USA – DNC-Consulting

Cost, Value, and Manufacturing

Does anyone else remember when Walmart was first breaking onto the scene as a competitor against K-Mart, they advertised “Proud to sell ‘Made in the USA’” merchandise? Then shortly, Walmart faced its first scandal, being busted selling cheap junk boasting “Made in China” on the label. The “pride” was pushed to the side, the “Made in the USA” disappeared, and the price was all Walmart was going to compete on, “Prices are falling.” K-Mart is gone, Walmart is still selling, “Prices” are still “supposedly” falling, but where is questionable, quality is all but gone, and who has benefited?

I remember when my town got a Payless shoe store. I plunked my money down for a nice pair of shoes; they lasted less than 30-days of wear; I was told, “You get what you pay for.” The next pair of shoes I bought at Walmart turns out they were probably made on the same manufacturing line in China. Payless sold them for $20.00; Walmart sold them for $30.00. Neither lasted long enough for the new shoe smell to evaporate. Payless Shoes is gone, Walmart is still here, the quality has not improved, and I am still asking, who has benefitted?

I purchased some tools the other day; I was mystified at the following label on the tag, “Made in the USA, of parts configured mostly in the USA but manufactured in other countries of origin.” It turns out, if the assembly of parts is done inside the US, a finished product can be labeled as “Made in the USA.” If some of the sub-assemblies occur outside the USA, the manufacturer might, or might not, be legally responsible to declare such, depending upon the industry, the finished goods, and the lawyers and labor unions involved.

Country of origin labeling is real sketchy, full of hungry lawyers and fascinating self-interest, as well as enough political grandstanding to satisfy forests of trees being slaughtered for centuries to come. All in the name of, yes, you guessed it, transparency. I am oversimplifying the problem here to make a point. Your child’s pencils in school have to declare Made in China due to some lead poisoning issues in the yellow paint, but crayons can hide the country of origin because a lawyer said the transparency issue does not cause harm. This convoluted logic is rampant throughout the entire mess of country of origin labeling. Unfortunately, this is but the tip of the iceberg in manufacturing, cost, and value.

By the way, I guarantee, there are hordes of lawyers plotting ways and means of overturning country of origin labeling to hide or overturn legal decisions they find onerous, mainly to further remove any hint that “Made in China” could be traced to problems with poisoning to China.

Taking us to the first point in this article, when did America stop manufacturing? Why did America stop manufacturing? Why did stores stop selling American manufactured goods? In Home Deport today, I made a point of looking for “Made Proudly in the USA” stickers on tools, products, and other items for sale. There were no official statistics, no actual counts, just browsing shelves, looking for products, and I was not pleased. Walmart has long been turned into a proud repository for Chinese manufacturing; to see anything other than “Made in China” on their shelves would be a significant accomplishment.

Having ventured into a Hobby Lobby recently, I was again amazed at the incredibly talented people worldwide and wondered again, “When did America stop manufacturing goods?” Dollar Tree is another place where Made in China flourishes, and one has to wonder, “Why did stores stop selling American manufactured goods?”

Before anyone jumps to the conclusion that I am China-bashing or Big-Box Bashing, please note that I am sick to death of the excuses that “Manufacturing in America is too expensive to be profitable.” I detest hearing excuses that “Manufacturers cannot find enough unskilled laborers to work the machines, without illegal labor.” I am through listening to supposed experts declare that “Americans cannot compete with Chinese labor due to American expectations for benefits, job expectations, the cost of safety, etc.” The other day some ignorant putz declared that the “American worker is just plain lazy compared to workers even in Europe, which is why Americans can never work fast enough to meet production goals.”

Bringing us to the cost and value topics of this article. Long have cost accountants and operations managers had a professional love/hate relationship. We love to hate each other for one reason; we do not see eye to eye on basic fundamental reality. To a cost accountant, everything has a cost, but the difference between cost and value is not found in green money losses alone unless you are a cost accountant.

We have discussed the different types/colors of money previously. Green money is cold hard cash, and cost accounting is only, ever, concerned with the end of the day totals of cold hard cash! However, reality always has other types of money involved, relationships that cannot be qualified in monetary means, and humans are more than dollars and cents in a ledger. Value is always different than cost.

Simple explanation; a hammer costs your great-grandfather $1.00. With that hammer, your great-grandfather built a home and a cradle. That cradle rocked your grandfather, father, and you to sleep. Upon reaching the age of accountability, each, in turn, was taught how to swing a hammer, driving nails, and learning carpentry. That hammer holds four generations of value, beyond the cost of $1.00. Green money costs, that hammer has depreciated in value until it is worthless to the company and should be scrapped for a new hammer; but the value of that hammer is not measured in dollars and cents. Thus the disconnect between operations and cost accounting.

What does all of this have to do with retail establishments, manufacturing in America, and “Made in China?” What is the value of manufacturing in America; self-sufficiency in the time of trouble, pride of accomplishment, value in production, and upward economic mobility of dreams for employees. Why does America need retail establishments that will sell “Made in America;” to remind Americans who we are, why we are neighbors and provide an outlet for manufacturing in America to compete.

Ask yourself, why did President Bill Clinton pave the way for China to join the World Trade Organization and actively push to move manufacturing to China? Why did President Richard Nixon push so hard to “Open China?” What has been the cost, and where is the value in either or both of these decisions? Sufficient time has passed to evaluate both of these decisions without political rhetoric and bombastic bloviations from either political extreme. Both presidents possessed more reasons and desires than they admitted while in office for these decisions and actions; the consequences are the focus, and you can judge the consequences yourself.

Consider cost versus value, consider the toll on hometowns across America where factories lay idle, homes lay vacant, streets lay silent, and poverty is so thick generations of destitution have lived and died in its shadow. Consider how some towns have tried to restructure themselves and succeeded, others have failed, some shipped their children to schools far away, others have turned their towns into “sleeper communities” for cities 2-6 hours away. You decide! Think! Investigate! Talk to people laid off by unions and forgotten. Then remember when politicians discuss taxes, labor union special interest projects, and social spending. Remember the next time you, a citizen with a brain, are reduced to “Human Infrastructure.”

© Copyright 2021 – M. Dave Salisbury
The author holds no claims for the art used herein, the pictures were obtained in the public domain, and the intellectual property belongs to those who created the images. Quoted materials remain the property of the original author.

