Any News On The Vets?

The question in the title was rhetorical. I know there is no news on the shoddy, no, make that abominable, treatment our hero veterans have received at that hands of the, so called, Veterans Administration. Miserable administration and a "don't give a rap" attitude have turned this department into a workday country club for greedy and uncaring low level (in more ways than one) political appointees.

For years it has been no secret that vets were not getting proper care. Talk to any doctor or nurse within a twenty mile radius of a VA hospital. They knew. The press knew. Just about anyone that paid attention knew. But it has gone from "failed" into "corrupt". I'm sure this was a gradual transition. But it finally got so bad that the news finally broke. 

Everyone was up in arms. The President gave his usual "not rest until this is fixed" and "no stone unturned" speech. Weeks later in a blaze of glory, a new director was appointed. Bob MacDonald, former CEO of Proctor and Gamble, took the reins. Here was a man that had the skills and experience to run a giant organization with multiple work sites worldwide.

On October 7 of this year it was announced that four, count them, four senior officials have been fired from the VA. That's the news folks. That is all of the activity that we have seen to straighten out an absolute trainwreck of a government organization. As they say on Monday Night Football, "C'mon man!"

Back in the good old days, when the press was more interested in news than opinion, the New York Times and the Washington Post plus the major services all would have had teams of reporters on this with weekly articles, sidebars, and Sunday features. The press would have held everyone's feet to the fire, including the President. Today they don't even shine a weak flashlight on the problem.

One reason for America's greatness has been a Constitutionally protected press that had the guts and the wherewithal to go after government when they misstepped. They are the court of last resort for the citizens of this country. It would appear that the glory days of the press are not so slowly disappearing. I don't think it is a lack of courage in the individual reporter. I see reporters in war zone with bullets flying giving their reports. 

I think it is three things. An acceptance of the liberal point of view. A fear that going against the political power base will freeze them out of accessibility. And management that is more interested in moving opinion than informing the public without prejudice. 

We need the Fourth Estate as it has been, not as it is today. They need to adjust their business plans to today's economics. We need for them to go back to getting news not taking news releases. We need real news.