[img]2103|right|General Eric Shinseki (USA-Ret.)||no_popup[/img]What will it take for the Commander-in-Chief, for the President of the United States to exercise his entrusted responsibility on behalf of America's military Veterans and fire VA Secretary Gen. Eric Shinseki for his failed leadership and incompetence?
Just four days after news broke that Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling shared his bigoted views in a private conversation, Adam Silver, the Commissioner of the National Basketball Association, exercised his entrusted responsibility and permanently banned Mr. Sterling from the NBA along with a $2.5 million fine.
The National Basketball Players Assn. was also in agreement with the decision as it had heavy influence in bringing about the swift, harsh sentence.
As crude as Mr. Sterling's personal comments were with a confidant in a private setting, he did not cause any harm to his team players, coaches, personnel or any attendees at the Clippers games.
Nobody died. Nor was anyone denied earned benefits for his or her services.
Mr. Sterling’s team was not grossly mismanaged. He is not an incompetent leader. In fact, the Clippers have a winning record this year and are at the top of their game, competing in the NBA playoffs.
Mr. Sterling owns a franchise worth an estimated one billion dollars.
But This Is Different
On the other hand, Gen. Shinseki (USA-Ret.), was nominated by the President of the United States for a cabinet position in his administration and was subsequently approved by the Senate on behalf of “We the People” to provide quality healthcare and protect the best interests of millions of United States military Veterans, including those who are disabled and homeless.
One would have to be living under a rock not to know about the rampant mismanagement, malfeasance, crime, corruption and coverup at the second largest bureaucracy in federal government under Mr. Shinseki's command. It continuously gets worse, never better.
Where does one even begin in trying to explain the endless failures of Mr. Shinseki’s stewardship as Secretary of the VA?
In brief, there's the VA's ongoing backlog of more than a half-million disability claims nationwide, the infamous “death list” torture of 40 Veterans at the Phoenix VA, and the “banning” of tens of thousands of war-injured and impoverished Veterans from the Los Angeles VA, forcing them to live homeless and hungry in deplorable and inhumane conditions on skid row and back-alley squalor.
That’s just scratching the surface.
Permanently Banned vs. Permanently Maintained
The NBA has rules and regulations that are strictly enforced.
The VA has rules and regulations that are enforced will-nilly.
When enforcing the word “permanently,” it’s important to know that it means forever, not temporary or changing.
The NBA has a rigid enforcement of the word permanently.
The VA has a weak and double standard for the word permanently.
In 1888, two land owners deeded 600 acres to the U.S. Government in West Los Angeles “to be permanently maintained as a National Home for Disabled Veterans.”
An 1887 Act of Congress preceded the Deed to ensure the permanency of a National Home for war-injured and impoverished Veterans and the prevention of Veteran homelessness in Los Angeles.
In addition to violating the lawful and moral obligations of the Congressional Act and legal deed, the VA has also failed to honor the VA’s Administrative Procedures Act with Federal land use agreements that deal exclusively with healthcare providers and healthcare services for our Military Veterans, Mr. Shinseki and his Los Angeles VA director Donna Beiter are defendants in an ACLU lawsuit filed in 2011 with Vietnam Veterans of America as the major plaintiff.
(To be continued)
Mr. Rosebrock may be contacted at RRosebrock1@aol.com