Division vs. Unity, Labels, and Big Tech

Last week, while scrubbing my SPAM folder on Gmail, I discovered that Google had arbitrarily been sending several emails containing news of a more conservative slant straight to SPAM. Why would Google arbitrarily act in a manner to thwart the delivery of email? A topic for discussion later in this article.

America faces a huge test right now; division is costing us opportunity, liberty, freedom, and potential. Worse, it will eventually destroy the United States of America, a free Republic (if we can keep it). What is this nefarious foe; a lack of unity. The political parties have become so divisive that families are being torn asunder over something as petty as which political party to embrace. Religion, lifestyle choices, employment opportunities, and so much more are being used to erode America at the family foundation.

Socialsolutions.com reports some disturbing statistics from 2018. However, the COVID-Farrago has seen these numbers only increase, and the numbers for 2020 are still not compiled and updated. ACLEDdata.com provides some of the statistics from 2020, and the political violence inflicted on families is stunning! Where does the blame lay for all this violence, property damage, public property destruction, and the host of terrorism committed in George Floyd’s name; the US President, Vice President, Speakers of the House and Senate, the governors, the mayors, and state legislators.

I am not excusing individual accountability for specific acts, but every silent politician in America has condoned the divisive behavior. The corporate media have fed the violence and division, and the press has even been videoed participating in the violence. My wife stated something, “The problems have become too great for any single individual to make a difference.” I vociferously disagreed then and state unequivocally now that good is still in the majority of America and Americans and that one individual who declares enough is enough can make a world of difference!

Charmaine Yoest, Jack Spencer, John G. Malcolm, and James Carafano, writing for The Daily Signal, published an article on 11 June 2021 worthy of reading. The twelve points they outlined are listed below, and additional commentary is mine.

1. 1. Protect Our Vote – I cannot stress this enough. The November 2020 elections, like all elections since we allowed computers into the mix, were fraught with illegal and illicit behaviors and reflects malfeasance towards the voter. However, that problem is specifically targeted at the local political leaders and judges who refused to allow time for transparent investigations. President Biden and his administration are definitely not helping the situation. Getting the Federal Government out of elections is the pre-eminent step we need to return State Rights to State Governments.
  2. Secure Our Border – America was built on defensible borders, and neglecting those borders is the height of Treason! Webster defines Treason as “The betrayal of allegiance toward one’s own country, especially by committing hostile acts against it or aiding its enemies in committing such acts.” Hostile acts can be refusing to act when problems arise if the failure to act benefits you personally. The continued flaunting of National Security on America’s borders (North and South) is treasonous, and those committing these actions of inaction need to be held accountable before the bar of law!
  3. Stop Adding Debt – Of all the points raised in this Daily Signal article, this point is second most important, only behind defensible borders! Inflation must be fought with smarter monetary policies. Want a good reference for smarter economic policies; Mark Skidmore is a leading economist in the field of government economics and is almost entirely unknown unless you have a hobby in following government monetary policies. Dr. Skidmore has worked with a highly intelligent team of economists to try and find more than $94 Trillion in lost money in the Federal Government. Before America spends another dime, a full and transparent audit must be completed, all the books opened, and criminal charges brought!
  4. Stand Up To China – One of the things I particularly loved about President Trump, and honestly, there weren’t very many, was his hard stance against China! I applaud President Trump’s efforts at leading America while surrounded by enemies foreign and predominantly domestic! But to take a hardline stance against China is still desperately needed; yet, what do we see in the capitols of America, kowtowing to China by America’s elected leaders. ENOUGH! Stop committing Treason with a dedicated foreign enemy!
  5. Do NOT Raise Taxes – [Emphasis Mine] You cannot spend yourself out of debt, and you cannot tax your populace for personal benefits to remain elected by buying votes through forced taxation and government largess! America has never had an income problem; we have always had a spending problem! Debt is captivity, captivity to our enemies is Treason, and those committing Treason need to be held accountable before the law. From the bureaucrat to the politician, every single one needs to be held responsible for what they have and have not done in properly honoring the funds delivered to the Government through forced taxation!
  6. Stop the woke! – From Critical Race Theory to wave upon wave of identity politics, America is being divided so as to be more easily conquered. If you cannot see how dangerous these lines of division are, we need to talk about waking up mentally and recognizing the 800# Gorilla in the room! You do not need to have special identity laws for every single invented identity, and going down that slippery slope produces nothing but harm, chaos, and destruction. Ask Caesar from Ancient Rome how identity politics worked in Ancient Rome. History relates what happens at the end of the identity politics games, and the results are never beneficial!
  7. Cut Red Tape – Another one of those things I applaud President Trump for doing was cutting the Federal Government Red Tape to free the American worker, businesses, and manufacturing. Want a startling statistic; besides inflation, the only other driver of higher costs is government red tape. I learned this as a kid when I saw the taxes included in a gallon of gas. I asked if the same was true of all prices and my parents had no idea. Thus began my hobby of understanding and tracking economics! But, do not take my word for it; look up the cost of bread from 1940 to today, and look at how much government red tape has influenced just a loaf of bread. We, the proper owners of the Government in America, must regain the reigns from the asylum patients and cut government red tape!
  8. Help Us Sleep Safe at Night – Talk about a conjoined issue with defensible borders! Tell me, why are portions of America’s National Parks just as deadly as Northern Mexico? I have read first-hand accounts of scouts stumbling upon drug manufacturing facilities, landmines and guerilla war tactics employed to dissuade investigation, and the armed terrorists living in America’s National Parks to produce drugs for the American markets. Before Big-Tech thought this would blacken certain political parties’ chances at re-election or election, many of those stories were scrubbed from the Internet. Tell me, do you sleep safer at night right now than you did three years ago? My home security costs have skyrocketed, 24/7 surveillance makes me feel like a prisoner in my own home. Yet, the elected officials have blocked all attempts at using the military to root out the terrorists and gangs from America’s National parks and defend the US Borders.
  9. Stop Big-Tech! – Have you noticed the censorship occurring across the Internet? How one day you can find stories on a specific topic and the next you cannot locate those same sources? Perfect example, in February 2020, I could find Dr. Fauci’s research on Coronaviruses and many other research topics. Now, I can find nothing of those early research projects that proved Dr. Fauci is either lying in his research then or lying to the public now. I have emails being sent arbitrarily to SPAM if it is content Google opposes politically. I have witnessed LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media restrict access, shut down accounts, and destroy people’s livelihoods, all because of content the Big-Tech does not find politically palatable. I am done being censored, censured, and prohibited, all because some tech company does not like the truth!
  10. Deliver School Choice – Long have I written that K-12 education is sexually grooming and abusing America’s children instead of teaching them how to read, write, and think logically through arithmetics. K-12 education in America, since the 1860s, has been purposefully designed not to teach students how to read because a literate society knows freedoms and liberties, and an illiterate society can be controlled. Hence, I disagree with these authors; even school choice cannot save America’s youth from abuse at the hands of teachers and bureaucrats embedded in the education system. The individual states need to be freed from the Federal Department of Education. Then, the states need to revamp what education means and begin to throw out the bureaucrats and increase the abilities of teachers to lead and instruct in their classrooms!
  11. Empower Patients, NOT Government – [Emphasis Mine] Being a disabled veteran, having my medical care through the VA, I could not agree more that the Government needs to be ripped out of healthcare and the doctor-patient relationship. However, we also need the litigious nature of society to be corrected. The cost of malpractice insurance is so exceedingly prohibitive that doctors cannot practice independently, and the corporatization of medicine has been growing twice the government intrusion rate! Thus, the red tape needs to be removed, government intrusion needs to be clipped, and people looking at the judicial branch as a gold mine need to be shunted and stopped!
  12. Make Our Streets Safe! – Again, we find an issue with root causes behind defensible borders, military action to fight the drug trade, and the overhaul of the criminal justice system. When the criminal has more rights and protections than the victims, justice is not served! When sentences do not include community service to repair damage to a society, justice for the community is not served. When jail has more privileges than not being incarcerated, the criminal justice system is everything but bringing justice to criminals! We have enough trash, graffiti, weeds, and other community service work needing to be performed for three armies of criminals. Get them on this service instead of sitting all day. Worse, all those “peaceful protestors,” a.k.a domestic terrorists, need to be out repairing the damage to the communities they wrought!

