Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your
contribution is not tax-deductible.)
PayPal Acct: 
Feedback: 
Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):
| [ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, [9], 10 ] |
| Subject: Re: It's another fine example of the failure of "free enterprise" to provide social services, and this is for america's soldiers! | |
|
Author: jw |
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 10:31:44 03/12/07 Mon In reply to: Oropan 's message, "Re: It's another fine example of the failure of "free enterprise" to provide social services, and this is for america's soldiers!" on 10:16:24 03/12/07 Mon "The doctors work for the government. The nurses work for the government. Yep, the janitors work for private contractors!!! " this may explain the rodents and bugs running around the hospital, why do we need a filthy rich business crook to provide underpaid janitors? Are janitors not entitled to make a living? Btw, the staff was cut to 60 workers by the bush adminstration before it was put under the private contractor's regime, the contractor then fired the remaining workers and hired 50 replacement workers. Question - how much money does a union government worker make to take care of injured american soldiers, and how much money does a big business crook make to deny our soldiers health care? EDITORIAL: Privatizing Walter Reed Thursday, March 08, 2007 - Updated: 09:34 PM EST As Congress prepared to open this week’s hearings on the shoddy treatment of Iraq war veterans, TV networks were allowed to shoot crews spreading new paint on the walls of the outpatient facilities at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The larger story of the outrageous treatment of injured service members won’t so easily be covered up. Part of that larger story goes beyond the military brass who failed to do their duty by those who had fallen in war, beyond the Congress members who failed to provide oversight, and far beyond Walter Reed. It has to do with a policy that has been a hallmark of the Bush administration, especially in its most egregious failures: privatizing government services. Bush and his appointees have pushed privatization throughout the federal government, especially at the Pentagon. Privatization of support services at Walter Reed began in 2000, and accelerated in 2002 under Bush’s “competitive outsourcing” initiative. That initiative eventually resulted in a five-year, $120 million contract for management services at Walter Reed awarded to IAP Worldwide, a company led by two former executives of Kellogg, Brown & Root, the giant defense contractor owned by Halliburton. That contract is credited with sparking an exodus of experienced personnel from Walter Reed. More than 300 federal employees left the facility in the months before the IAP takeover, and the 60 remaining workers were replaced by 50 IAP employees the day the contract took effect. As a letter from the House committee investigating Walter Reed stated, “it would be reprehensible if the deplorable conditions were caused or aggravated by an ideological commitment to privatize government services regardless of the costs to taxpayers and the consequences for wounded soldiers. The thread of privatization and cronyism runs through this administration’s disasters: from Abu Ghraib, where private contractors had a role in intelligence-gathering, to New Orleans, where a major city paid the price after political appointees replaced experienced emergency service professionals at FEMA. It will take more than a fresh coat of paint or the resignations of a few Army officials to erase the damage done at Walter Reed. Congressional investigators must also go beyond the surface fixes to find answers. >First off, IAP IS NOT a "spinoff" of Haliburton. You >guys don't have a clue what you are talking about. And >, medical care at W. Reed IS BIG government health >care that you all wish for. The doctors work for the >government. The nurses work for the government. Yep, >the janitors work for private contractors!!! Just like >Medicare, some of the workers at your local hospital >are private contractors. The VA hospitals are the most >purist form of Big government healthcare!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! > > > > > >> Remember, bush gave these business crooks a tax >>break for their profiting off the suffering of >>america's soldiers. >> >>Saturday, March 03, 2007 >>Former Halliburton Execs held contract for Walter Reed >>MC services >> >>Almost lost in the discussions of the squalid and >>red-tape bound situations at the Walter Reed Army >>Medical Center is this item from the Washington Post >>"...The committee also released an internal Army >>memorandum reportedly written in September in which >>the Walter Reed garrison commander, Col. Peter >>Garibaldi, warned Weightman that "patient care >>services are at risk of mission failure" because of >>staff shortages brought on by the privatization of the >>hospital's support workforce." [WaPo] (emphasis added) >> >>And, when one starts turning over rocks what should >>come into view but an A-76 military contract with IAP >>Worldwide Service, [IAP] which took a $120 million >>contract to run portions of the WRAMC services for >>facilities management. Immediately after the awarding >>of the contract the facilities management staff was >>reduced to 50 privately employed workers. The CEO of >>IAP Worldwide is Al Neffgen, who previously served as >>COO of Government and Infrastructure for the Americas >>Region of Kellogg Brown and Root. The President of IAP >>Worldwide is Dave Swindle, formerly the vice president >>of Business Acquisition and National Security Programs >>at the Halliburton subsidiary KBR. Charles F. Dominy, >>IAP vice president in charge of government affairs, >>formerly served as as the manager of Halliburton's >>Government Affairs Office in Washington, D.C. [IAP] >> >>Last March employees at the Walter Reed Army Medical >>Center lost their final administrative appeal of a >>decision to outsource base operationss work as the >>result of a public-private job competition. The Army >>Dispute Resolution Administrative Appeals Board denied >>their challenge of the Army's decision to outsource >>the work that had been done by 350 Walter Reed >>employees. [GovExec] >> >>Here we go again. The Department of Defense signs a >>contract with a spin off firm from Halliburton to >>privatize services for Walter Reed Army Medical >>Center. The company lays off employees, and provides >>inferior service. Now, where have we heard this >before? >> >>Update: for a complete discussion of the privatization >>problems see Smintheus's article at DailyKos >> >>Posted by Desert Beacon at 9:02 PM >> >>Labels: Halliburton, Veterans >> >> >>>Nothing illegal here. Whats bugging you is fatcat >>>government union workers were replaced by private >>>industry employees. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |