You don't have to convince me that "changes" are needed within the VA health care system to prevent things from happening of the likes of which happened to Packo and his hip replacement, Hell I just got through fighting a more than three year battle in Federal court with the VA for medical malpractice that nearly KILLED my a$$, remember?? They have been allowed to hire less than adequately qualified doctors in the past due MAINLY to their inability to get the FUNDING necessary to prevent these doctors being hired instead of more qualified ones! the MAIN problem is that there is NO "accountability" at the FREAKIN TOP!!! At the HIGHEST levels of so-called "management" within the VA. Each and every VA hospital is run or operated like a "franchise". The Director of each hospital is pretty much given a "free hand" to run the show as HE or SHE sees fit. Meeting only the most limited & least regulated conditions from Washignton of which has been directed. There are NO actual performance standards or guidelines in place for these "directors" to be evaluated regulalrly by the "upper" management to determine how their individual management techniques and structure are being implemented and their overall effectiveness in meeting the goals and objectives to serve and treat veterans!
The Tampa VA hospital is TOTALLY different than the one in Atlanta---THANK GOD! But, it SHOULDN'T BE!! But, as long as presidents keep appointing the likes of Anthony Principi to head up this agency and Congress allows the un-restricted & non-productive managemet practices to take place it will continue.
According to Secretary Principi?s biography provided by the VA website,
Principi was a senior Vice-President of Lockheed Martin IMS. See:
http://www.va.gov/biographies/principi.htm
And News USA, February 2001 issue states that Principi was Senior Vice
President and Chief Executive of Lockheed Martin IMS, during 1995-
96.
Lockheed Martin has a long history of committing fraud against the
American taxpayer, See:
http://support.casals.com/aaaflash1/...AAControl=3359
And see: Lockheed Martin Scam?s taxpayers up to 100 million dollars:
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0409-04.htm
During the time that Secretary Principi was the Chief Executive at the
wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin the prepass system was
developed which allows heavy trucks to by-pass weight stations.
Lockheed Martin developed partnerships with: Cisco, AT&T, and Qualcomm
in this project. According to Secretary Principi?s government
disclosure forms obtain under the Freedom of Information Act, Principi
owned stock in Cisco, AT&T, and Qualcomm, as well as other
Corporation.
usinginsiderinformation Secretary Principi purchased Stock in Cisco,
AT &T, and Qualcomm, knowing that the stock price would go up, which
it did, because of the work he did as CEO at Lockheed Martin IMS. See:
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/cc/...le/ppre_cp.htm
http://www.capu.net/profiles/lock.shtml
And:
http://www.qualcomm.com/press/pr/rel.../press652.html
Some current Directors of Lockheed Martin and Qualcomm also served on
the ill-fated ENRON Corporation.
Quote:
The AFL-CIO has called on the 20 public companies where 10 long-time
Enron directors still hold board seats -- including Qualcomm,
Lockheed Martin, Motorola, and Owens Corning -- not to renominate those
directors for new terms this year. The federation is particularly
concentrating on ex-CEO Kenneth L. Lay and members of Enron's audit
committee, who have come in for the most scathing criticism so far.
Unquote. See:
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/...20212_1828.htm
Secretary Principi is worth Millions, and much of that money came from
defrauding the American Taxpayers, and based on his
knowledge of developments within the Corporations wherein he held high
positions? Secretary Principi as head of the Department of Veterans
Affairs continues to line his pockets with ill-gotten gain, and should
be investigated by the Security and Exchange Commission. He IS just a big a CROOK in my opinion as some of the other ill-gotten friends of the current administration!!