Unity is a precious resource America has always enjoyed in abundance, and the political enemies of America despise America for the unity that has always been here. We might fight like brothers amongst ourselves, we might have ancient grudges and family disputes that spill over state lines, but we are inherently a unified people. Stop allowing the media to preach division, hate, and identity politics. Stop allowing those elected as representatives to divide you and your family. America, we have a choice before us, unite and live, or divide and fall. All of the changes discussed stem from a simple point, will we choose to unite and live or allow division to separate us to be conquered as unpitied sacrifices in a contemptible struggle?

Join me! Join with your neighbors and family members! Let us for a community of responsible and intelligent citizens, who are informed, and active in halting the government abuses at every turn! As a united front, we can win! Believe that, and we are halfway to restoring America to the ”Shining city on a hill!”

© 2021 M. Dave Salisbury
All Rights Reserved
The images used herein were obtained in the public domain; this author holds no copyright to the images displayed.

NO MORE BS: The Articles of Confederation

Detective 4 One of the more overlooked documents that established the Republic of the United States of America is “The Articles of Confederation.” Many confuse these articles of confederation with the confederate states and the Civil War. The following is written to honor these articles and clarify their role in building the America we recognize today! Having covered the US Constitution and the US Bill of Rights, it is only fitting that before writing about the Declaration of Independence, The Articles of Confederation be given their day in the public eye.

The Articles of Confederation were agreed to by Congress on 15 November 1777; ratified and placed in legal force on 01 March 1781. The articles were a binding agreement and perpetual Union between the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, and North and South Carolina. Understanding the signatories and the Articles of Confederation’s limitations remains critical to the foundation of a Constitution.

Article 1: Provides the new country’s name as “The United States of America;” what better way to start a legally binding document to join the various independent states into a cohesive whole.

Article 2: Testifies that “each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right not expressly delegated to the United States in Congress assembled” [emphasis mine]. Want to know why these articles so frequently refer to States’ Rights and what States’ Rights mean; pay close attention to what the states retain control over in Article 2. Sovereignty is the supreme power or authority to govern itself; I fight for States’ Rights as freedom and independence branch from the power of sovereignty.

Article 3: Covers a league of friendship, common defense, the security of state liberties, binding themselves to help and support each other in peace or war. While protecting state sovereignty without regard for religion or trade, or another pretense. They were essentially stating that the states would be friends and protectors of each other’s sovereignty without regard for personal interests! Does it appear to you that the Federal Government has forgotten the sovereignty of the individual states?

Article 4: Guaranteed free movement between the states, except for vagabonds, paupers, and fugitives. Article 4 also demanded that the states not exact tariffs or seize property when a citizen traveled from one state to another. Article 4 also bound each state to the jurisprudence of the other states. Hence a criminal in one state, trying to escape to another state, could be detained and returned to the state accusing the person of a crime.

Article 5: Set the number of delegates and term limits for those delegates to Congress. A novel idea whose return should be seriously considered for our time! Better still, the delegates were required to be supported by the individual state, not their political party, not through wages and forced taxation, and not through Congressional fiat. Another novel idea whose time has come to be reconsidered in American Society.

Article 6: Contains another novel idea needing reconsideration, no state shall entertain any foreign dignitaries to enter into treaties, alliances, or other business without the consent of the entire Congress. The article goes further in outlawing war between states and protection from pirates.

Article 7: Discusses how armies are to be raised, officers appointed, and the role of the state legislature in officer appointments.

Article 8: Sets forth how war is to be paid when armies meet for the common defense and a tax levied to pay for the debts incurred in raising an army for the common defense.

Article 9: Sets the Congress as the sole power to declare war and sets apart other duties of the Congress to settle disputes, create committees, and constitute a court for hearing and determining matters.

Article 10: Defines a quorum of Congress who can meet and settle matters in the case that the full Congress cannot meet.

Article 11: Offered Canada the opportunity to join the United States with an open invitation, and all other future states needed approval from Congress to enter the United States. This article is my favorite of all the articles, and I wonder if Canada would like to join the Union yet? Imagine how fun that would be!

