Friday, July 4, 2014

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Friday, July 4, 2014



FIXING THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS     



PROPOSALS AIMED AT STRUCTURAL AND CULTURAL REFORMATION OF A DEPARTMENT ON THE BRINK OF IMPLOSION





Author:
Hutch Dubosque, Vice President
PTSD Veterans Association of Northport, Inc.
PO Box 194, Northport, NY   11768

Changing the Department of Veterans Affairs Structure and Culture to enable the timely and efficient delivery of services to its clientele.
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1)         CHANGING THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS STRUCTURE AND CULTURE TO                    ENABLE TIMELY AND EFFICIENT DELIVERY OF SERVICES TO ITS CLIENTELE.

2)         OPENING STATEMENT: HOUSE SUB-COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS – STAFF                          DIRECTOR AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.

3)         SUMMARY AND LIST OF PROPOSED LEGISLATION, TO DATE.

4)         HUTCH DUBOSQUE – CV


Changing the Department of Veterans Affairs Structure and Culture to enable the timely and efficient delivery of services to its clientele.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014
- A Good Place To Start

PREAMBLE:
¶1           Now that the Federal Government knows what Veterans have known for quite some time, it is appropriate to set an outline of structural and cultural changes to this bureaucracy that are long overdue. There are just a few things to keep in mind when tackling this problem, and maintaining simplicity is a must. The firing of a number of key personnel at the Federal and local level is only a very small part of this equation. The passing of “accountability” legislation is only a very small part of this equation. The further involvement of the “private sector” in plugging and/or enhancing gaps in the system is something that should  be a secondary part of this equation. The enlistment of Veteran Service Organizations should not need to be a part of this equation. If the Department of Veterans Affairs was doing the job they claim to be doing, the need for massive, over-indulgent VSO’s would be non-existent.

¶2          What will be laid out here is a blueprint for effecting true change inside this Department. Change that will ensure that each, and every, member of our Armed Services receives the respect, benefits and treatment they have so dearly earned. This outline will consider the fact that the Department of Veterans Affairs is operating  with a departmental structure that is from the 1950’s, and has not yet evolved into the twenty-first century. This very structure has led to a culture within the Department’s personnel that breeds inefficiency and disrespect toward the Veterans it claims to be in business to help. This structure and culture have been insidious for decades, and has led to the crisis point we find ourselves at today. To reiterate, keeping this exercise as simple as possible is the only way to tackle the behemoth known as the Department of Veterans Affairs.

§ SECTION 1
¶ 1         Leadership does make a difference. To this end, more weight needs to be given to hiring qualified managers, instead of appointing retired Generals who may, or may not, possess the qualifications to actually run and manage more than their own bank account. Whether you consider the Medical delivery capabilities, or the Benefit delivery capabilities, of the Department, the need is to hire people who are qualified in delivering these services regardless of what “sector” they come from. The management vetting process needs to be upgraded to one that reflects the ability of the Department to deliver its promised products. This step need not be held for only the leadership of the Department, but also for the VA facilities Nationwide. All management personnel must be held to new, stricter job descriptions and performance matrix. Also, if lower management personnel do not receive bonuses, then upper management personnel do not qualify for bonuses either; no exceptions. The Department of Veterans Affairs is a non-profit / not for profit entity, and to offer bonuses to a select number of upper management employees is obscene, if not illegal.

§ SECTION 2
¶ 1         If you accept the premise that the “private sector” needs to be employed to augment services of the Department, then the structure of the Department needs to be on a compatible working plane with the “private sector”. The current “silo” structure of service delivery must be rolled over into one of defined product delivery. To site one example of this that I am personally experienced with: In the Mental Health service delivery of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder ( PTSD) treatment, the current structure dictates that each medical discipline is accountable not to the head of the specific program, but to the supervisor of their particular medical discipline. This translates into an absolute inability of the program head/director to formulate, mold, and run his/her program in a best practices modality. In order to effect any change whatsoever, in even daily routines, the program supervisor/director must first involve the supervisors/directors of each discipline to get their blessing and approval of the change at hand. This protocol is very time consuming, inefficient, and prone to allowing personalities the chance to negatively affect positive change based on their own whims, or desires. No Hospital, Clinic, or Doctor in the
private sector would even dream of structuring their practices in such a manner. The Department of Veterans Affairs need not continue operating in this “silo” mode of service delivery. This change will also positively affect the current problem of accountability down through the ranks of service personnel, and, in doing so, will change the culture of disrespect, arrogance, and correspondence from the VA’s employees, as experienced by Veterans.

§ SECTION 3
¶ 1         In light of current affairs, the systemic problems that have been uncovered recently are not solely those of the Phoenix VA, or a select few installations Nationwide. The problems that have come to light need a global resolution, not a case by case Band-Aid fix. To focus on just the small number of incidents so far, is to ignore and neglect a system that has been in need of drastic overhaul for many years. It is also a conflict of interest when the VA’s own Inspector General takes on the task of policing its own Department. That has been shown not to work in many, if not all, governmental audits and inspections, and for obvious reasons. There are three distinct areas in need of audit and inspection. Number one is the administrative structure. Number two is the benefits structure. And, number three is the medical structure. In each case, a sector specific audit team from outside government should be employed to come up with solutions that will best restructure this entire Department. If you change the structure, you change the culture. This auditing needs to be goal driven and be given an exact time frame for completion. This operation cannot take more than one year. Veterans are dying because of the current ineffectiveness of the VA in dealing with the very clientele they claim to be in business to serve.

§ SECTION 4
¶ 1         The medical capabilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs need to be brought into the twenty-first century. There is, apparently, plenty of money being appropriated by Congress to run  modern, efficient government medical facilities. By fixing the aforementioned structural problems, the allocation of funds toward the capital improvement of medical equipment can be a fast and efficient turn around. Once this part of the equation is taken care of, the proper staffing requirements will not be difficult to meet. At present, who in their right mind would be enthusiastic about working with a structure and equipment from the Dark Ages?

§ SECTION 5
¶ 1         To stay current on medical issues, forming outside partnerships with private sector medical operations is an efficient way to draw highly qualified medical personnel into the system and at the same time offer Veterans top quality medical care similar, if not better, than they can find in the private sector. This can work beautifully if there are medical practices that don’t cross the line of appropriate doctor-student-patient interaction. The use of standard protocols used in the private sector medical market, that are proven, are highly recommended.

§ SECTION 6
¶ 1         Shifting from the medical realm to the area of Veteran benefits, there are a set of initial changes that would be easy to implement, and breed some confidence into our Veterans view of how they are, and will be, treated by the Nation that made them Veterans in the first place. The following represents a summary outline of how the “benefit” structure should look like at the time of transition from active duty to civilian life. This is an initial financial benefits package that will not only create a smooth transition, but also give all Veterans a sustainable lifetime financial base to work off in recognition of their service to this Country. All of what is listed will be automatically put in place before any service member sets foot out of the Military door.
¶ 2                       I.    The Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs will be joined at the hip and                                    mandated to enroll all personnel in the needed transitional, medical, and financial programs and                                           benefits automatically prior to discharge. A
¶ 3                       II.   All active duty, reserve, and national guard personnel will be automatically  enrolled in the VA                                          medical system for full medical and mental health benefits, as  would be available with premium style                                private sector medical insurance plans, prior to discharge. These medical benefits will also be afforded                              the Veteran’s immediate family. This full medical benefit will be at no charge to the Veteran, or his/her                                immediate family.
¶ 4                       III. These automatic medical and mental health benefits  will be given automatically regardless of the                                  type of discharge the Veteran receives, with the exception of a Dishonorable Discharge. The very fact                                  that he/she volunteered to wear the uniform dictates that he/she has earned these benefits.

§ SECTION 7
¶ 1         This section will deal with the automatic compensation due the Veteran. As with the medical benefits, this will be set up automatically prior to separation from service. Unlike the prior benefit package this compensation benefit will be linked to the type of service performed during active duty.
¶2                        I.    Served in combat                                    ___________________________100%
¶3                        II.   Served in a combat zone/theater         ___________________________90%
¶4                        III.  Served in a time of combat, no in a combat zone/theater                              80%
¶5                        IV.  Served at any time in any branch of service, including Coast Guard
                                   and Merchant Marine                                  __________________________70%
¶ 6         The maximum amount (100%) of automatic compensation will be $36,000.00 per year for life. Payment methods will be set up prior to discharge with automatic electronic deposit the preferred method. Any further disability compensation will be over, and above, this automatic compensation. Disability compensation will be determined as it is currently through the VA’s P&C qualifying and rating system through the VA Health System, and will not affect the aforementioned automatic compensation. One example: Veteran qualifies for and receives 100% service compensation for $36,000.00 per year, for life, and also qualifies for and receives 100% disability rating from the VA Health System which, at current levels, can be as high as $34,800.00. Neither of these amounts will be taxable by either the Federal government, State government, or local government and will not affect any other tax obligation the Veteran may incur.

