Every citizen within the United States do not benefit from "the government, given the imperfections of bureaucracies". In fact, most citizen are harmed by the government taking a dollar from one person and providing 60 cents of value to another.
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Originally posted by: O2bnVegasQuote
Originally posted by: hoops2
"Wait, a half-trillion dollar agency will leave 0.8% of their budget unspent at the end of the fiscal year?"
Their budget is $163b.
The point is that the VA found a way to spend all their budgeted money for furnishings but did not spend their budgeted money on what they are supposed to do - take care of veterans
What is the term for...cherry-picking dialogue from the news to make your point? There is some truth in hoops2's words. Unfortunately they show a universal lack of knowledge of the VA system and other government systems, and how EVERY CITIZEN of the US benefits from "the government, given the imperfections of bureaucracies.
The VA is indeed a large bureaucracy. Folks have come to mock anything labeled with the term "bureaucracy."
From the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language:
Bureaucracy
1. a. Admininstration of a government chiefly through bureaus staffed with nonelective officials. b. The officials staffing such bureaus.
2. Government marked by diffusion of authority among numerous officies and adherence to inflexible rules of operation.
3. Any administration in which the need to follow complex procedures impedes effective action.
The VA is divided into several agencies. Some major ones:
1. VHA, Veterans Health Administration, the agency responsible for health care.
2. VBA, Veterans Benefits Admininstration, the agency responsible for certifying Veteran's benefits. Benefits include health care, pensions, education, burial, to name a fraction. In order to be good stewards of your (taxpayer) money, eligibility determinations are complex and involve a claims process (see #2 and #3 above).
3. Veterans Cemetary Administration, the agency responsible for Veteran cemetary operations, upkeep, funerals, etc.
You have no idea the complexity of operations of these agencies to provide the services while being legislatively accountable TO YOU for being good stewards of your money. No it isn't perfect. But many Veterans are getting excellent care today in VA hospitals, getting pensions, rehabilitation, medications, home care, education, children's education, some non-military spouses qualify for some care...the list goes on. So don't make such pronouncements unless you know more of what you speak.
You speak of the VA spending "all of their budget money for furnishings...[instead of] what they are supposed to do, take care of veterans."
VA funding is indeed a concept difficult to appreciate, including that money appropriated for one purpose generally may not be simply handed over for something else. It can be frustrating as all hell, but the intent is to spend YOUR money on what YOU (your legislators) approved it to be spent for. Every department has their wish list. Stuff wears out. A new influx of patients from a new war, new diseases, new types of injuries (blast injuries are a different animal from gunfire).
And speaking of money for "furniture":
Every year each department in each VA in each state (and so on down the line) must submit (propose) a budget for their department, which requires analyzing this year's expenditures and forecasting the needs for the next year. A proposal for, say, new chairs for an aging outpatient clinic might not be approved for this year, but maybe put on the "wish list" for next year, because the clinic needs other things worse right now (exam tables, computers, maybe an additional doctor or two to absorb the influx of Vets from OEF, OIF, etc). Do you want "our veterans" to sit in sagging chairs with torn upholstery, stare at faded wallpaper, or even stand in wait due to not enough chairs? Of course not.
But, wait! Perhaps LAST YEAR, when the department responsible for furniture (chairs, decor) noted that they still had unspent money as the end of the fiscal year (September 30) drew near. Perhaps someone cancelled an approved (LAST YEAR) request for chairs. No department wants to have to "turn in" unspent money. That money doesn't roll over to be used next year. Feds see this as over projecting. Guess what, you might get less of what you request for next year because you didn't use all of your allottment this year. So, yes, that department may buy some additional chairs, or something else, with the money because those chairs will eventually be of use.
The "breaking news" about VA concerns ACCESS to care, i.e. how quickly "new" enrollees can get their first appointment in Primary Care (outpatient). (**No patient is denied ER care or hospitalization.) But the politicians and media pundits who needed something to say did their knee-jerk chattering about "poor VA care". For the most part THEY HAVE NO CLUE. We hear from Veterans who previously used the private sector, hesitated to come to our VA, and found our care to be far superior to what they received in the private sector. Not to mention that they paid an arm and leg for private insurance AND medicines AND co-pays, on and on. But, again, I digress.
The Gulf War, OEF and OIF and those that followed have resulted in a large influx of new enrollees for Veterans benefits/Primary Care. When did you last call for a new appointment with a new primary care doctor and get it within 14 days? The 14 day mandate, that is from 1st phone call to 1st PC appointment, well, that is pretty ambitious, but it came from the Washington, as unrealistic mandates often do. Each VA is different, different challenges. Certainly if a VA clinic can't meet a mandate, they should be moving the problems upward within that facility for help rather than creating work-arounds that eventually backfire.
As for the VBA, Veteran Benefits Agency, that system has suffered from the tsunami of claims as a result of the aforementioned wars and also the number of claims arising for Agent Orange exposure in the Vietnams War era.
Any of you who are concerned about VA care of Veterans, come in and volunteer at your local VA, the Wounded Warrior program, any of a multitude of programs out there. Do something instead of just criticizing.