Article 12: Handled the continental states’ debt and placed those debts into the Federal Government’s hands to establish a payment method.

Article 13: Insisted that all states are bound to Congress’s decisions and actions and required affirmation by all state legislatures.

National Guard While each of these articles is summarized, it is well worth a person’s time to know the particulars and details in The Articles of Confederation. It is fascinating to see how The Articles of Confederation fed language into the US Constitution, forming a legal process for Congress to work under in writing the US Constitution and US Bill of Rights. A critical point, The Articles of Confederation, started the earliest laws needed to frame how the United States of America worked through Congress to benefit individual states and citizens.

© 2021 M. Dave Salisbury
All Rights Reserved
The images used herein were obtained in the public domain; this author holds no copyright to the images displayed.

NO MORE BS: A Liberty First Culture – Power to the People

Frankly, I laugh at a part of the title of this post. “Power to the People” is a common sign seen at mass demonstrations, based upon the lie that the people somehow lost power and that power needs to be returned from wherever it went, to the people, whoever they are. The people in a democratic society already have control over the government. In fact, the government cannot take the power of the people away because they fear the populations they have abused, like all tyrants in history.

Whale in Ocean Consider for a moment the blue whale. The biggest mammal on earth swims in the ocean and can grow to be around 100 feet long and displace 200-tons. Does the ocean rely upon the whale, or does the whale rely upon the ocean? The answer is obvious; the blue whale, as massive and majestic as it is, depends upon the ocean for survival. The same is true of the government! The government cannot survive without the people, just as the blue whale cannot survive without the ocean. The consent of the governed can be given and taken from the politicians as the people decide. Hence, tyrants fear the people they oppress, all while enjoying the spoils of oppressing the people.

Every revolution in history started when people believed they had reached the point of no return and took upon themselves the power of self-rule. The French Revolution, the American Revolution, the various feudal fights across Ireland, Britain, and Scotland, the multiple Chinese and Russian revolutions, India, Israel, etc., all are boiled down to this simple and inescapable fact. When the people have had enough, the politicians fear and scramble, then they are held accountable, and the people claim the powers of self-rule. Until the people forget their parents’ lessons, the fight for freedom, the liberties of self-rule, and begin to vote in oppressors, the cycle begins anew.

Laughing Owl Hence, I laugh at all the fools and tools that carry these signs, for they know not what they want, nor do they accept the responsibility they claim they desire. I have seen signs proclaiming “Power to the people!” in various languages, various wordings, and in Maoist and Marxist ideologies since I became aware of the world. I detest these simpering tools and fools who spout their Mao, their Marx, and Stalin but reject the responsibility and the damage these societies create. The clowns and puppets wearing Che Guevara on their clothing make me wonder about the chess pawn axiom and how the pawns are the first to die in battle.

When Hillary Clinton came out wearing her Mao jacket, I understood the consequences of choosing better politicians from those able and willing to run for public office. More, I understood the need for cleaning the house when a politician runs amok and needs to be removed from office. I have learned to detest those who consider politics a game, and even worse those who “play the game” with the people’s liberty and freedom while abusing the citizenry!

I make clear the following, repeating myself only for emphasis. I do not care about your political flavor or leanings. I only care about keeping the United States of America a free Republic, under God, for my children’s children to enjoy. Political parties come and go, politicians come and go. The liberties and freedoms of the US Constitution will only endure by making better choices at the ballot box, raising our voices in city councils and school board meetings, and demanding those who desire to oppress being held accountable before a judge and jury.

The Duty of Americans President Abraham Lincoln gave America Proclamation 97. Take a moment to read this very short but powerful proclamation, and consider living this proclamation this 30^th of April 2021. What would happen if all the people who love liberty, who call themselves Americans, regardless of belief, obeyed this simple proclamation as a prayer for help against the tyranny and oppression we are now experiencing?

Is not the government’s mandates and policies for COVID-19 as oppressing and freedom stealing as a civil war? Would your answer change if, because of their money, specific populations of American’s were allowed to forgo the COVID mandates? Simultaneously, those who do not equal in financial strength are treated to the harshness of government tyranny. Is not the National Debt, State Debt, City/Town Debt, and School Board debt sufficient to enslave and punish those not born because the politicians have allowed funded and unfunded loans to be borrowed in the people’s name? Are these chains of captivity not life-stealing enough to pray for forgiveness and beg for a reprieve?

Literary Arts What about the forced illiteracy imposed upon the people by the politicians now long dead, who despised a literate people and demanded that their liberties be stripped through ignorance? Is this not a sufficient reason to plead to a power greater than you or me for supplication and divine interference? To plead for an end to this misery caused by generations of politicians from all parties who had robbed, cheated, blinded, and harmed us long before we were born.

I had the great privilege of reading the history surrounding Proclamation 97. The President knew not what else he could do as a mortal man to end the American Civil War. So, driven to his knees by the loss, the shattered lives, the destroyed families, the national debt climbing to fight the South, the President looked to the one hope he knew could help. More importantly, when proposed to the Senate, the Senate approved the measure. With a careful understanding of the timelines, a person can begin to see the Civil War changes that brought a swifter conclusion to that bloody affair after the National Day of Fasting. Can we stand to be accused of doing less by our Children’s Children at this tragic and pivotal moment in American history?

Religious Thought Every religion I have studied, including atheism, recognizes there is power in fasting, even if the power is only better health. While atheism does not realize a higher authority than self, and prayer to an atheist is a joke, every other religion I have studied holds a similar bond to fasting and prayer. Recognizing the need for help from a greater power, realizing that the problems have grown too large, but still those problems need resolution, a person can go to a source for inspiration, guidance, and solace. I suggest repeating the National Day of National Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer, as laid out in Proclamation 97.

Let us, the citizens of America, stand together, kneel together, supplicate together, and arise stronger for the experience of being unified in asking for forgiveness and for divine assistance from the hands that made this country great. Let us join in a national day of supplication for relief from what the government has become, the great millstone about our necks. When a company wants to declare a new culture, specifically towards becoming safer, they declare a day, and they set apart that day as a “Safety Standdown” to teach, train, and launch a new culture. Well, America needs a new political culture, one where Liberty is First in every freedom-loving person’s mind, where liberty and literacy can find fertile soil in the mind and heart to grow. Where from the wrongs, right might begin to prevail.