§ SECTION 8
¶ 1         This section will deal with Federal income tax relief based on income over and above the aforementioned compensation and disability payments from the VA, which could total a maximum of $70,800.00 per year for life tax free. If the Veteran were able to be employed in the private, or public, sector, any income from that employment would be subject to a progressive, flat tax as follows:
¶2                        I.    Up to $40,000.00 per year income the tax liability would equal O%.
¶3                        II.   From $40,001.00 to $80,000.00, the tax liability  would equal 2.00% flat rate.
¶4                        III.  From $80,001.00 to $120,000.00, the tax liability would equal 3.00% flat rate
¶5                        IV.  From $120,001.00 and up, the tax liability would be 5.00% flat rate.
¶ 6         All current and anticipated standard and itemized deductions will hold for the Veteran’s  income tax liability above and beyond his/her automatic compensation and any disability payments from   the VA as is standard IRS law.
¶ 7         To pre-qualify for the stated tax relief, above, the Department of Defense will be responsible   for filing the proper paper work with the IRS;  to include the service member’s DD-214 prior to the service member’s discharge.

§ SECTION 9
¶ 1         All fifty United States, all U.S. Territories, and all U.S. Protectorates will be obliged to offer all Veterans a standard package of tax relief at their level, as follows:
¶ 2                       I.    States, Territories and Protectorates will set their income tax rates at the same levels as detailed in                              the Federal relief plan, above.
¶ 3                       II.   As it may be difficult to pre-determine the State, Territory, or Protectorate the  Veteran will chose to                                reside in, it will be the Veteran’s responsibility to register in  his/her place of residence upon separation                              from the military. The only form of proof to qualify for this level of benefits will be the Veteran’s own DD-                              214. The type of discharge, better than a Dishonorable Discharge, has no bearing in this level of                                          benefit.
¶ 4                       III. Also at this level, the Veteran will be free from any local real estate taxes.
¶ 5                       IV. Local school taxes will apply only if there are school age children in the Veteran’s place of residence.                              If no school age children are present then an enhanced STAR program, or its equivalent, will be applied                              as a form of relief.
§ SECTION 10
¶ 1         This section will deal with employment opportunities for Veterans.
¶ 2                       I.   All government Defense contractors and Defense sub-contractors will be required to hire a Veteran                                applicant, even with minimal qualifications for a specific job opening.
¶ 3                       II.  All non-Defense contractors and non-Defense sub-contractors will be required to give preferential                                  consideration to any Veteran applicant.
¶ 4                       III. All private sector employers will be strongly encouraged to hire Veterans on a preferential basis                                      regardless of current Federal tax incentives.

CONCLUSION (for now):
¶1          In all instances, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Solutions to the VA’s problems are nothing unique, or out of the ordinary, and, above all, are not “complex”. The fact that a civilian volunteers to serve in our Nation’s military is indicative of a very strong commitment to their Country, and, as such, they should be duly rewarded. The proposals, above, are only a starting point at which to honor our Veterans for their service. These benefits can easily be expanded. Our Veterans deserve no less. It might be of some benefit to keep the fine hand of lawyers at bay for as long as possible in this process. As Veterans, we know what our Nation should be providing in the way of Veteran’s benefits. It is up to us to make our voice heard loud and clear, and let those in the halls of power know that we are not going to back down from our demands for respect and honorable treatment by the Country whose wars we fought.

¶2          There are a handful of Nationally recognized Veterans Service Organizations (VSO’s) that are currently putting forth their own set of proposals to deal with the VA situation. From the newsletters and press releases available, it appears they are addressing only the short-term solutions to a problem that is begging for long-term solutions. As mentioned previously, short terms fixes are not going to solve the systemic, insidious cancer that is fast consuming the Department of Veterans Affairs.

¶3          It is said that a Nation is known by the way it treats its Veterans. Word on the street is that our Nation isn’t doing so well. But, by working together in the same direction, Veterans and law makers can get this done; keeping in mind that we don’t have an endless amount of time for discussion, panels, investigation, et al. This task needs to be completed, and it needs to be completed now.

