# The New VA Secretary



## AWP (Jul 29, 2014)

I kind of laugh about this quote:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/30/politics/bob-mcdonald-bio/index.html?iref=allsearch



> But McDonald's relatively light military experience is concerning to some veterans groups. Paul Rieckhoff, President of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, called Obama's choice "surprising."
> "*He's been away from the military for quite a while, and will have to move quickly to show he is committed to and understands the post-9/11 generation of veterans*," he added.


 
Uh, because generals understand veterans? Generals understand the needs of the troops? Are you kidding me? Is this guy the right choice? The best choice? I have no idea, but who do you think they'll bring in to run the VA? Finding a former CEO (of a major company) with any military experience is pretty rare.

Hopefully this guy can turn things around or at least slow the decline in service.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/29/politics/va-mcdonald-confirm/index.html?hpt=hp_t2


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## Kraut783 (Jul 29, 2014)

Best choice...medically retired E-7, OIF or OEF (or both) vet.

Just my 2 cents


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## LibraryLady (Jul 29, 2014)

Kraut783 said:


> Best choice...medically retired E-7, OIF or OEF (or both) vet.
> 
> Just my 2 cents


Why?

I'd rather see a CEO with a proven rep for turning around companies.  What the VA needs is someone to slash thru the red tape and streamline the process of processing claims. while keeping the costs down. Then look at addressing the type/quality of care.

Being committed to caring for veterans at the Secretary level doesn't require a vet.  Where that is necessary is on the front line - the VA needs more front line folk who are vets.

LL


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## DA SWO (Jul 29, 2014)

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

VA Secretary has minimal power over the career GS types.  They need to be able to forcibly retire upper management (GS 15 and higher) before anything will change.


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## Brill (Jul 29, 2014)

LibraryLady said:


> Why?
> 
> I'd rather see a CEO with a proven rep for turning around companies.  What the VA needs is someone to slash thru the red tape and streamline the process of processing claims. while keeping the costs down. Then look at addressing the type/quality of care.
> 
> ...



At that level, they don't do the work though.  They may set policy but CEO's have no clue about the problems or solutions that occur "on the front lines".  In my opinion, the VA needs the ability to fire civilian employees.

Even as a federal employee myself, the civil service is really just a jobs program.


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## DA SWO (Jul 29, 2014)

I never understood the end of year bonus program.
You get paid to do a job, yet most employees get a "bonus" at the end of each FY.

Fill vacancies, or return the money.


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## Kraut783 (Jul 29, 2014)

LibraryLady said:


> Why?
> 
> I'd rather see a CEO with a proven rep for turning around companies.  What the VA needs is someone to slash thru the red tape and streamline the process of processing claims. while keeping the costs down. Then look at addressing the type/quality of care.
> 
> ...



In reality, at that level of bureaucracy, no one can fix it.  The whole system needs to be torn down and rebuilt, and that will never happen.  You can always chop the head off a snake, but the body remains intact.


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## Scotth (Jul 30, 2014)

I agree with you LL.  It will take a real manager over a vet.  Running a LARGE hospital system takes expertise and that should be the focus.  It will take Congress and it will take the White House to all work together and lay down partisan politics and do what right versus what is a political win if we want to fixit.  Obviously I'm sure a proper solution will be reached.  /sarcasm off

If we get the idiots that say well the budget was increased so money isn't the issue we are in real trouble.  Obviously when you have  6+ month waits to see a physician you don't have enough docs to address demand.  If you don't address how many physicians you have on staff then your never going to fix the problem.  Adding Physicians cost money and people are going to have to accept that additional cost if they are serious about fixing the problem.

The VA IG said they have been warning congress since 2005 about slow appointment.  EVERYONES hands are dirty on this issue and we have to get beyond partisan politics and do what is right for the country and not the party.


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## DA SWO (Jul 30, 2014)

Scotth said:


> I agree with you LL.  It will take a real manager over a vet.  Running a LARGE hospital system takes expertise and that should be the focus.  It will take Congress and it will take the White House to all work together and lay down partisan politics and do what right versus what is a political win if we want to fixit.  Obviously I'm sure a proper solution will be reached.  /sarcasm off
> 
> If we get the idiots that say well the budget was increased so money isn't the issue we are in real trouble.  Obviously when you have  6+ month waits to see a physician you don't have enough docs to address demand.  If you don't address how many physicians you have on staff then your never going to fix the problem.  Adding Physicians cost money and people are going to have to accept that additional cost if they are serious about fixing the problem.
> 
> The VA IG said they have been warning congress since 2005 about slow appointment.  EVERYONES hands are dirty on this issue and we have to get beyond partisan politics and do what is right for the country and not the party.