Liberation Let us honor a national day of fasting and prayer and see how fast divine assistance arrives! Let us throw off the chains and shackles and prove to ourselves that we have not and are not helpless beached whales, but the mighty and powerful ocean of voices screaming we will not allow liberty to die!

© 2021 M. Dave Salisbury
All Rights Reserved
The images used herein were obtained in the public domain; this author holds no copyright to the images displayed.

NO MORE BS: Lest We Forget

With multiple religions having records, beliefs, and access to Isaiah’s writings, I begin with a compelling point from the Old Testament.

“Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall, the work say of him that made it, he made me not? Or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, he had no understanding? (Isaiah 29:16)”

Having watched the events of this new year unfold, this verse of scripture has taken on a new life. Consider how the naysayers have turned the speech from President Trump to a spontaneous show of support, into a call to storm the capitol. Turning things upside down for a political point is a revered tool of the political left, and the world has watched, many in glee, to see this trouble and torment occur. Frankly, my honest man betrayed sensibilities feel like a Sherman Tank hit them!

Life Valued The verse above from Isaiah also speaks to another point needing discussion; the work we do has consequences we cannot escape! Accountability and responsibility follow the choices we make, like shadows; accountability and responsibility are ours to accept or reject, but they never go away! For example, Speaker Pelosi spent the better part of 6-months refusing to help Americans during this governmentally fed emotional hysteria called “COVID,” but as soon as Biden/Harris won, fraudulently, the presidency, it was time to hurry up and act! Now, Speaker Pelosi has exercised her “Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS)” and ramrodded another erroneous impeachment through the US House of Representatives. Aided and abetted by, if the count is correct, ¾’s of the GOP, acting as craven yellow-belly spineless entities.

What will the future say of harassing an innocent person, all because it was “politickly expedient?” Nothing Good! The accountability for this disaster entirely rests upon the shoulders of those participating in the public lynching of a sitting president, and that is beyond detestable behavior!

Theres more Companies can give and take at their discretion to the political parties of their choice; that matters not. But, if you claim to represent the American People, duly elected, and you weaponize government to browbeat, hammer, control the electorate, you will be held accountable! Hence, I call for the voters to begin holding the newly formed 117^th Congress to task for their misbehavior.

Speaker Pelosi, why did you invite COVID positive people with acute flu-like symptoms to vote in the House? How much money did you spend on useless plexiglass partitions? The erection of those partitions occurred in the dark of night, with no oversight, no discussion, no knowledge of the American people. What funds did you take the people’s money from to pay for the wages and materials? What was the contract process for the work to be accomplished? How did these sick representatives arrive in Washington and leave Washington? If COVID is as bad as you have been harping on from Jan 2020 to today, why were these House members exempt from the COVID-related security checks and other nonsense heaped upon Americans?

The Duty of Americans If your two supporters for your speakership were allowed to travel freely, then COVID is not as dire and dangerous as you have been preaching. What about those members who were exposed and have now tested positive because your decisions put them in the House of Representatives while contagious? May their families sue you personally for lost wages, harm, and being infected with COVID?

Speaker Pelosi, how did the metal detectors get added over a weekend? Why has the security to the “People’s House” been increased, and where did the funds originate? Why were the previous security measures acceptable for other capitol groups, but somehow after what appears to be a staged riot, the security measures are no longer adequate? Do you know why the riot and the response to the extreme citizen behavior appear staged; the security people had lots of warnings from the FBI for months that a demonstration of support for President Trump was being arranged on social media. Why were the capital guards not doubled? Why were the security entrances not better manned?

BLM Take another large group who came to the capital, BLM. The guards for the House were doubled, on alert, and ready if anything happened. As House Speaker, Speaker Pelosi has the power to direct DC Police and other law enforcement agencies. Still, for a Trump Support event, magically, all the security protocols were purposefully not instituted, but after damage and a riot that left five people dead, it is suddenly time to tighten security checks and policies. Something is wrong and smells to high heaven!

While we are on the subject of the riot and the potential for that riot to have been staged and managed, where is individual accountability? President Trump never encouraged violence or violent demonstrations. I have watched the speech he gave; President Trump said exactly the opposite and urged for law and order. In President Trump, America has witnessed a politician who is 100% supportive of the “Rule of Law.” Totally the opposite of you, Speaker Pelosi, previous presidents (Clinton and Obama come readily to mind), and so many other elected officials in and out of Washington, it makes me sick.

Wasting Time Yet, you have wasted valuable time in the 117^th Congress to blackball, criticize, shame, and express disdain while weaponizing the Federal Government against President Trump, his family, his associates, his administration representatives, and a host of other private citizens. Why? I cannot believe this is all TDS, especially since before Donald Trump became President Trump, you and the rest of the liberal-leftists loved Donald Trump. Explain why you and your politically connected cronies have belittled, attacked, and heaped shame on a person you used to admire for his work, dedication, and kindness? All of you sure took his money fast enough as political donations; Et Tu, Brute?

America is in a crisis, largely made by politicians of both parties, fed by an emotional media, and protected by a weaponized government. How many times has Pelosi promised to “Drain the Swamp” the metaphorical reference to the appalling actions and behaviors, largely from her party, and yet, has never lifted a finger in action? Another verse of scripture fits here with a little adaptation.

“My soul is sore vexed: but thou, O Lord, how long” (Psalm 6: 3)?

How long Speaker Pelosi? How long liberal leftists? How long will America have to be sorely vexed before charges are brought for your treason and vilification of America? How long will America be patronized by one-side of your mouths and vilified from the other side? How long will honest men and women be called terrorists for serving in America’s military arms while you enjoy the liberty of their service? My soul is sore vexed; I know millions of other people share in that sentiment. Thus, how long will you proclaim to be the head of the People’s House of elected representatives and continue to ignore, shame, and abhor the people of these the United States of America, a free people, under law, a Republic like none other in history?

© Copyright 2021 – M. Dave Salisbury
The author holds no claims for the art used herein, the pictures were obtained in the public domain, and the intellectual property belongs to those who created the images.
All rights reserved. For copies, reprints, or sharing, please contact through LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesalisbury/

A Dangerous Moment – A Warning!

A colleague of mine on LinkedIn said something that has me thinking.