Changing the Department of Veterans Affairs Structure and Culture to enable the timely and efficient delivery of services to its clientele.
 

Opening statement
House Sub-Committee on Veterans Affairs
Wednesday, May 28th @ 10:30 am
Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC


I am a Veteran and Vice President of a small VSO on Long Island, New York, and a consumer of the VA’s Mental Health system. With the help of my family, I come before you today to address the apparent willful mistreatment of our Nation’s Veterans by the very government that sent them off to foreign lands to fight wars in our Nation’s name. My focus for this meeting is on the newest generation of Veterans you have produced, and the degree of mistreatment that touches not only the lives of our Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, but also the lives of their families, as it did mine.

I have been personally involved with our newest generation of Veterans as the Vice President of the PTSD Veterans Association.  Having been through a lifetime of neglect by the Department of Veterans Affairs for my generation’s Veterans, I refuse to stand idly by and watch as the same fate is being forced down the throats of these brave, dedicated men and women who were and still are willing to die for the Country they love.

I have become distressed, as a Vietnam Veteran, in bearing witness to the ways in which you, my Nation’s “leaders”, have found to effect the mistreatment, disrespect, and even deaths of my fellow Brothers-in-arms in an aggressive, virulent manner not seen since the Vietnam Veteran community was so mistreated and disrespected by an ungrateful Nation and an ungrateful Government.

This statement is not about me and my generation of Veterans. This is about a whole new generation of Veterans, and their families, who are experiencing the physical and mental ravages brought on by Military Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Military Traumatic Brain Injury. This is about their families not understanding and being torn apart by these invisible injuries. This is about our Nation’s youth who are willing to lay their lives on the line for their Country. This about our Armed Service members being “kicked to the curb” by an seemingly uncaring, disrespectful government.

We older Veterans are now partnering with younger Veterans to re-join again in battle.  You have, for decades, demonstrated your total lack of ability and concern to clean up the mess you leave behind the wars you so quickly commit us to. Not only have you failed the American Veteran miserably, you have also failed their families. Our new battle will be won.

The demonstrated inability of The Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Legislative Branch is leading to the death of our Veterans and the destruction of their families. Let me place just a few facts and figures on the table:
1)   From the Huffington Post online, using government figures – It is reported that there are 18 Veteran suicides per day which equals 6,570 Veteran suicides per year (this number is for all Veterans)
2)  From the web site PTSD Combat . Com, using government figures
     a)   In the age range of 20-24 years old: our civilian suicide rate equals 8.3 per 100,000; our Veteran  suicide                         rate equals a minimum 31.9 per 100,000, with one of your studies quoting a rate as high as 46 per 100,000.
     b)    In 2008, OEF/OIF personnel killed in action equaled 469. Included in that number are 184 suicides. That is                      28% of those deaths.
     c)    Also in 2008, 55,000 calls were placed to the VA suicide prevention hot line. 22,000 of those callers were                      identified as Veterans; the remaining 33,000 calls were from family members with nowhere else to turn.

You apparently choose not to see the trail of destruction you have left effecting our Veterans and their families. All this does not need to happen. I have a newspaper article written by my friend, Martin Evans of Newsday. I would like to share it with you, as it shows just the tip of the iceberg that is the personal and family tragedy of all this neglect, and I would like to submit this article into the record.

I will also offer you an initial jumping off platform of policies aimed at correcting this suffering. These tax relief and transition proposals are by no means the be-all and end-all of solutions. They are a starting point from which you can build and earn the respect of your Nation’s Veterans, and at the same time help save their families from finding their Veteran dead with a needle in their arm, an empty pill bottle by their side, and an empty bottle of liquor on the floor. I would like to submit these proposals for the record, also.

From my experience with fellow Veterans on Long Island, New York, a number of issues have become painfully clear. Today’s Veterans have a remarkably hard time searching out and receiving treatment for PTSD and TBI from any provider, public or private. The Department of Veterans Affairs acts as if their clientele don’t really deserve treatment and/or compensation for PTSD and/or TBI. It seems to me that the VA would rather have private sector mental health providers take care of both the Veteran and their families, thus washing their hands of the financial and liability responsibilities of the very clientele they are supposed to be serving.

No one seems to be asking this question;
“ If the Federal and State governments deliver the services they claim to, then what need do organizations like The Wounded Warrior Project, The Soldier’s Project, the PTSD Veterans Association, and all the rest of the 501(c)’s have to exist?”
The answer is that they shouldn’t need to exist at all; the government should be there picking up the pieces when their Soldiers return home – no matter the cost; no matter the effort.

