Video: Angry man not quite angry enough to hold anyone accountable for VA fiasco

[mystery-ak]

http://hotair.com/archives/2014/05/21/video-angry-man-not-quite-angry-enough-to-hold-anyone-accountable-for-va-fiasco/

Video: Angry man not quite angry enough to hold anyone accountable for VA fiasco
posted at 12:41 pm on May 21, 2014 by Allahpundit

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Alternate headline: “Noted liberal hopping mad about predictable results of government-run health care.” I’m embarrassed to say that I thought there was a slim chance that he’d can Shinseki over this, even though that completely contradicts his M.O. over the past five years. The politics of it, with sick veterans left to die on secret wait lists, are simply too terrible for inaction, I figured. And it’s not like the administration was blindsided. They’ve known about “unreliable” wait times at the VA since before Obama became president; candidate Obama told veterans that addressing long waits was an “urgent” priority that he’d deal with as C-in-C in a now infamous stump speech in 2007. He and Shinseki had every reason to treat the VA as a code-red problem from the moment they assumed office. Instead, as far back as year two of the Obama administration, VA executives were sending around memos warning of questionable scheduling practices. And now here O is, in 2014, babbling about how he’s launching a new investigation and new studies, yadda yadda yadda, before deciding what to do.

Watch the second clip below, of CNN’s Drew Griffin, for the proper response to that. There have already been numerous studies, including by the VA’s IG, of the wait-time problem. How do you think Senator Obama knew that the problem was “urgent” in the first place? Everyone knows — and yet, given the opportunity to fire Shinseki and vowing that he “will not tolerate” this, Obama once again … decided to tolerate it. Shinseki’s still in command, for now, leaving O with basically nothing to say for himself here except rote expressions of outrage. This felt like the sort of presser that the president typically gives the day after a midterm election in which his party’s taken a beating: He has nothing to say, but he feels obliged to show his face lest he be accused of cowardice. That was his goal today — stand up in front of the camera, check the box by looking appropriately outraged, and hope that the time you’ve just bought yourself ends up with the media and the public losing interest and eventually focusing on something else. This guy ran on accountability and now, five years later, here we are. He’s completely checked out, as even some Democrats lately have begun to admit.

In conclusion, Sebelius/Shinseki 2016.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRzT8dEdjJU

[truth_seeker]

Same old, same old. A fake leader, who doesn't monitor his subordinates like good managers do.

And doesn't take responsibility for his subordinates like good managers do.

We can be almost certain the IRS acted precisely on Obama's desires, even if he didn't speak the goals directly. When he later disavows it, he is outright lying.

Too bad the current skill level of the GOP congress is so low. There doesn't appear to be a Sam Ervin among them, but perhaps Trey Gowdy will be that individual.

Ever since Watergate, Presidents have been careful avoid getting tied directly to misdeeds.

Monica Lewinsky ruined the impeachment move. The GOP has been left with an occasional scowl by Issa, to damage Obama. Pinpricks.

It would be nice to wield some damaging blows just before the midterms.

[olde north church]

Although Shinseki was among the Clinton CABAL of generals, along with Shelton, Clark, Shalikashvili, forcing his resignation would do nothing to improve the situation at the VA.  It's a bureaucracy.  He's a cog.  A cog in a wheel.  A wheel with policies.  The wheel turns on, as wheels must.  Forever.
Even though "The Buck Stops Here" has been replaced with "Fore!", even a change at the top would do little.  The only way to stop bureaucracies is to stop funding them until they lumber to their deaths as brontosauri of yore.

[truth_seeker]

Although Shinseki was among the Clinton CABAL of generals, along with Shelton, Clark, Shalikashvili, forcing his resignation would do nothing to improve the situation at the VA.  It's a bureaucracy.  He's a cog.  A cog in a wheel.  A wheel with policies.  The wheel turns on, as wheels must.  Forever.
Even though "The Buck Stops Here" has been replaced with "Fore!", even a change at the top would do little.  The only way to stop bureaucracies is to stop funding them until they lumber to their deaths as brontosauri of yore.

In California, a long time ago, Prop. 13 was the result of the wisdom "The only way to stop bureaucracies is to stop funding them until they lumber to their deaths as brontosauri of yore."

Howard Jarvis was an older, successful businessman who had learned that cutting off money was the single most effective means of curtailing out of control government in general. He picked property taxes, but it could have been any tax. His effort has withstood court challenges, for nearly 4 decades.

Every time I have seen a budget battle with claims by liberals that they simply cannot do it because of built-in entitlements, it turns out later they do make it.

We had a notable episode in Orange County CA when they filed bankruptcy. The Treasurer had made lousy investment choices, and both mainstream Republicans, democrats and major business interests settled on a tax increase for the problem.

I worked with a small group, to oppose raising taxes. We said the county could withstand major budget cuts, and survive. The voters agreed, no tax increase, and everything worked  out marvelously.

So when I hear claims of "cannot do" because of entitlements, I don't buy it.

But the VA is an issue of management competence and priorities. And a huge bureaucracy answerable to nobody. Appointed bureaucrats outlast elected represents and governors and presidents, and they know it.

The next levels below Shinseki are probably where the problems lie. If Shinseki did his job well, he would have looked for, found, and solved problems through those people. Obviously, following Obama's lead, he did not. Obama will protect him for just a short while. Shinseki has two government pensions waiting.
 

[olde north church]

In California, a long time ago, Prop. 13 was the result of the wisdom "The only way to stop bureaucracies is to stop funding them until they lumber to their deaths as brontosauri of yore."

Howard Jarvis was an older, successful businessman who had learned that cutting off money was the single most effective means of curtailing out of control government in general. He picked property taxes, but it could have been any tax. His effort has withstood court challenges, for nearly 4 decades.

Every time I have seen a budget battle with claims by liberals that they simply cannot do it because of built-in entitlements, it turns out later they do make it.

We had a notable episode in Orange County CA when they filed bankruptcy. The Treasurer had made lousy investment choices, and both mainstream Republicans, democrats and major business interests settled on a tax increase for the problem.

I worked with a small group, to oppose raising taxes. We said the county could withstand major budget cuts, and survive. The voters agreed, no tax increase, and everything worked  out marvelously.

So when I hear claims of "cannot do" because of entitlements, I don't buy it.

But the VA is an issue of management competence and priorities. And a huge bureaucracy answerable to nobody. Appointed bureaucrats outlast elected represents and governors and presidents, and they know it.

The next levels below Shinseki are probably where the problems lie. If Shinseki did his job well, he would have looked for, found, and solved problems through those people. Obviously, following Obama's lead, he did not. Obama will protect him for just a short while. Shinseki has two government pensions waiting.

The problem Leftists have with built entitlements isn't with the service an entitlement but the provider of said service who exchanges their reliable vote for the cushy job and pension. 

[Bigun]

Obama "We're going to fix whatever is wrong with the VA"

No you aren't! At least not until you are ready to privatize the whole thing!