“Divergent narratives are being weaponized to habituate people to increasing the threshold of violence. A country should talk to each other not develop proscription lists. Proscription lists dehumanize and demonize social or political opposition rather than engaging them in pragmatic ends towards the common good. America is in a very dangerous moment.”

Consider for a moment the message my colleague is making. Political thought that does not match that of another is automatically discounted, denigrated, and derided. Social views of how to improve which differ from, even slightly, are castigated.

America is currently in the middle of a very contentious election count. Where documented skullduggery, political shenanigans, and illegal activities are so egregiously apparent that anyone with eyes can see there is a problem. Yet, to vocalize doubts, to ask for time to cull the fraud, and apply legal processes is being squashed while at the same time the narrative of “Unify the Country” is blared from every media outlet.

Just before the election, a member of the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), made the following statement clear in a tweet. “Is anyone archiving these Trump sycophants for when they try to downplay or deny their complicity in the future?” This is a perfect example of proscription lists with the threat of weaponized government for those who disagree with AOC and her party. How do we know this is true; within hours of AOC’s tweet, the “Trump Accountability Project (TAP)” was established to ensure no “Trump sycophant goes unpunished.”

The objective of TAP is “to make sure anyone who took a paycheck to help Trump undermine America is held responsible for what they did.” This objective should give every American pause and create concerns that America is falling into a totalitarian nightmare. Worse, none on the political left are making any attempt to hide their agenda, to employ the “smoke-screen, and mirrors” tactics so common used by those with hidden agendas. Sadly, TAP will not limit itself to President Trump’s administration officials and will include everyone who voted for Donald Trump as well as everyone who disagrees, dissents, or even asks questions. How do we know this; Climate Warrior 7 tweeted a message similar in hate to that of Jennifer Rubin who writes for the Washington Post and MSNBC, saying,

“Any [R]epublican “now promoting rejection of an election or calling to not to follow the will of voters or making baseless allegations of fraud should never serve in office, join a corporate board, find a faculty position or be accepted into “polite” society. We have a list.”

“If you know anyone who supported Trump please add their names to our database. They will be dealt with in due course, once the appropriate legal framework can be put in place.” – Climate Warrior 7

Now someone could make a claim that these are two private citizens, exercising their free speech rights, and since there is no direct threat these two individuals are simply opining. Yet, if that is the case, was Adolf Hitler’s book “Mein Kampf” simply a citizen expressing his personal views? When a person makes another person an enemy, and then stops communicating with them civilly, there is danger that must be addressed appropriately. When this is occurring across an entire nation, that nation is in a very dangerous moment.

Unfortunately, very few people are recognizing this danger and calling for civility. Across the Spring, Summer, and fall of 2020, America has witnessed incivility, mob violence, terrorism, as nightly rituals where political leaders from all parties refused to renounce and vocally condemn the violence. The media played their part in silencing the few who tried to speak up or speak out, while simultaneously cheering on and even participating in the violence.

Lack of communicating is a direct correlation to a lack of trust. A lack of trust is further compounded by theft, non-transparency in government processes, and by the use of law to punish the innocent and free the guilty. Where has this been witnessed; mask discrimination and criminalization, terrorists caught and released after causing damage and harm to a society Portland, Oregon and New York City, New York both come readily to mind.

Now, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are broadcasting calls to unify and heal the country. Why make these calls now, when they were begged to do so during the presidential campaign and they refused? Where was the need for civil discourse when CHAZ/CHOP was being erected and people’s rights violated? Where have Biden/Harris been while Portland, Minneapolis, and how many other cities burned, property was destroyed, businesses destroyed, and terror reigned?

America, we are in a dangerous moment! But, this is one of those historic moments where either we rise together against the forces of tyranny and destruction or fall an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle. How we, as a country, leave this dangerous moment is up to the individual citizens, banding together, putting aside the differences that forces would use to divide us, and standing up for our rights, our freedoms, and our families.

I choose to stand against this oppressive force which threatens to choke the life out of America and feast upon her remains. I choose to stand with anyone who chooses to stand and not go quietly into the night of tyranny and oppression. I choose to stand and defend that which I love, the United States of America, a free republic, under God! Join me?

© Copyright 2020 – M. Dave Salisbury
The author holds no claims for the art used herein, the pictures were obtained in the public domain, and the intellectual property belongs to those who created the pictures.
All rights reserved. For copies, reprints, or sharing, please contact through LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesalisbury/

The US Constitution – Understanding the Paradigm

Since February 2020, to date America, and the world has witnessed the cruel and unyielding hand of mobocracy practiced. Mobocracy is the rule of the mob transformed into governance. Consider the actions of several city councils and state legislatures where defunding the police has become the hottest political topic. The mob screams for changes to the law, politicians pander, politicians pay “Dane-Geld,” and the laws change to satisfy the appetites of the mob. Thus, mobocracy is being practiced.

To everyone who reads this post, I will without doubt or fear maintain that the actions of the politicians to allow mobocracy in America, state for the record that, “You are committing an illegal act; must be held accountable before the bar of justice for your heinous crimes!” Make no mistake, the actions of politicians to appease the mob, to rule through mobocracy, and to thwart the will of the governed to the masses of screaming mobsters is treason, the calumny of the blackest sort, and a rejection of your oath of office rendering you and your authority moot!

Beginning with the US Constitution’s Preamble, a person will find why the government was instituted. “… in order to form a more perfect Union (government), establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” The politicians who have sworn an oath to uphold the US Constitution who deny these statements are already guilty of treason and breach of office. Domestic tranquility cannot be achieved through the rule of the mob. Domestic tranquility cannot magically appear, it must be built through law and order, through justice and mercy before the bar of justice, and must be fought for when tyranny rears its ugly head. The general welfare of the population can only be established by obedience to the just laws of the society to which a person belongs. Defunding the police tramples the welfare of society, domestic tranquility, and calls for the defense of the rule of law by every freedom-loving person in that society.

Article 1 Section 1: Established for every government in America the separation of powers, where legislation is equally shared between a house of representatives and a senate, who must work together in their separate but equal duties to fulfill the actions dictated in the preamble. Sections 2 and 3 establish the finer points regarding the house of representatives, the senate, the powers of the executive branch in filling vacancies and establishing the terms of office.

