The Shadow Rulers of the VA

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I'm still looking for other sources than Propublica, who broke the story:

The Shadow Rulers of the VA
How Marvel Entertainment chairman Ike Perlmutter and two other Mar-a-Lago cronies are secretly shaping the Trump administration’s veterans policies.

Note that the story is in part based on Freedom of Information Act requests

Last February, shortly after Peter O’Rourke became chief of staff for the Department of Veterans Affairs, he received an email from Bruce Moskowitz with his input on a new mental health initiative for the VA. “Received,” O’Rourke replied. “I will begin a project plan and develop a timeline for action.”

O’Rourke treated the email as an order, but Moskowitz is not his boss. In fact, he is not even a government official. Moskowitz is a Palm Beach doctor who helps wealthy people obtain high-service “concierge” medical care.

More to the point, he is one-third of an informal council that is exerting sweeping influence on the VA from Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s private club in Palm Beach, Florida. Last February, shortly after Peter O’Rourke became chief of staff for the Department of Veterans Affairs, he received an email from Bruce Moskowitz with his input on a new mental health initiative for the VA. “Received,” O’Rourke replied. “I will begin a project plan and develop a timeline for action.”

O’Rourke treated the email as an order, but Moskowitz is not his boss. In fact, he is not even a government official. Moskowitz is a Palm Beach doctor who helps wealthy people obtain high-service “concierge” medical care.

More to the point, he is one-third of an informal council that is exerting sweeping influence on the VA from Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s private club in Palm Beach, Florida. The troika is led by Ike Perlmutter, the reclusive chairman of Marvel Entertainment, who is a longtime acquaintance of President Trump’s. The third member is a lawyer named Marc Sherman. None of them has ever served in the U.S. military or government.
Click to expand...

The part that particularly bothers me is that government appointed staff are taking orders from outside the hierarchy, from three people who never even served. Vets have very special needs.
 
Enlightened

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Something happened with the bit you quoted (repeated info).

Privatization of VA care is a huge mistake. Reagan did something similar in the 80s with mental healthcare. Look at how many mentally-ill people end up in prison (instead of proper facilities). Where will the vets go (or do) if they cannot get the care they need (for PTSD, other)?
 
cornflake

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It's not privatizing VA care, it's letting random people with no experience, expertise, who weren't hired or vetted by anyone, run a government agency.

It'd be like a congressional rep letting their friend Bob who lives next door and works at the Safeway introduce bills and vote on stuff.
 
Enlightened

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cornflake said:
It's not privatizing VA care, it's letting random people with no experience, expertise, who weren't hired or vetted by anyone, run a government agency.

It'd be like a congressional rep letting their friend Bob who lives next door and works at the Safeway introduce bills and vote on stuff.
Click to expand...

It's both. I chose to focus on one aspect. This is nothing new with Trump.... https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/29/us/politics/shulkin-trump-veterans-affairs-privatized-care.html

I suspect Trump's using his team to transition VA to privatized care. Running VA hospitals is costly. In the short-run (2020 election), Trump can use the savings figures as a tool to get re-elected. Long-run, taxpayers may pay more with privatization.

Robbing Peter (future taxpayers) to pay Paul (re-election voters).

Is this possible? Sure. Do I have proof? Nope. Just speculation, but I don't have blind faith in Trump in any way, shape, or form.
 
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