This is not a situation that can wait a month, or two... a year, or two.. This is a situation that has to find a solution in the immediate future; next week sounds like a good time-frame for me.  So, please understand that this seemingly willful mistreatment is where our anger, frustration, and desperation comes from. The Veteran Community is demanding your action to clean up the mess we call the Department of Veterans Affairs, and it needs to be done now.

You will be hearing from the Veteran community in this Country because we are ready, willing, and able to make change happen, as we have a string of very important election years coming up. Remember this: Veterans vote, and they vote in vastly larger percentages than do the general public.

I penned a letter to my family, friends, and past co-workers, because of what Acute PTSD has done to my life and my family. And, I would like to submit a copy of this letter for the record. I would like to submit the PTSD Veterans Association’s pamphlet for the record, as well.

That concludes my opening statement. I will be happy to entertain your questions; keeping in mind that I am not a “numbers” guy, nor am I certified in the Mental Health sector. I am simply a Veteran who is witnessing a grave injustice being played out. It must stop, and it must stop now.

Thank you

Changing the Department of Veterans Affairs Structure and Culture to enable the timely and efficient delivery of services to its clientele.
 


PROPOSED LEGISLATION:

MANDATORY TRANSITION/REINTEGRATION PROGRAM FOR ALL MILITARY PERSONNEL SEPARATING FROM SERVICE
Committee(s): _____________________________________
Principle Author(s): ________________________________
Bill No.: __HD1__
Delegation(s): ______________________________________

Title of Bill:
Mandatory Separation Transition/Reintegration Program

Be It Enacted By The United States House Of Representatives

Preamble:
Whereas the United States Department of Defense has no mandatory program for the transition of separating Service Members back into the ranks of civilian life, and since the United States Department of Defense‘s current Transition Programs are not being used one hundred percent by the Service Members who need it the most,

SECTION 1:        Let the United States Department of Defense, in concert with Private Sector Employment Agencies and qualified Private Sector Mental Health Agencies under contract arrangement with the Department of Defense, set up a fully operational and mandatory Transition/Reintegration Program to last at least, but not limited to, thirty (30) days prior to the Service Member’s date of separation from the United States Armed Services.

SECTION 2:        Let this mandatory Program include screening and testing for the Service Member’s career abilities, and simultaneously full screening for all Medical and Mental Health categories.

SECTION 3:        Let this Transition/Reintegration Program run for more than the prescribed minimum of thirty (30) days upon determination that the Service Member in question is deemed to need more time to complete this Program.

SECTION 4:        Let the United States Department of Defense and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs set up and complete automatic enrollment in the Service Member’s local, State, and/or Federal employment Agencies and the Department of Veterans Affairs Benefit and Medical Programs for all Service Members all within thirty (30) days prior to their separation from Service obligation, regardless of type of Discharge received, as follows.

              Sub-SECTION A: applicable employment search programs in the Private Sector as are available in proximity to               the Veterans place of residence at no cost to the Veteran
              Sub-SECTION B: qualifying Medical and Mental Health Programs as prescribed by the Transition                                         Medical/Mental Health Team, either in the Veterans Affairs Medical System, or in the Private Sector Medical                     System, whichever serves the Veteran the best at no cost   to the Veteran                                              
              Sub-SECTION C:  all applicable Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits as allowed Veterans by Law,                               Resolution, or Decree at no cost to the Veteran

SECTION  5:      Let the qualified Service Member’s immediate Family members be included in these Programs without exception and at no charge to the Family. And, allow for the addition of new Family Members as the Service Member’s / Veteran’s Family increases in number, also at no cost to the Veteran

SECTION 6:        Let the Veteran be responsible for going to the prescribed, predetermined benefit Agencies to appear in person and be signed-in using his/her DD-214 document, or equivalent. This will be done only once for the lifetime of the Veteran with the exception of the Veteran moving to a location that necessitates the use of other Federal or Private Sector Agencies or Departments.

SECTION 7:        Let Sections 1-6 hold for Service Members with a better than Dishonorable Discharge.

SECTION 8:        This Bill shall go into effect ninety-one (91) days after passage.

Changing the Department of Veterans Affairs Structure and Culture to enable the timely and efficient delivery of services to its clientele.
 