Article 1 Sections 4-8: Establish taxes, the military forces, the day of elections, when a term begins for an elected officer to the Congress and other details of government. Nowhere in these articles does it allow for one branch to dominate another branch. Nowhere in these articles does it allow for the senate of the house of representatives to do the others job. Each establishment of government has a specific job to perform, and those politicians who refuse to do their job are in fact breaching their oaths of office.

Consider the actions of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Nowhere in the US Constitution is she allowed to meddle in world politics, write letters to foreign governments, or pass legislation that has not been read. Yet, all these and more are regularly being done, instead of doing her job as outlined in the preamble, to the improvement of the American people, she is duly sworn to support. Her failure to represent all her district is the most egregious example because she is also third in line for the President, she has been re-elected so many times, and is the speaker of the US House of Representatives. Thus, not only does she speak for her district, but she also represents all the US House of Representatives, of all parties.

Root Cause Analysis One of the clearest lessons discovered in life is that of genetic behavior, usually to the shame of the person witnessing their behavior being acted upon by others. We pass behavior onto our children, our acquaintances, and our circles of influence. The problem with genetic behavior is that of exponentialism or the exponential growth between generations. Research supports that cheating behavior in high school is found in cheating an employer later in life. Research also relates that those witnessing the cheating behavior will then steal. The third generation of people the behavior is passed onto will steal bigger items, cheat more, and commit more crimes. The cycle just keeps building until the criminal justice system is full of hard crimes committed.

In the political realm, we see the same exponential growth of behavior. Speaker Pelosi is witnessed by her party, who then act as she does, and commits larger or worse actions than the Speaker. If you look at those termed “The Squad,” the representatives are by far worse than Speaker Pelosi, but they learned how to be detestable to freedom-loving peoples from the Speaker, and the second-generation politicians that surround Speaker Pelosi. Want another example, look at any recent (2000 to present) presidential election and you will still find traces of previous President Clinton in the candidates of both parties. Consider Mitt Romney’s candidacy, he is very Bill Clinton in his politics and speech mannerisms, which remains the main reason he failed as a candidate for president.

Grit - Defined Thus, freedom-loving people, who support justice, desire domestic tranquility, seek to provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and well-being of others, and work tirelessly to secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, witness these politicians and want them removed, and held accountable for their crimes. Not to punish without cause, but to support the common good in America. The reason we have courts, lawyers, judges, etc. is to separate the crimes committed from the criminal committing. This is the epitome of the word justice. The US Criminal Justice System is imperfect, without doubt, but it remains the best system the world has ever seen and deserves support from law-abiding and freedom-loving people.

Article 1 Section 9: Deals with two legal precedents that have been much maligned and abused. Immigration and the Writ of Habeas Corpus. Immigration is a topic for a different post. However, the Writ of Habeas Corpus is crucial to this discussion. Simply stated Habeas Corpus is, “… The legal procedure that keeps the government from holding you indefinitely without showing cause. When you challenge your detention by filing a habeas corpus petition, the executive branch must explain to a neutral judge its justification for holding you.” The Writ of Habeas Corpus can be suspended, and American History including recent history has provided examples of when and why habeas corpus has been denied, suspended, or revoked. The riots and acts of domestic terrorism are a clear example as to why the Writ of Habeas Corpus can be and should be suspended. Rebellion and the breach of public safety are two separate excuses for denying habeas corpus and rioters and terrorists deserve to have habeas corpus suspended.

Finest Hour Make no mistake, I am not advocating for the refusal of these people to have their day in court, before an impartial judge, to be sentenced for their crimes, and held accountable before the bar of justice. I am advocating that until their trials can be arranged, they deserve to be held in prison awaiting the slow turning of the wheels of justice. When you break the peace of society, you give up your rights and liberties; thus, these mob members deserve to be held and witness their rights to habeas corpus rescinded.

Article 1 Section 10: Has several items that pertain to the illegality of state governors during the current COVID-19 health crisis, reflecting that these governors do not know the law, and are in breach of their oaths of office. When the governor of New Mexico made a law stating that all the citizens of Arizona must be quarantined, interrupting the free flow of commerce from state-to-state, the governor forfeited her authority for political points, and the US Congress should have been demanding corrective behavior. Yet, not a peep has been witnessed.

The Duty of Americans COVID-19 does not represent a sufficient “imminent danger” to refuse or interfere with commerce passing between states. The “public health measures” enacted by the various state governors are a travesty of justice, unconstitutional, interferes with the rights and liberties of the people, and damaging the commerce and economy of the United States. Where are the politicians at the Federal Level to correct these abuses?

Articles 2 and 3: establish the executive and judicial branches of American governance. These articles remain critical to freedom-loving people as the articles clearly dictate terms in office, how to perform their duties, and establishes the various courts in the judicial system. The jury trial is set forth without restriction and remains a key component in all trials. Section 3 of Article 3 contains two items of note. Item 1 defines treason narrowly and specifically; item 2 discusses the penalty of treason. “Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them (the United States), or in adhering to their enemies (following an enemy’s directions), giving them aid and comfort (monetary means, housing, food, or other transferable goods).”

Patriotism A legal dictionary provides a slightly broader definition of treason, “The offense of attempting by overt [or covert] acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or the sovereign’s family. The betrayal of a trust: treachery.” Therein lies the justification for labeling the actions of politicians who breach the public trust with treason, the politician who breaks their oath of office to support and defend the US Constitution is committing treason.

Articles 5-7: Deal with how the US Constitution can be amended, national debt, the supremacy of the US Constitution in America, oaths of office, and ratification of the US Constitution. With these final words, the US Constitution closed, “Done in convention by the unanimous consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty-seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our Names.”

Military Crests Every member of the US Military swears an eternal commitment to upholding this document, to securing the rights and laws of the United States as prescribed therein, and to follow the orders of the commander in chief before God. I have had the privilege of taking that oath six times in my life.

The Oath of Enlistment: “I, [State your full legal name], do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So, help me, God.”

I will not allow the US Constitution to be thrown down and mobocracy, meritocracy, democracy, communism, socialism, or any other form of government to supersede the US Constitution. To those politicians working hand-in-hand with the mobs and others for the destruction of America, you are committing treason and will one day answer for your crimes before the bar of justice.