Adding money to the budget isn't the problem.
Find out why Good Dr's won't stay or apply for positions there (hint: mis-management).
Then fix the problem (fire bad managers).


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## Ooh-Rah (Feb 24, 2015)

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald has admitted that he lied about serving in the special operations forces in a conversation with a homeless veteran that was caught on camera earlier this year.

McDonald made the claim in January while he was in Los Angeles as part of the VA's effort to locate and house homeless veterans. During the tour, a homeless man told McDonald that he had served in the special operations forces.

www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/02/24/va-secretary-robert-mcdonald-reportedly-admits-lying-about-special-forces


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## AWP (Feb 24, 2015)

Threads merged.


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## DA SWO (Feb 24, 2015)

Ooh-Rah said:


> Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald has admitted that he lied about serving in the special operations forces in a conversation with a homeless veteran that was caught on camera earlier this year.
> 
> McDonald made the claim in January while he was in Los Angeles as part of the VA's effort to locate and house homeless veterans. During the tour, a homeless man told McDonald that he had served in the special operations forces.
> 
> www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/02/24/va-secretary-robert-mcdonald-reportedly-admits-lying-about-special-forces


So the guy who challenged the Congressman (?) about his service (What have you accomplished, or words to that affect?) was puffing his service to a homeless guy (who was probably puffing his service).

Guess service in the 82nd isn't honorable enough these days.


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## Wench (Feb 24, 2015)

http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/23/politics/va-secretary-special-forces-claim/index.html

He at least actually served unlike Brian Williams, but what an arrogant asshole. It wasn't too long ago that he had the balls to ask Rep. Coffman, "What have you done?"  And I am OVER the term "misstatement." The term you are looking for, sir, is LIE.


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## policemedic (Feb 24, 2015)

Fuck him.


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## AWP (Feb 24, 2015)

He and Lian Williams must have been on the same ODA.

I can't wait to see how the administration responds.


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## Ooh-Rah (Feb 24, 2015)

Freefalling said:


> I can't wait to see how the administration responds.



They did.

And it's as you would have expected.

_The White House released a statement Monday evening saying that it had accepted McDonald's explanation.

"Secretary McDonald has apologized for the misstatement and noted that he never intended to misrepresent his military service," the statement said. "We take him at his word and expect that this will not impact the important work he’s doing to promote the health and well-being of our nation’s veterans."_


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## AWP (Feb 24, 2015)

"We tolerate posers and don't care if this is a slap in the face ot the men and women who served honorably."

Pragmatically, they can't do anything of substance save firing him and making his deputy a temp head honcho. With less than 2 years in the administration who could they find to take the job? I had hoped for a more strongly worded response, but I'm not surprised.


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## Red-Dot (Feb 24, 2015)

What an ASS HAT...oh well, in the Obama administration he will probably get a raise. Maybe he can go hang out with Brian Williams at the Alamo where they both battled Hitler while inventing the atomic bomb.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...reportedly-admits-lying-about-special-forces/


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## Wench (Feb 24, 2015)

Haha this is the 3rd thread started on him (mine was 2nd). Come join the rest of us in the Military forum when that cranky gas basket Free comes along .


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## Red-Dot (Feb 24, 2015)

Oh...the party is over here....sorry I posted about ass clown on the general discussions. Thanks Wench.


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## AWP (Feb 24, 2015)

Threads merged.


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## Wench (Feb 24, 2015)

Hahaha hugs and shit, man.


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## 8654Maine (Feb 24, 2015)

Does he wax his eyebrows?


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## Gunz (Feb 25, 2015)

Maybe he'll bring back all those former Iron Curtain doctors and drunken quacks that staffed the VA back in the 80s & 90s, then they can resume their bizarre medical experiments on living human beings. _Ve iss koink to neet to cut zat out off you. Holt schtill. _


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