Robert Petzel, undersecretary for health care at the VA resigns
So it looks like the VA officials have begun their falling upon swords ritual to save Shinseki according to Fox News. Robert Petzel, undersecretary for health care at the VA has resigned after the grilling he and the Secretary of the Department suffered in a Senate committee hearing yesterday in regards to the Veterans’ Affairs bosses inability to reform the organization;
The top official for veterans health care has resigned amid a firestorm over long appointment waits, treatment delays and falsified records at VA hospitals.
Veterans Secretary Eric Shinseki says he has accepted the resignation of Robert Petzel, undersecretary for health care at the VA. It comes the day after both men were grilled by the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs.
Well, America’s war veterans will be just as willing to accept Shinseki’s resignation, too.Try us, Ric.
Thanks to ChipNASA for the link.
Category: Veterans' Affairs Department
Bah, a scapegoat. He had already said he would retire in 2014 anyway. I want the big fish.
Shin-sorry’s not worth it… let him go already.
ShitStainki and Holder and Fartbongo….
The administration is stuck. If Beret Boy tenders his resignation, it is a another stain on The Emperor. What’s he gonna say, that he wasn’t apprised of the situation after making the late-night circuit telling the country he was on the issue? That he was lied to by Beret Boy regarding the promised progress? And, of course, no tender by Beret Boy means he was told DO NOT attempt to resign or it will make it look like the President himself made an error in selecting him and retaining him this long. (There is no doubt in my mind that Beret Boy contacted some functionary in the WH and asked whether Obama (spit!) wants him to resign.)
Heh! “Beret Boy”! I’m officially stealing that!!!
“Get me a list of higher up, retirement eligible administrators. We need some sheep. STAT!”
Legion on Petzel resignation: ‘business as usual’
WASHINGTON (May 16, 2014) — Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric Shinseki announced May 16 that he has accepted the resignation of his under secretary for benefits, Dr. Robert Petzel.
Responding to the news, American Legion National Commander Daniel M. Dellinger said, “This move by VA is not a corrective action, but a continuation of business as usual. Dr. Petzel was already scheduled to retire this year, so his resignation now really won’t make that much of a difference.
“Meanwhile, Secretary Shinseki and Under Secretary Hickey remain on the job. They are both part of VA’s leadership problem, and we want them to resign as soon as possible. This isn’t personal. VA needs a fundamental shift in leadership if it is to defeat its systemic lack of accountability.”
Dellinger, leader of the country’s largest organization of wartime veterans, called on Shinseki, Petzel and Hickey to resign at a May 5 press conference at the Legion’s national headquarters in Indianapolis.
Good that the American Legion refuses to be mollified with the sacrificial lamb.
Calling on James Mattis to go to the VA and cry Havoc for us!!!!!
He announced his resignation in 2013.
http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/communities/hot-springs/local-news/petzel-to-resign-from-va/article_73ad18b6-29f7-11e3-a2f6-0019bb2963f4.html
Looks like another false flag to me.
Yep.
“Bump bump bump
Another under the bus . . . .”
So when is this administration going to build the arena for their Hunger Games?
Concerned Veterans For America sends out this statement from Pete Hegseth;
“Does this administration think we’re idiots? Dr. Petzel’s so-called “resignation” is a meaningless gesture, as he was already scheduled to retire in a few months. Yes, I agree that he should be held responsible and, therefore, fired; but asking someone to retire a few months early is not accountability. This is by no means a demonstration that the Department of Veterans Affairs understands how grave the situation really is. If anything, this cynical move reinforces how out of touch VA has become. They’re looking for a fall guy, and Dr. Petzel was convenient.
“To make things worse, the nominee already slated (before this resignation) to replace Dr. Petzel for the position of Under Secretary for Health—Dr. Jeffrey A. Murawsky—represents a continuation of the prevailing culture at VHA. Dr. Murawsky has worked at VA for more than 13 years and can only be classified as an insider. He was a part of the system when the system was failing; in fact, he was even Sharon Helman’s boss (the former head of the Phoenix VA). Do we really want the former boss of the poster-child for VHA dysfunction running the entire department?
“The nomination of Dr. Murawsky represents a continuity of the current practices at VHA, plain and simple. Even if he has a track record as a so-called innovator, Dr. Murawsky’s focus will undoubtedly be at the margins of the system and not at the root causes of the problem. High-level managers at VA, as the department is currently structured, cannot survive inside the system if they are true reformers. This makes Dr. Murawsky the wrong candidate at the wrong time for VHA. Dr. Murawsky represents the status quo, not the reforms necessary to get the VA back on track. The President and VA need to go back to the drawing board and find a true reformer—with the experience and background, outside the VA, to fix this dysfunctional system.”
“Dr. Petzel’s so-called “resignation” is a meaningless gesture, as he was already scheduled to retire in a few months.”
Yep.
After being out of the Army since 1991, I just received a letter from the VA. They want me to apply for benefits. They can’t keep up with the applications they have and they want more. Beret Boy (thanks Air Cav)Is a menace to the VA, just as he was a menace to the head ware of the Army. We all know everyone had beret envy and he single-handedly solved that problem.
Yep, and you are not alone in getting the solicitation. We just about flipped when we got ours. It is obvious that they are wasting money which could be much better used fulfilling promises to those who need the services of the VA.
Arm twisting more applications to further clog the system? Or maybe it is just window dressing to make it appear that things are so fine that they need more clients. Whatever their motivation, it is disgusting.
“Pretzel’s” resignation is a red herring. There are more twists and turns… but they all eventually end up on Shinseki’s watch.
Leadership 101?
It’s so basic, even a caveman could do it.
Resigned, my ass! The president named his replacement three weeks ago. Count um, One, Two, Three. He was going to retire and did. He fell on his sword for a man who would never return the favor. He might have been a shitbird and if so, good riddance. At the least he was a sycophant to a really piss poor leader’
“So it looks like the VA officials have begun their falling upon swords ritual … ”
Screw that! I want real falling on swords.
Yeah, and let’s start with Beret Boi® !!