Veteran’s Lifetime Compensation/Pension
Committee: _____________________________________________
Principle Author:_________________________________________
Bill No.: __HD-2__           
Delegation: _____________________________________________
Title of Bill:
Veterans Automatic Pension

Be It Enacted By The United States House Of Representatives

Preamble:
Whereas our Nation’s Veterans are struggling to adjust to civilian life after their terms of Service, and since there is no uniform, mandatory, and automatic assignment of compensation/pension upon a Service Member’s separation from Service to deal with reintegration, and since the United States Government single-handedly created these Veterans, and since the Department of Veterans Affairs has demonstrated their inability to deliver proper, livable pensions and compensation to all qualified Veterans,

SECTION 1:        Let the United States Department of Defense and the United States Department of the Treasury qualify and set up automatic annual compensation/pension payments for Service Members within thirty (30) days prior to their separation from Service obligation.

SECTION 2:        Let the qualifying amount of compensation be no less than $36,000.00 per year for life.(based on 2014 dollars)

SECTION 3:        Let there be an automatic annual increase of the initial award in the amount of three (3) percent (%), or the annual cost of living increase, whichever is greater regardless of the Nation’s financial status.

SECTION 4:        Let these Benefits accrue to the Veteran’s immediate Family if the Service Member/Veteran becomes deceased for whatever reason and at any time during or after Service. This is to ensure the quality of life for the deceased Veterans spouse, partner, significant other and all unemancipated offspring of any of these relationships.

SECTION 5:        Let this lifetime annual compensation not be altered, or affected, by any further income in the form of, but not limited to, physical and mental health disabilities granted through the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or by any additional income from employment or assets that may be earned during the lifetime of the Service Member/Veteran, or any form of award from Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, or any other supplemental Government Program the Veteran and his/her Family may be entitled to.

SECTION 6:        Let Sections 1-5 hold for Service Members with a better than Dishonorable Discharge.

SECTION 7:        This Bill shall go into effect ninety-one (91) days after passage.

Changing the Department of Veterans Affairs Structure and Culture to enable the timely and efficient delivery of services to its clientele.
 


FAMILY INCLUSION  IN THE COMPLETE RANGE OF VETERAN’S BENEFITS
Committee(s): _________________________________________
Principal Author(s): _______________________________________
Bill No.: ___HD-3____
Delegation(s): ____________________________________________
Title of Bill:
Veterans Benefits and Family Inclusion

Be It Enacted By The United States House Of Representatives

Preamble: 
Whereas the United States Department of Defense and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs do not afford the Families of either Service Members, or Veterans, complete access to all benefits afforded their Service Member, or Veteran, and since the Families of OIF/OEF Service Members, specifically, are at a loss of how best to deal with and help  their Service Member or Veteran in need, and since these Families do not currently have easy and full access to Private Sector services, and since these Families and their Service Members, or Veterans, should never have to pay out-of-pocket for any qualified service,

SECTION 1:        Let the definition of “immediate Family” include the spouse, partner, or significant other of the Service Member, or Veteran, and the unemancipated offspring of the Service Member, or Veteran.

SECTION 2:        Let the definition of a Family’s complete access to all Service Member, or Veteran, benefits mean that the aforementioned immediate Family Members have the identical access privileges to all benefits afforded the Service Member, or Veteran, without exception, and without cost to the Veteran or his/her Family.

SECTION 3: Let the immediate Family Members of Service Personnel be duly signed up to receive these benefits in the same manner as are the Service Members during their mandatory thirty (30) day Transition Program.

SECTION 4:        Let the immediate Family Members of the Veteran be duly signed up to receive these benefits as they become the Veteran’s spouse, partner, or significant other, or the offspring of the Veteran.

SECTION 5:        Let unemancipated offspring of the Service Member, or Veteran, remain entitled to these benefits to the age of twenty-six (26) years.

SECTION 6:        Let the Service Member’s, or Veteran’s spouse, partner, or significant other remain entitled to these benefits for their natural life.

SECTION 7:        Let Sections 1-6 hold for Service Members with a better than Dishonorable Discharge.

SECTION 8:        This Bill shall go into effect ninety-one (91) after passage.

Changing the Department of Veterans Affairs Structure and Culture to enable the timely and efficient delivery of services to its clientele.
 


