Miller eyed for VA chief
The New York Times reports that Florida Representative Jeff Miller, the biggest critic of the Veterans’ Affairs Department, is being considered by the Trump Administration to be the Secretary of the agency.
“Instead of trying to sugarcoat the problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs,” the statement [from Mr Miller] said, “[Trump] has a plan to fix them that includes common-sense solutions such as protections for V.A. whistle-blowers, accountability for bad employees and providing veterans with more health care options.”
In an interview on Friday with Fox News, Mr. Miller said the agency — the second largest in the federal government, with nearly 350,000 employees — was “mired in a bureaucracy that just doesn’t want to move in the right direction.” He added, “You can’t have a World Series-winning team if you are not willing to get rid of those who can’t or won’t play their positions.”
As broke dick as the VA seems to be, they need a real critic to fix them. Miller has been consistent in his opposition to their system of promoting and protecting the problem children in the upper echelons of the agency. One thing is for sure – they can’t get worse.
Category: Veterans' Affairs Department
They need a crusty old NCO to fix it. Politicians will not suffice to fix political problems.
I am available and I’m about as crusty as an old NCO can be…LOL
So am I… and would love a chance to flush the toilet full of turds that is the VA
No shit. Immediate firings without consideration of the cost of losing in court later. Consider the mandated buyouts to be the required opportunity costs associated with culling the herd.
And that is what we are talking about–culls. People too morally, ethically, or intellectually deficient to tolerate in the herd.
Send in a bunch of First Division BMCMs and First Lieutenants.
The VA scum will be running screaming from the building within the hour.
I really, REALLY get tired of all this VA badmouthing! there are a select few assholes that should have been removed a long time ago…yet there are many, many hard working fine people in the VA that only get the bums rush, they are polite, respectful, helpful…I have only good to say about my experiences with the VA…I have on the other hand seen assholes stand at the window requesting stuff that is not in their job description to do and raise hell with them…those are the squeeky wheels that somehow get the grease…so let’s narrow the field, SOME in the VA, not ALL…there are a lot of dedicated sincere people working there, and I for one applaud them!
I agree with Desert, I am a VA employee and a Disabled vet. Get rid of the non performers and hold people accountable. I do the best job I can for the vets I work with.
Kevin
The assumptions that spurred the creation of the VA may no longer be correct–such as a shortage of actual health care delivery options. The assumptions that led to the creation of a toxic bureaucracy are likely equally invalid now.
What does this mean? While culling the true rejects is necessary, it means that replacing individuals ultimately brings us no nearer the real root cause solutions necessary. The VA’s mission must be reassessed and validated. The tasks under the mission must be revalidated. Finally, the organizational design must be on the table for deep and permanent change.
This is all very frightening for those whose cheese is based on the current toxic leadership culture, but that is just tough shit.
Veterans, taxpayers, and America deserve much better and that begins with the elected and the appointees extending down to the supply clerk in a clinic.
One thing is for sure – they can’t get worse.
Some people would take that as a challenge, Jonn.
As has been pointed out by you and others, the DVA doesn’t have a funding problem, it has a bureaucracy problem. Get past that seemingly impenetrable wall, and the care is actually decent. But is it worth the effort in some cases?
“Get past that seemingly impenetrable wall, and the care is actually decent.”
Roger that. Phones unanswered. Borderline rudeness, just enough to escape scrutiny, away from workspace, endless ‘breaks’ and chow. I refer to the outer ring as the great wall of apathy. Inside the ring, the nurses, doctors, lab/radiology personnel are first rate. The clerical staff? Not so much.
It’s been my experience that the VA will take good care of you if you know where and wen to goo to the right people.
If you have a certain need, you need to discuss it with your personal physician so an order can be written. Once an order is written, the doors will begin to open.
The VA has saved my life three times and my soul once.
I truly would not be here if I was in a civilian hospital.
The Milwaukee VA Heart Failure Clinic is filled with some of the most caring and involved people on Earth. My NP, Mary D. was wonderful to me, she listened and acted on anything that I might need.
