, the VA carried over a billion dollars of medical aid funding more than one year, and you make a feeble excuse that it was all targeted funding – what a pant load. Those working there decided to just juggle dates rather than rise to the task of our veterans. They cared as much for our veterans as the Park Rangers who block the Vietnam War Memorial – which is not at all.
frankly speaking says
you can’t leave a foreign country with no passport!. Stuff gets stolen often, lost or destroyed. What is so hard about that story to understand? @hope– you are a pretty angry person. Why the need to call people liars and stuff like that? Are you 12 years old?
hopeandchange says
Frank,
Seen your crap posted often. Frankly, passports do not get stolen or expired in foreign countries that often. First of all, every time you pass customs they check the amount of time you intend to stay in the country and match it against the dates on the passport. And, any moron secures his passport where he/she is staying. You only need it when you enter or leave a country. So, don’t give me this lost or stolen crap. You can blow smoke up the butt of some, but not those who have done sufficient traveling. Like I wrote, if you are dumb enough to carry a passport into – say a bar or something and pass out – I guess you are too dumb to find an embassy to help you.
But none of this has anything to do with the sequester. This is just the kind of eyewash being used to cover up what is going on, like: Oh, those nasty republicans are to blame for making us fudge dates and kill veterans – or, my friend got drunk and mugged and those nasty republicans would not let him get a new passport. Man, go blow smoke up some lefties butt, please.
Plus, when someone starts with the teabagger stuff, I will call them a liar versus simply that they were wrong. You want to call me 12 years old? Okay, you are a moron too.
frankly speaking says
So passports and personal belongings never get stolen? Expired passports, damaged passports, lost passports happen all the time. The point was that people were inconvenienced by the shutdown and it does affect people. It was responding to the point that government isn’t necessary. Only a complete moron like you would make such a counterpoint that stuff never gets stolen or lost!! It just really proves the point that your really don’t have a clue..
tickle knots says
@hope— Even if the VA spent the money appropriated for furniture on furniture, it can’t be just transferred to medical care because it wasn’t appropriated for medical care. VA spent money of furniture because it was appropriated funds for that specific purpose and there was no guarantee that it would be included in the next year cycle. I guess the furniture was needed if you are going to increase capacity to provide services. You can’t spend more on medical care if you don’t have a place to provide the care. There are also plenty of reports stating that the VA has requested fund increases for out-patient facilities and out-patient rehabilitation services which were tied up in the federal budget and when approved that amount was reduced due to budget constraints but tax credits for businesses were not cut or taxes increased to accommodate the needs of our veterans’s care.
the professor says
VA isn’t allowed to contract out medical services or bid out medical supplies/drugs. They pay the full monty on these items because Congress and the law hasn’t been changed to make the VA more effective. Hiring bonuses ( a standard practice in private market) aren’t allowed by the feds because it conflicts with 10 other federal hiring guidelines and laws. Therefore, the VA has trouble finding qualified medical professionals to provide medical care. The portion of the budget dedicated to direct care has been reduced as well while care for patients has become chronic with so many head injuries and lost limbs more so that prior wars. VA can’t contract out services or ask other hospitals to provide the care for its patients. I wish the voters would be more up in arms about the total care and laws behind it instead of only getting upset because someone cheated the system. Guess what the private market has been cheating the consumer forever. GM, banks, Fannie Mae and you name it. Even foreign banks help their clients evade taxes in the US and people only care about a couple of people getting bonuses by lying.
hopeandchange says
Cheating the system? They juggled dates and people died – all the while they kept returning over a billion dollars.
hopeandchange says
Frank,
You are a moron. No one ever said it doesn’t happen – most likely it would happen to someone like you – a moron. And, as such you go to the embassy – but you cannot find an embassy for three weeks because you are a moron. Also, to suggest that people traveling around the world end up all the time stranded by an expired passport is only believable by a moron.
Finally, to suggest that it took all those weeks to straighten out because of the sequester is total bullshit and you know it. Oh, maybe you don’t know it because you are a moron.
frankly speaking says
Your calling me a liar and moron doesn’t change the fact that all I said could not only happen, it did happen. You can go ahead and calling me more names as I am sure you look like the smart one. None of what I said is out of the realm of possibilities or improvable. You can deny, insult and continue to berate me about it, it doesn’t change anything. It more really proves the kind of closed, narrow mindedness that you show Keep going with your tea bagging ways– demonize everything and everyone as that only proves your complete lack of control and ability to put together 2 sentences together that don’t involve insults or saying something dare I say… moronic?? Done with you.
hopeandchange says
Frank,
Here is what your wrote: “Expired passports, damaged passports, lost passports happen all the time.”
You stated that it happens all the time – and now you sunk to posting that it could happen. Of course, that is after being whacked about it. So, bug out. Good decision because you cannot defend the indefensible. You and your buddy Tickle Pickle suggesting that the sequester caused folks to fudge documents and kill Vets was horrific. Suggesting that anybody got stranded abroad because the sequester denied them a replacement passport (which you say expires all the time, or whatever) would be funny if it weren’t so sad and moronic.
frankly speaking says
Hope, get out of the spin machine as you seem to have lost your total sense of perception if you had any. No one has suggested that this VA scandal has anything to do with the sequester. Government workers are indispensable in the duties that they handle as there isn’t an alternative to their function if the government is shut down. Stop being a child and pretend to have some type of coherent thoughts and reasoning. You have become positively unhinged. Take some Prozac or suck on a pina colada and call me in the morning.
hopeandchange says
Frankie and Pickle sittin’ in a tree,
Here is the exact quote from your ole buddy Tickle Pickle: “Some of the problems with the VA can be traced back to federal shut downs by the Republican Congress.” – and your quote: “No one has suggested that this VA scandal has anything to do with the sequester.”