VETERAN’S POST-SERVICE JOB AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATUS
Committee(s): _____________________________________________
Principal Author(s): _________________________________________
Bill No.: ___HD-4___
Delegation(s): ______________________________________________

Title of Bill:
Jobs For Veterans

Be It Enacted By The United States House Of Representatives

Preamble:  
Whereas The United States Department of Defense and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has no current standard, or operating procedure for securing gainful employment for the Service Members they separate back into civilian life, and since the unemployment rate for OIF/OEF Veterans is hovering around 25%, and since all our Veterans have job skills needed in both the Public and Private Sectors,

SECTION 1:        Let the United States Department Of Defense, through Legislation passed in the United States Congress and signed into Law, designate three distinct categories of preferential hiring treatment to be afforded all Veterans from all Eras and Theaters of War.
              Sub-SECTION A: All United States Government Defense Contractors will be required, by Law, to hire a Veteran               for any job opening that exists within that Contractors Company/Corporation, and for which the Veteran has                     only the minimum qualifications, or credentials, for said job   opening
              Sub-SECTION B: All United States Government Contractors will be required, by Law, to give   preferential                         treatment to all Veterans applying for job openings at the Contractor’s Company/Corporation even if the                           Veteran possesses the minimum qualifications, or credentials, for said job opening 
              Sub-SECTION C: All Companies/Corporations, foreign and domestic, doing business within the borders of                       the United States will be required, by  Law, to give preferential treatment to all Veterans applying for their job                     openings given the applicant has the necessary qualifications, or credentials, for said job opening

SECTION 2:        Let Section 1 and Sub-Sections A-C hold for Service Members with a better than Dishonorable Discharge.

SECTION 3:        This Bill shall go into effect ninety (90) days after passage.

Changing the Department of Veterans Affairs Structure and Culture to enable the timely and efficient delivery of services to its clientele.
 


VETERANS FEDERAL TAX RELIEF
Committee(s): ____________________________________________
Principal Author(s): _______________________________________
Bill No.: ___HD-5___
Delegation(s): ____________________________________________

Title of Bill:
Automatic Tax Relief Schedule for all Veterans

Be It Enacted By The United States House Of Representatives

Preamble:
Whereas the United States Government, the United States Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Treasury have the authority, if granted by the United States Congress and signed into Law, to restructure the way in which the Nation treats its Veterans regarding relief from certain tax obligations, and since there exists no current structure, or protocol, to address this issue, and since the United States needs to show more respect and honor to the Nation’s Veterans, and since granting such relief will help the Nation’s Economy, and since these actions will help rebuild and recover the Nation’s Middle Class,

SECTION 1:        Let the United States Congress mandate the Internal Revenue Service to enact the following structure of tax relief for all Veterans regardless of type of Service, or type of Discharge better than a Dishonorable Discharge.

SECTION 2:        Let the Federal income tax for earned income, above that of compensation and disability payments from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the United States Treasury, be levied as a flat tax, in the following amounts and percentages:
                             Sub-SECTION A:                            $0.00-$40,000.00 taxed at 0%
                             Sub-SECTION B:                         $40,001.00-$80,000.00 taxed at 2%
                             Sub-SECTION C:                            $80,001.00-$120,000.00 taxed at 3.5%
                             Sub-SECTION D:                            $120,001.00 & above taxed at 5%
                            
SECTION 3:        Let the Internal Revenue Service allow for all standard deductions and other standard adjustments to earned income as per normal Federal income tax filing criteria.

SECTION 4:        Let it be the responsibility of the United States Department of Defense to provide the Internal Revenue Service with a copy of the Service Member’s Separation Document DD-214, or equivalent prior to separation from the Service while the Service Member is attending the thirty (30) day mandatory Transition Program.

SECTION 5:        Let it be the responsibility of the Internal Revenue Service to effect the Veteran’s tax status immediately upon separation from the Service, with the documentation mentioned above, only once for the natural lifetime of the Veteran.

SECTION 6:        Let Sections 1-5 and all Sub-Sections hold for Service Members with a better than Dishonorable Discharge.  

SECTION 7:        This Bill shall go into effect ninety (90) days after passage.

Changing the Department of Veterans Affairs Structure and Culture to enable the timely and efficient delivery of services to its clientele.
 


