Fellow Veterans and Friends of Veterans,
Regarding Monday's VA Scam Hall Meeting:
Here is insight on Monday's so-called Town Hall meeting at the VA's Brentwood Theatre where Veterans had to use outside portable toilets instead of the large convenient restrooms reserved for the neighboring high mucky-mucks who attend plays, musicals and other entertainment at the theatre on Veterans’ property.
VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald was a no-show, which was highly disappointing and suspect since he was at the San Francisco VA last Thursday.
Los Angeles is the biggest VA in the national network, albeit the most corrupt. Veterans were expecting the new Secretary to be present to assure that things will be different. Don't bet the farm.
John Rowan, National President and CEO of Vietnam Veterans of America, a plaintiff in the ACLU lawsuit, traveled 3,000 miles to attend the meeting. It's that kind of devoted and trusted leadership that the Old Veterans Guard nominated John to be the Secretary of the VA.
As predicted, Donna Beiter was a no-show but she sent her militia of armed VA police to patrol the outside of the theatre while three armed VA police officers stood on guard inside the theater overseeing and monitoring Veterans.
How many times do we have to tell them that the criminals are on the sixth floor of Building 500?
Equally important, the two past VA chiefs of police “retired” under a cloud of suspicion, just as Ralph Tillman, head of asset management at the VA, “retired” two days after the GAO and IG reports came out.
Nevertheless, each Veteran was allowed three minutes to speak and voice his or her complaints. That's nearly twice as long as NBC devoted on their 6 p.m. news covering the entire three hours of the meeting.
And the VA did not audio record or video tape scam of a meeting.
The VA boasted about rehabbing an old hotel in downtown L.A. for 75 homeless Veterans. They're still downtown in the midst of the Skid Row squalor. Their war-demons are still with them and they are still 12 miles from the VA where they need ongoing supportive health care.
VA Sees Town Halls as Step to Restoring Trust
Here is a link to the front page article in section AA of yesterday's L.A. Times, although it was posted on-line Monday while the meeting was taking place. How convenient and timely, since the Times did not attend or report on the Town Hall meeting but the VA gives the illusion that Veteran homelessness is being resolved.
Restored Rosslyn Hotel annex will house 75 homeless veterans
While this story is on the front page of section AA, the Times recently gave minimal coverage on the most important story regarding widespread VA mismanagement and financial under-billing with no accountability regarding monies the VA did receive. The story was conveniently buried on page 4 of AA, two days after the GAO and IG reports came out.
What we came away with Monday is that this was just another scam as the VA continues to lies, abuse and discriminate against Veterans.
It's quite clear that the VA controls the Los Angeles Times and other forms of local media. Steve Lopez writes well on behalf of Veterans, but there will never be a major investigation into the biggest land-fraud scandal in American history.
Only KNBC-4 News was there from the local media and Patrick Healy spent several hours at the meeting but was only allocated one minute and 40 seconds to summarize it for the 6 p.m. news.
Rafer Johnson and his wife Betsy were there observing. Rafer has a lifetime record of unequaled service for civil and human rights. What he saw and heard Monday confirmed what we all have known — serious work lies ahead on behalf of our disabled and disenfranchised Veterans who need proper housing and care on VA property — not bogus warehousing in the same slum they've already been living in.
What was noticeably missing yesterday were the politicians. In fact, not one politician showed up — not one — not even Bobby Shriver who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on TV ads during the primary telling everyone what a big supporter he is of homeless Veterans.
No politician from the federal, state, county or city showed up in support of our Veterans.
Not even the two Congressional candidates running for Henry Waxman's seat showed up.
It's quite obvious that the VA also controls the politicians.
Or, is it the fat-cat Westsiders who control the VA, the politicians, and the media?
After all, these wealthy elitists and snobbish aristocrats get to use the fine restrooms at the theatres on VA property operated by Richmark Entertainment Group, which doesn't have a bona fide agreement. They have a “Memorandum of Understanding.” How does that happen without wealth and power pulling the strings?
How does a neighboring homeowner group get a billion-dollar parcel of Veterans land rent free to build a public park unless wealth and power are pulling the strings?
You can bet the family farm that it is the fat-cat Westsiders who actually control and dominate the VA, the politicians, and the local media.
Monday was just another shameful and disgraceful scam that was pulled on Veterans. It was scheduled to announce the phony rehabbing of 75 rooms at a shabby hotel for $32 million — that's all the VA had to offer. Meanwhile, there are an estimated 20,000 homeless Veterans in Los Angeles and the VA cannot solved the problem other than to fabricate and juggle the numbers.
In sum, the VA has no intentions of honoring the complaints expressed yesterday. If they did, Secretary McDonald and executive Donna Beiter would've been there, and it would've been audio and video recorded.
It was a “dog and phony show” — a hoax – a Scam Hall meeting.
But do not give up!
We will eventually win!
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think about it — always.” – Mahatma Gandhi
God Bless America and the Veterans Revolution!
Mr. Rosebrock may be contacted at rrosebrock1@aol.com
