Should the VA be held accountable for its performance?

Capt James Clement — Mon, 18 May 2015 14:52:05 -0400

The VA Accountability Act of 2015 seeks to do just that. Follow the link to get specifics on the bill.

More importantly, contact your representatives and ask them to sponsor HR 1994.

Together we can set the VA up for success by allowing them to be held accountable!

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1994/cosponsors?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22HR+1994%22%5D%7D&pageSort=alpha

Cosponsors - H.R.1994 - 114th Congress (2015-2016): VA Accountability Act of 2015 | Congress.gov...

Cosponsors of H.R.1994 - 114th Congress (2015-2016): VA Accountability Act of 2015

Response by CPT Bob Moore made May 18 at 2015 2:53 PM

CPT Bob Moore — Mon, 18 May 2015 14:53:13 -0400

The VA should have always been accountable for their actions. It was the lack of accountability that caused the issues in the first place.

Whether leaders hold those under them accountable or not, the leader is always accountable for what happens. "I didn't know" is not an acceptable defense.

Response by LTC Gavin Heater made May 18 at 2015 2:55 PM

LTC Gavin Heater — Mon, 18 May 2015 14:55:17 -0400

Accountability and transparency in health care, especially for our Nation's Veterans is well overdue. This will need strict monitoring to work, but it seems like a start in the right direction.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made May 18 at 2015 3:03 PM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 18 May 2015 15:03:55 -0400

Capt Clement--EVERYONE should be accountable for their performance. Not just the VA. That is part of what is wrong with modern society. We want the other fellow to be accountable, not us.

Response by SFC Robert Wheeler made May 18 at 2015 3:18 PM

SFC Robert Wheeler — Mon, 18 May 2015 15:18:22 -0400

Having been employed by the VA in the past, they need to do much more than that. In addition to accountability, they need to break up the mini-empires that exists in the VA.

Response by CMDCM Richard Moon made May 18 at 2015 5:21 PM

CMDCM Richard Moon — Mon, 18 May 2015 17:21:39 -0400

Ultimately, until the voter holds the politicians who control the appropriations, who draft and enforce the regulations and who write the legislation which becomes law - no federal agency will ever be held accountable for what it does wrong or poorly. I'm a huge fan of Max Webers philosophy on increasing rationalization. In a nutshell, bureaucratization increases, the services become more centralized and one-size fits all and fewer people are generally satisfied or served well by it. It should be held accountable, yes. It won't and can't in general. People just don't care enough, which in mu mind screams "Get rid of it" and replace it with access to health care anywhere else. That too will never happen as the benign neglect of the system will never relinquish it's hold on it's appropriations.

Response by Sgt Branden W. made May 18 at 2015 5:49 PM

Sgt Branden W. — Mon, 18 May 2015 17:49:35 -0400

I start work at the VA in less than a month as a Veterans Service Rep. I look forward to invoking positive change.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made May 18 at 2015 6:15 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Mon, 18 May 2015 18:15:45 -0400

The culture needs changing. The VA has been working under the auspices of executives and managers who built ivory towers. Laws were not followed, rules and regulations were ignored. An organization that does not follow laws, rules, and regulations are corrupt and will break the moral imperatives required to treat employees and patients ethically. The VA became more like laissez-faire and was incapable of consistent self regulation.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jun 26 at 2015 6:04 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 18:04:38 -0400

Yes but it requires honest people and honest managers to oversee operations and spending.

Response by SFC Joseph McCausland made Oct 17 at 2015 6:34 PM

SFC Joseph McCausland — Sat, 17 Oct 2015 18:34:17 -0400

In its' present state the VA is "too big", "too civilianized" "too political" and "too unionized".
As long as we ignore this dominating factors, the system will remain unchanged and our Veterans will be the ones to bear the consequences of "business as usual" while the "system" and "unions" protect those who are blatantly incompetent yet dictate to others, programs, and procedures that have little chance of success.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Oct 17 at 2015 6:37 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sat, 17 Oct 2015 18:37:02 -0400

They are an abortion of an organization.