Once again you are a liar and a moron because everything thing you post is either totally wrong or totally stupid.
the professor says
In other news, tickle’s, hopen change, and frankly can now start witting about who struck john and whose grandmas has the biggest balls!! What a waste of a thread.
frankly speaking says
I said it could happen as you suggested that It could never happen. you reading comprehension is a bit scattered. I also stated that what happened to my friend “did happen”
hopeandchange says
Frankie,
Dense, dense, dense – dumb, dumb, dumb.
You said it happens all the time. I never, ever said that it never happens.
The odds of having a passport expire on you are slim to none since they are carefully checked entering a country – you are ask the nature of your visit and the length of your stay. Losing it? Sure if you are so dense that you fail to secure it – I even gave the example of your buddy passing out in a bar, or don’t you remember (well, of course you don’t).
Did it happen to another one of your moronic buddies? Who knows and who cares – but the way the story unfolded, I believe it’s a lie from the start. However, the issue was that dumb or dumber was supposed to be another victim of the sequester – that is a lie.
Do I think you are unhinged? No – you are just so thin of wit that you just don’t understand what is going on.
How it Should Be says
I believe that Any soldier, sailor, airman or marine who served and was permanently disabled should NEVER have to pay income tax again, and furthermore should be allowed to go to any hospital they want. These politicians could make this happen…but they won’t. And no, I’m not a wounded disabled veteran, just a veteran.
frankly speaking says
You are living in a dream world. As a veteran myself, I would have to tell you that most veterans don’t want to become a drag on the taxpayer and are more than willing to contribute. What we do want is nation that respects our contribution to the freedom that we do enjoy. FYI, if you are 100% service connected disabled and discharged honorably, you don’t have to pay property taxes in Maryland. I have helped a few veterans apply and obtain this property tax credit. If you served in some special army or marine units, you maybe eligible for additional benefits or if you served in WWII. There are housing options for veterans if you are homeless through VASH program. Contact Community Services in Harford County or HUD.gov
frankly speaking says
@hope, if you need mental health assistance you should contact the CORE service agency in Harford County. You are a bit out of control.
hopeandchange says
Frank,
Given up again trying to defend your positions whilst sinking to the old and childish mental help retort. That’s pretty weak there pilgrim.
frankly speaking says
@Hopeless, that should be your name. You should seek mental help, really. Your paranoid and twisted hallucinations as to what I said or meant is a symptom of your lack of coherent reasoning and ability to process information. Do the little voices tell you to be mean? or is it your alter ego (jim from Hickory} telling you what to pronounce and exalt? I worry if I told you some of the stuff that I do know about government ( I am a county employee and a veteran) would send you in a cataclysmic tailspin that you make your shutdown {no pun intended} and descend into an alternate reality or your next tea party meeting, whichever suits you best. I could insult you back but if I lay with the pigs then I become one of them as well. Best of luck to you little buddy, I do feel a little sad that I allowed you to feel so powerful for the past few posts and I do hope it filled you with unimaginable joy and gave you something to look forward. I myself, will be going back to work today, in a couple of minutes knowing that there are more people that I can help today, clearly I don’t have the ability to help you further. Good nite/morning and be well.
hopeandchange says
Frank,
There is a lesson here, although not one you intended. You know, I am not a tea party member and would never be one – I am not the protesting type and would not want to be the target of the government. But, I have seen footage of the rallies. Funny thing, they are mostly older folks and a goodly portion of the gents have on hats that identify what ship they served on – or the hat indicates they were in the Marines. Basis the age of the gentlemen, I would say perhaps up to 30% served in the military, maybe quite a bit more.
Obviously, they are proud of their service as you claim you are. There is, however, a striking difference. You brag about your service every 5 minutes in a dinky forum and use such epithets as “tea bagging ways” to denigrate the protesting Vets – while they are merely exercising their rights to protest – a right you claim to have defended in military service.
The only conclusion I can see is that military service to you is a political football and a coast to a pension – otherwise you would never have bragged about being a double dipper. As to what you do now and your grandiose claims – the Mr. Peepers, Walter Mitty images come to mind: a weaselly clerk with a furtive stare who, when confronted with his exact quotes proving him wrong, claims the other person is “having paranoid and twisted hallucinations.”
The bottom line is: if you want to jump into a forum – call people tea baggers, defend those who blame VA woes on another political party, brag about being a double dipper while using a delayed passport as a political accusation – then you might run into someone who is not one of your ‘hail fellow well met’ types from your current government job.
Have a nice day.
the professor says
I think hope is a little jealous he doesn’t have a military hat yourself. I don’t ever recall anyone using military service as “political football” unless running from office and your statement that “I am not protesting and would not want to be the target of government” says a lot about your personality., The man can have his opinions and two pensions if he earned them.. You may not be a tea party member but you do talk like you are. I do hope you tone it down some, your insults and condescending tone says nothing about you that anyone would want to take your rants as a serious discussion, but yet I think you just like to piss people off..
hopeandchange says
Prof,
Let me just add that you are kind of all over the place. You left out a key word in your quote: I am not the protesting “type” is important because you otherwise change the meaning – and if you suggest that not wanting to be like the tea party and get targeted by government “says a lot about my personality,” I think you should say what it does say. I mean, if you want to be a professor you should, as a minimum, make a point. And you say, “talk like you are…(a member of the tea party)” is, once again, not sufficiently declarative. What does a tea party member talk like?
And finally, “rants as a serious discussion” will have to stand on it’s own – either that or I must have missed the prologue where you were the forum arbiter of those things to be taking seriously.