The Saddest Story
OK Bunkie, I realize you haven’t always been tight with your old Gramps. I realize we’ve had some differences, and sometimes you just thought I wasn’t very smart in the ways of the world. Sometimes I’m wrong, I admit it. But sometimes you’re wrong and you should admit it.
So, Bunkie, pull your chair up real close and listen even if this is that last time I ever get to try to share some wisdom with you.
Remember when you said that buying your own place was the best investment you could ever make? Remember when I tried to talk you out of it? You said you’d take your grandma in as a roommate to help you pay expenses?
But she died and now the HOA won’t let you have another roommate. They say it’s their decision and you can’t stop it. They’re telling you the only way you can stop it is to take them to court.
Bunkie, don’t fall for a sucker’s game! They know they’re going to win. They know that even if you win a decision in court, that court case will have cost you a quarter million dollars.
Sweetie, please listen. When you bought your condo you chose to live under a Communist form of government. I’m not trying to be overly dramatic. Those are just the facts. For the first time in our nation’s history you can make a conscious decision to join a totalitarian political party. It’s sneaky. But it’s all built around the illusion of home ownership. You gave up your rights to be an American and you can’t get them back.
Please don’t cry, Sweetie. It’s just a strange time in our history where the decisions you make really do mean something.
(How much is that condo worth now?)
The following is being posted on a dozen of the most active LinkedIn military and veterans groups with a combined total of over 50,000 readers. But, much more social media exposure is needed by those more expert than I.
As one (like many others in the military) who have been tasked to turn around failed units (in my case, logistics and procurement units), I am quite aware of how difficult it will be to turn around or significantly restructure the giant VA department.
It will require very accomplished leadership with a well-documented “war plan” containing very clear objectives and measures of merit for the conversion and the resulting organizational components. Repeating the past half-baked actions will fail again.
Many decades ago, this nation simultaneously entered the losing wars in Europe and Asia and made the difference in totally turning the wars around and achieving total victory in about 3 years. Do we have such gifted and selfless leaders today to deal with the VA problems? If we fail, millions of veterans lives are at risk.
Of course, the leadership challenge to “fix” the VA is much less daunting for making military, reserve, guard and veterans healthcare services “acceptable”. But, unless serious efforts are taken by legislatures at both the federal and state levels and by highly experienced industry leaders to ensure the leadership and resources are provided to repair the broken systems for all veterans, the nation will fail again. And, our ability to continue to man the all-volunteer force with the highest quality people is likely to fail.
If “we” allow that to happen, it will be a monumental failure by our citizens and our veterans organizations. The obvious conclusions is that our military, veterans and their families must become activists for change. Regrettably, we can no longer wait patiently and trust that the “country” will “do the right things” for our people.
I would like to ask all that read this to send personal mail and call Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to act NOW to pass the bill allowing the VA Secretary to deal precisely and promptly with failed VA civilians. That is a CRITICAL element in beginning to change the failed VA culture. It must be allowed to pass immediately.