By
Investigative Journalist, Barry R. Clausen
June 3, 2014
NewsWithViews.com
An Uncaring VA Union
Following my story that ran on NewsWithViews titled, “A VA Doctor Almost Killed Me” I received hundreds of Emails regarding the story. Since then, I have interviewed many Veterans and VA personnel in California with the hope of discovering why there is such anger against the VA by so many Veterans and why VA Doctor, Digpal Chauhan (the doctor that almost killed me) is continuing to treat Veterans with no repercussions.
My goal is to have this doctor removed from the Mather, California VA system. Several Veterans’ organizations have also expressed an interest in assisting me (and other veterans who may come forward) with this type of case/complaint.
The following statement and others close to this were made to this reporter by three different VA employees. They are worried about receiving the same retaliation other whistleblowers received like Hospital Social Worker Germaine Clarno, Dr. Jose Mathews the chief psychiatrist for the VA Medical Center in St. Louis, from Harlingen, Texas – Dr. Richard Krugmanand Dr. Sam Foote the first person to report VA inadequacies if they speak up.
“The reason nothing can be done about incompetent VA Doctor’s and officials is because of the union. I cannot believe that the VA allowed the union to dictate to the VA what they wanted and the VA caved to all of their demands.”
As reported numerous times, Obama and others within his administration knew about the VA scandal years ago and did nothing until these few courageous VA employees came forward with the information.
An investigative panel assigned to get to the bottom of Krugman’s allegations was appointed by VA Under Secretary of Health Robert Petzel, who resigned last Friday. As first reported by Fox News last September, Petzel told congressional oversight committee members he had “no regrets” about awarding $63,000 in bonuses to hospital administrators in Pittsburgh after more than five veterans died of preventable Legionnaire’s disease contracted at a VA facility.
The truth on the VA scandal will eventually come out in its entirety. Judge Jeanine Pirro, former prosecutor of thirty years, blasted Obama on her Fox News program on May 31, 2014 for the VA scandal citing the, “VA Union Run Hospitals’ and made reference to the fact that a VA employee cannot be fired as a result of “Obama’s union friends.”
The “Master Agreement between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the American Federation of Government Employees” is 315 pages long and as expected is written totally in favor of the union employees,not the VA and certainly not the Veteran. It is clear that a VA employee cannot be fired. This document and whatever VA brain trust agreed to its contents should be criminally investigated as well as the doctor that almost killed me.
There are others who believe the VA saves money if/when a Veteran dies because then there is no costly hospitalization or treatment for that Veteran. It is further said by some that the results would be that officials of that hospital would then receive a bonus for saving the VA money. Cynical and farfetched? Perhaps, but not so much if you are the Veteran literally dying waiting for services within a VA facility
With the announcement by Obama that VA’s Secretary Shinseki resigned his post after they met at the White House there were promises of significant changes with how the VA treats their Veterans. Obama also received an update on an internal review of the issues at the VA. The review clearly showed that problems were not limited to just a few facilities, Obama said, adding: "It's totally unacceptable. Our veterans deserve the best."
Apparently, the best is a relative term as it depends on your point of view, whether you are the VA or you are a Veteran seeking care. The best is on many occasions not the best as the two additional stories I wrote about the VA clearly show.
1-
VA's
Unethical Mental Health Actions
2- Veterans
Administration Further Injures PTSD Veterans
*****
[With help from his wife Julie, on October 20, 2013 Barry posted a new short book to Amazon.com titled: FBI, Murders, Conspiracy& ATF Contrived Charges - The Peltier Case. The story is a revised updated true story taken from the first four chapters of his 2004 book, BURNING RAGE – The Growing Anger Within My Country.
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While this story is not of the magnitude of Eric Holder’s “Fast and Furious” it clearly shows a long continuing pattern of lies/unethical/illegal activities of numerous federal agents from within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
During his retirement, Barry has been writing for several California newspapers including the Sacramento Valley Mirror. In conjunction with the Mirror he has also written for the national news service NewsWithViews. His controversial investigative stories can be found on the National NewsWithViews website.] Barry can be reached at: unfrend1@yahoo.com
� 2014 Barry R. Clausen - All Rights Reserved
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This ArticleMr. Clausen has been a guest on over 250 U.S. and Canadian radio talk shows and TV news shows including ABC, CBS, NBC and repeatedly on FOX News. He has been featured or quoted in over 800 books, magazines and news articles including the San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, Vancouver Province, Canada’s B.C. Report, New York Times, Newsday, Seattle Times, Oregonian, Sacramento Bee, Christian Science Monitor, The Dallas Morning News and a lengthy article beginning on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.
Mr. Clausen’s information has been translated and used by publications in many foreign countries including Japan, Ireland, England, Turkey, Germany, France and Chile. In 1994, a film crew from Danish TV-2 flew to Seattle to interview Mr. Clausen for a television documentary about international and U.S. extremist organizations. The documentary, A MAN IN THE RAINBOW, was subsequently aired in several European countries.
His latest book "Burning Rage - The Growing Anger Within My Country," will be updated and available on Amazon.com early this spring.
Website:
E-Mail: unfrend1@yahoo.com
