Word is Obama is just hearing about this from the same news reports we did.

(05-30-2014 11:23 AM)Smaug Wrote:  I don't know how culpable Shinseki is either, but he's had the gig for 5 years, so it's not exactly like he can claim he had no idea.

You run the VA, reports are out about this being known for as long as it has been.. He's culpable. Dont' see how you can say othewise.

The VA is the quintessential "entrenched bureaucracy". These people are consumed by maintaining the status quo and making sure they aren't cost efficient and effective in their jobs because that might result in them being given more work or having their funding cut.

This isn't to say they aren't creative. When offered bonuses to cut wait times, they fudged the numbers to insure their bonuses all the while worsening the backlogs of patients. In their minds, they were successful. And because they know it is nearly impossible to be fired, they just go along.

But can you really blame them. Helping make things better is hard.

If the entire VA system was eliminated and the resulting savings were used to provide the vets with private health care, I have no doubt that the vets would get better, and timely, care and the total cost would be lower.

Just another example of why government doesn't work.

(05-31-2014 09:22 AM)QuestionSocratic Wrote:  The VA is the quintessential "entrenched bureaucracy". These people are consumed by maintaining the status quo and making sure they aren't cost efficient and effective in their jobs because that might result in them being given more work or having their funding cut.

This isn't to say they aren't creative. When offered bonuses to cut wait times, they fudged the numbers to insure their bonuses all the while worsening the backlogs of patients. In their minds, they were successful. And because they know it is nearly impossible to be fired, they just go along.

But can you really blame them. Helping make things better is hard.

If the entire VA system was eliminated and the resulting savings were used to provide the vets with private health care, I have no doubt that the vets would get better, and timely, care and the total cost would be lower.

Just another example of why government doesn't work.

There were actually people on this board, just a few months ago pointing to the VA as an example of a successfully run government program when posters were asking what the government does well in relation to having their gradual takeover our healthcare. If the VA was an example of what the government does well…you got nothing.

(05-31-2014 09:39 AM)mptnstr@44 Wrote:  

(05-31-2014 09:22 AM)QuestionSocratic Wrote:  The VA is the quintessential "entrenched bureaucracy". These people are consumed by maintaining the status quo and making sure they aren't cost efficient and effective in their jobs because that might result in them being given more work or having their funding cut.

This isn't to say they aren't creative. When offered bonuses to cut wait times, they fudged the numbers to insure their bonuses all the while worsening the backlogs of patients. In their minds, they were successful. And because they know it is nearly impossible to be fired, they just go along.

But can you really blame them. Helping make things better is hard.

If the entire VA system was eliminated and the resulting savings were used to provide the vets with private health care, I have no doubt that the vets would get better, and timely, care and the total cost would be lower.

Just another example of why government doesn't work.

There were actually people on this board, just a few months ago pointing to the VA as an example of a successfully run government program when posters were asking what the government does well in relation to having them takeover our healthcare. If the VA was an examples of what the government does well…you got nothing.

I hear that undertakers are doing quite well.........."The LAST to let you down"

(05-30-2014 11:23 AM)Smaug Wrote:  I don't know how culpable Shinseki is either, but he's had the gig for 5 years, so it's not exactly like he can claim he had no idea.

Yet he did claim he had no idea, that the bad things never filtered up to him. Does any normal person not see this lie.....

Shinseki isn't the problem and his replacement won't fix it. It's a systemic problem, it's a single-provider system and single-provider systems don't work on this large a scale.

Instead of screaming for Shinseki's head, republicans should have been making this the poster child for why we don't want single-payer or single-provider.

Stupid party v. evil party.

The Dems will use the search for a replacement, as a way to brand republicans as evil and stupid.

Wanna kill the snake? Chop it off at the head <----part of life if you wanna be "in charge" of everything.......It all starts with the main man in charge.....he is ultimately responsible, no getting around that fact.

(05-31-2014 11:50 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  Shinseki isn't the problem and his replacement won't fix it. It's a systemic problem, it's a single-provider system and single-provider systems don't work on this large a scale.

Instead of screaming for Shinseki's head, republicans should have been making this the poster child for why we don't want single-payer or single-provider.

Stupid party v. evil party.

it's not getting any media, but it's happening locally -- it will be a major campaign issue.

F'k the voters..........when I get sick, it is between me and my doc......and I could care less what and how many others think, vote, or say

(05-31-2014 03:08 PM)tigerjaws Wrote:  F'k the voters..........when I get sick, it is between me and my doc......and I could care less what and how many others think, vote, or say

you don't seem to understand what happened 5 years ago . . . or the inevitable and inexorable process that was started. the only way to keep your health strictly between you and your doctor is to die in the next three or four years. after that, government is calling most of the shots.

(05-31-2014 03:13 PM)EagleX Wrote:  

(05-31-2014 03:08 PM)tigerjaws Wrote:  F'k the voters..........when I get sick, it is between me and my doc......and I could care less what and how many others think, vote, or say

you don't seem to understand what happened 5 years ago . . . or the inevitable and inexorable process that was started. the only way to keep your health strictly between you and your doctor is to die in the next three or four years. after that, government is calling most of the shots.

..........and you understand and accept that level of care? I know an embalmer you can telephone....I'll tell him you're my poster friend in the spin room and he'll embalm you for a nice discount.........otherwise, you best PRAY LIKE HELL that you, your disease, and the treatment are ONLY between you and your doc....or let a Congressman or WH tenant take care of you/your's malady....maybe you prefer a witch-doctor (complete with beads, bongo drums and magic dust) from deepest, darkest Africa to call your medical shots.....different strokes for different folks