Are there problems? Of course there are, but even yesterday a clerk at the Austin outpatient Clinic eligibility desk went way out of his way to find an order written in the Houston VA and I was able to solve my problem of an ordered test in a very short period of time.
I always try to treat the clerks with respect and they almost always treat me with the same level of respect.
Please go easy on them, they are people, the problem is in the upper echelons where they spend a million dollars on artwork for clinics as they did here in Austin, and other stupid things, but the people that matter are always there if you ask for them.
One thing they’ll have to do is get rid of the mindset and policies which make it next to impossible for a government employee to be fired.
When I first hired on with a governmental agency my then-boss said “you about have to commit murder to get fired from there.”
I know realize that what he was saying is true. Murder or child-molesting. Anything less and they skate. Frustrating for those who are trying to do the job right.
Here’s hoping that Rep. Millar has the backbone to fire folks and let the chips fall where they may. Remember air-traffic controllers?
I have met Miller, worked with his staff and been around him on more than one occasion.
Seems like a good guy and a straight shooter.
If not him, then go with Mike Coffman out of Colorado.
Green Thumb- At a convention one time he came up to our table in a bar, was me and a few other guys and Gabe Malor from Ace of Spades, and sat there and talked to us for damn near 30 minutes and enjoyed a beer with him. One of the most down to Earth folks I’ve met. Huge fan of his.
Will he (or anybody) be able to fix all the problems immediately? No. But I trust a critic such as him to immediately identify those issues which can be immediately corrected, set priorities for solving the rest, and then follow up to see that laws which need to be changed are changed.
While it would be hard to get much worse Jonn, I fear that it’s always a possibility.
This however seems the right man for the job, a no bullshit here’s what sucks and identify it leader is exactly what is needed right now. Pretending that shitty second or third rate work is acceptable for our veterans has pissed me off for a very long time. In any event, it will be an interesting choice to see how he addresses the nonsense and starts forward to build confidence in the system, if that’s even possible today.
“accountability for bad employees”
There are no bad employees, only lazy, apathetic, sometimes mean-spirited bastards who long ago forgot that they are in the job as public servants for a special clientele, specifically, those who have served our nation in uniform, in time of war and in time of peace.
^^^THIS^^^ and then some. Nothing worse than waiting and listening to the intake dipshits and knowing you DON’T EVER want to talk to Ms. Asshole and trying to time it just right, by even letting others go ahead of you and then, sure as shit and two is four, you get stuck with…Ms. ASSHOLE. Who asks so kindly and warmly, “So, what is it YOU want?” Fuckers.
P.S. I think Rep. Jeff Miller will do a great job in STARTING what needs to happen at the VA. I wish him every success. God knows he’ll need it.
I recently had a VA follow-up appointment with my Ortho doctor re my hip replacement. As I am doing very well, I spent much of the time picking his brain about the VA and its administrative problems. They do some weird shit administratively. If he sees too many patients, he gets a reprimand. Go figure. If he backs off, his schedule gets behind and he gets a reprimand.
This guy is a good doctor. With four doctors in my family, having been a corpsman, and having a degree in Nuc Med Technology, I know a good doctor when I see one – and vice versa. It took five months to get an appointment with Ortho, but I am exceptionally happy with the speed, care and results of my surgery. PS: if you need a hip replacement, go the anterior route – much quicker recovery time.
Working for the VA, it is an absolute flipping nightmare of regulations that are selectively enforced or ignored… depending on who you are or know.
I get great care from my VA Doctors, except one who has now been made the head of orthopedics. Doctor I was seeing was recommending replacement of hips and knees. This one… “oh you’ll be fine, you are too young”. Okay Doc, as I struggle to stand up, sit down, walk, climb stairs…
Overall though, care has been awesome. Fellow employees I have had to call the Patient Advocate about, or even the VA Police? That’s another story.
Concur on the anterior route. Going on five years with mine. Medicare plus a supplemental.
I stay as far away from the VA as possible.
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Working for the VA, it is an absolute flipping nightmare of regulations that are selectively enforced or ignored… depending on who you are or know.
I get great care from my VA Doctors, except one who has now been made the head of orthopedics.