The privitizing of Private Ryan

[flamin lib]

A few weeks ago I pondered how the VA could be so FUBAR. Then we found out about the Walter Reed scandal and that those in power have known about it for years.

Theres more.

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is looking into the scandal the Washington Post exposed. They asked Maj. Gen. George Weightman, recently fired as command of Walter Reed, to testify before the committee about a letter sent him by Garrison Commander Peter Garibladi. The Pentagon refused to let Weightman appear so the committee has been forced to subpoena the general.

The Garibaldi letter reportedly describes how the Armys decision to privatize support services resulted in the loss of 250 of the 300 federal employees serving the wounded soldiers at Walter Reed. Garibaldis letter detailed how the Bush administrations competitive sourcing initiative of 2002 resulted in the awarding of a 5 year $120 million contract to IAP; a company run by, you guessed it, a former Halliburton official.

Garibaldi described how the DOD, as early as 2000, systematically tried to replace federal workers with private companies and in one instance intentionally inflated the cost of federal workers by $7 million to justify awarding contracts to private firms. The Deputy Garrison Commander protested the contract but the protest was denied.

The letter concluded that, "Without favorable consideration of these requests, Base Operations and patient care services are at risk of mission failure." The letter was sent six months ago and the mission has indeed failed.

The Bush Administration not only knew about the Walter Reed situation, they initiated the policies that caused it.

A few other highlights of the Walter Reed fiasco:

This scandal isn't confined to Walter Reed, it extends to every facility run by the DOD and to every VA facility world wide, all of which are subject to the "competitive sourcing initiative" and the creative manipulation of bids by the DOD.

Lt. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley who was informed of the conditions at Building 18 three years ago while he was Commander of the hospital, lived across the street from Building 18 and oversaw the privatizing of care is now the Army Surgeon General, the highest medical post in the Army.

Maj. Gen. George Weightman who replaced Kiley six months ago and who, by all accounts, was making progress in cleaning up the mess he inherited in spite of bureaucratic opposition from the DOD has been fired and his career ended.

Army Secretary Francis Harvey, a Bush appointee who blamed "a few Staff Sergeants" for the treatment of soldiers at Walter Reed, has been fired. Westinghouse, the IT GROUP and Duratek, all military contractors, employed Harvey before Bush appointed him Secretary of the Army. He is expected to return to the private sector. Any guess at who he'll work for?

Soldiers who participated in the Diana Priest Washington Post expos were subjected to 6 AM barracks inspections, a routine not practiced outside of basic training and never on injured soldiers. The inspections have stopped but soldiers are being "cautioned" about speaking to the press and no press access is allowed on hospital grounds.

Five investigations into the Walter Reed controversy are under way in the House and Senate. Oversight at last! Oversight at last! Thank God Almighty, oversight at last!

The first National Guard troops of Bushs surge have arrived in Iraq without desert training and with outdated weapons and armor.

23% of Americans still approve of Bush's handling of the Iraq War proving that Xanax and Prozak have not reached the target market. 65% disapprove of his job performance as President, more than disapproved of Richard Nixon when he resigned; making Bush the most distrusted, if not dispised, President in history.

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/03/online_reedarchive_070302/ Complete Army Times Coverage of Walter Reed

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/03/Weightmansubpoena/ Privatizing Walter Reed

http://www.militarytimes.com/static/projects/pages/070302weightman.pdf Letter to Weightman asking for testimonyworth reading!!

Investigate, Impeach, Imprison.