REFORMATION OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFIARS
Committee(s): ____________________________________________
Principal Author(s): _______________________________________
Bill No.: __HD-6__
Delegation(s): ____________________________________________

Title of Bill:
Restructuring the United States Department of Veterans Affairs

Be It Enacted By The United States House Of Representatives

Preamble:
Whereas the current structure and resultant culture of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has become unwieldy to the point of collapse, and since the current silo structure of service management is failing the very Veterans the Department of Veterans Affairs claims to serve, and since this silo structure negatively affects the culture within the Department, and since this culture creates personnel who are apathetic, condescending, arrogant, and unprofessional, and since the Department needs to exist to serve our Nation’s Veterans, and since recent (April, 2014) developments within the Department point to corruption, abuse of power and, possibly, criminal acts against the Nation’s Veteran Population,

SECTION 1:  Let the United States Department Of Veterans Affairs be referred, hereafter, to as the Department.

SECTION 2:  Let the root cause of the Department’s current problems be discovered and acknowledged as being antiquated, inefficient, and over burdensome.

SECTION 3:  Let there be a full, independent Audit done of the Department’s entirety by some other entity than the Department’s own Inspector General, as this leads to a totally corrupted Audit, based on the methods employed in conducting said Audit. A qualified Auditor from the Private Sector should be contracted to undertake this Department’s system-wide inspection.

                             Sub-SECTION A: Let there be an end to the current pre-audit practice of “cherry-picking” respondents                                to the auditor’s inquiry and questions in order to achieve a higher rating than is actually deserved

SECTION 4:  Let it be known, as a part of Public Record, that any Audit of the Department, by the Department, is preceded by a vetting process that involves choosing interviewees on the basis of their positive feedback and answers to questions that will be asked by the official Audit Team. Anyone who might offer constructive criticism is locked out of the process by design. This practice will no longer be tolerated at/in any of the Department’s Facilities for the purposes of site-wide audit, or any other audit, or accrediting institution.

SECTION 5:  Let the current structure of silo management be abandoned in favor of a modern product management structure, as is used by every other Medical delivery system in the Country.

SECTION 6:  Let be upgraded to twenty-first century standards of Medicine and Mental Health.

SECTION 7:   Let the United States Congress appropriate sufficient funds to upgrade the Department’s Medical Centers practices and equipment, to include all diagnostic equipment in every VA Medical Center, and Clinics, nationally.

SECTION 8:  Let the United States Congress appropriate sufficient funds to modernize/upgrade all Medical and Mental Health protocols at all Medical Centers, and Clinics, nationwide.

SECTION 9:  Let the United States Congress appropriate sufficient funds to engage the removal/demolition of all of the Department’s contaminated buildings, and erect new, modern facilities in their place.

SECTION 10:  Let the Department recognize and acknowledge the gross inadequacy of parking spaces at the most heavily used Medical Centers, and receive sufficient funding from the United States Congress to construct appropriate parking facilities.

SECTION 11:  Let the United states House of Representatives and the United States Senate include Veterans, from outside Government, on a newly created Veterans Advisory Board, attached separately, one each, to both the House and Senate Sub-Committees on Veterans Affairs.

SECTION 12:  Let there be a sufficient number of Veterans, from outside Government, involved in any Oversight Committee, or Oversight process conducted by the United States Congress.

SECTION 13:  This Bill shall go into effect ninety-one (91) days after passage.

Changing the Department of Veterans Affairs Structure and Culture to enable the timely and efficient delivery of services to its clientele.
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Hutchinson Dubosque, Jr.
10 Woolsey St., Huntington, NY  11743-2641
(631) 470-0958 / (631) 223-6107
hutch.dubosque@live.com
B.A./Communications – Hofstra University
A.A.S./Energy Technology – NYIT
Manufacturing Engineer/Mechanic – 40 yrs.

Vice President / PTSD Veterans Association of Northport, Inc.
PO Box 194, Northport, NY  11768
(631) 223-6107
ptsdalumni@yahoo.com
www.ptsdveternasassociation.com

Organization Memberships:
DAV, VVA, VFW, IAVA, American Legion
Soldiers Project, Concerned Veterans for America, Wounded
Warrior Project, Military Order of the Purple Heart, 27th Inf. Reg.
Hist. Society, 25th Inf. Div. Hist. Society, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund,
Long Island Veterans Initiative, PTSD Alumni Association/Northport,
U.S. Navy Memorial, National Society of Political Science, U.S. House Veterans Affairs Council

Military
Vietnam Veteran, 1967 – 1970; 1 year in Vietnam, 25th Inf. Div., 27th Inf. Reg., 1st Bat., Combat      Infantry Medic, 1 ½ years in Germany, Nike-Hercules Missile Batteries