During my military service, I read a quote, applicable to the relationship between politicians working to destroy America and freedom lovers who support the US Constitution “No truer friend; no fiercer enemy!” No truer friend can be found than I in the support of the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. No fiercer enemy can be found than I to those working to suppress the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights; “So, help me, God!”.

The author holds no claims for the art used herein, the pictures were obtained in the public domain, and the intellectual property belongs to those who created the pictures.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesalisbury/

Let’s Talk About the VA – The Insanity Must Cease!

I-Care When the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does something good, I praise them. The VA recently had a good report come from the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG), apparently there was progress made in improving performance once policies were written down, training of employees occurred, and over time there has been an improvement, however small and seemingly insignificant. I offer my sincerest congratulations on making progress and change on this issue.

However, I will castigate and deride all abuses of veterans, myself included. At the Phoenix VA Medical Center, the Carl T. Hayden VA Hospital remains a hotbed of bureaucrats on a power trip weekend from Dante’s first ring. The abuses at this hospital continue and the leadership needs to be corrected!

For those who do not remember, the Carl T. Hayden VA Hospital in Phoenix, AZ used to be an award-winning hospital, a pillar of good performance, and an example of how VA Hospitals could be run. Then, the director was changed, the hospital staff changed, awards stopped coming, and veterans started dying. Leading to the fiasco of dead veterans on paper waiting lists, during Pres. Obama’s reign. CNN reported on April 30, 2014, that at least 40 United States Armed Forces veterans died while waiting for care at the Phoenix, Arizona, Veterans Health Administration facilities.

On 29 June 2020, I reported to the VA ER sick and in desperate need of assistance. The assistance was refused because I cannot physically wear a mask. In my medical records, it is noted that I suffer from shortness of breath and any mask exasperates this problem. In direct violation of Federal Law that commands all emergency rooms to see whoever walks in, the ER staff refused me service due to the “Mask Policy” as part of their “Covid-19 response.” No options, no exceptions, no excuses, I as the patient could either endanger my health or find a different hospital ER.

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA; 1986) is a federal law that requires anyone coming to an emergency department to be stabilized and treated, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. EMATALA also dictates that no person can be refused treatment in any Emergency Room. The EMTALA is not new and is part of the training from day one for all staff at the VA. For ER staff, this is the golden ticket and special care is taken to ensure this law is followed to the letter; rather, this law is supposed to be the premier standard from which good health care policy is built for emergency rooms. Except, the Carl T. Hayden VA Hospital in Phoenix, AZ., and the Raymond G. Murphy VA Hospital in Albuquerque, NM., both appear to be the exception to EMTALA, by order of the staff bureaucrats, who are supported in their illegal and nefarious behavior by the hospital administration collectively, and the hospital leadership specifically.

Raymmond G. Murphy I have written previously of the patient abuse I witnessed, and reported, at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Hospital, in Albuquerque, NM. I have written about the patients turned away by nurses and other staff because these staff members refused to follow the law. I reported the risks and problems being run by refusing patients in the ER, and this all fell on deaf ears. Well, I will not stop raising this illegal practice as a major concern for the hospital leadership all the way to Secretary Wilkie and the elected officials in Congress who refuse to act to improve the toxic culture found in the VA.

You, the bureaucrats in the VA cannot break the law with impunity and your actions are leading to major patient safety concerns, increased hospital operating costs, and putting real people in real harm! I spent more than an hour in the VA Parking lot trying to calm my breathing down to safely operate a motor vehicle, so as to drive to a different hospital emergency room, where I was treated without ever having to deal with the mask issue. While in the VA Parking lot, I was attended to by three Federal Police Officers who were willing to try and get me seen at the ER but were stuck trying to force the “Mask Policy,” regardless of my physical inability to wear a mask without causing additional harm and injury. The Federal Officers were called because the ER staff reported a violent and non-responsive patient had just left the building. I was both responsive and never violent in the ER. Regardless of the fact that I was extremely short of breath, unable to walk, and unable to be seen at the VA. When the officers found me in the parking lot, I could barely breathe and was so weak from lack of oxygen that I was graying out in vision and other major issues; thus, how the ER staff can say I was violent and non-responsive is beyond my comprehension.

The behavior of the ER Staff at the Carl T. Hayden VA Hospital in Phoenix is beyond the pale and bordering on obscene, as well as illegal! Where is the accountability? Where is the patient advocate? Where is the Administrator on Duty who has the power to demand corrective action? Where is the rightful opposition; well, I know where the rightful opposition is, it is buried with the dead veterans, who died awaiting care at the hands of the VA!

VA Seal Where is the patient advocate in this problem; well, that night after being refused care I reported the problem to the patient advocates office via secure message, and the following morning, the patient advocate replies that “It is VA policy to mandate all people wear masks if they desire treatment.” Not caring about the federal laws governing ER visits, not even bothering to mention that the treatment by the staff as reported was ludicrous and vile, and not even to bother to ask if I was seen elsewhere. Just a brief, less than 100-word, statement telling me my concerns for my safety and health are not important and policy must come first. The perfect bureaucrat, with the most detestable response it has been my displeasure to experience since the last time I visited the DMV.

I am sorry but everyone is required to wear a mask at the VA Facility. I understand you may have shortness of breath but you can wear a mask and undo one side every couple of minutes. This is for your safety and the others around you.

T. C. M. [Name Shortened for Privacy]
Patient Advocate

Will someone please explain how this can occur? Will an elected official please demand a behavior change at the VA, and remain interested long enough to facilitate the solutions Sec. Wilkie needs to effect change? How many veterans will have to die needlessly at the hands of the VA before the elected officials decide that veterans’ lives matter and the VA is taking our lives?

I get it, there are a lot of problems in America, and more in the world. But, the US House of Representatives, instead of passing a budget, which they are statutorily mandated to do, is writing letters, and meddling in Israel’s business. If the US House has the time to meddle and jump down every rabbit hole on the political landscape, they must have time to assist the veterans and improve the VA. If the US Senate has the time to meddle, postulate, and pander, then they have the time to review the plethora of VA-OIG reports and begin assisting the VA Secretary in correcting the problems in the VA.

The saga continued this over the first two days of July and forms the bitter cherry on top of the crap sundae the VA is trying to serve the veterans. I received a call from my primary care provider’s nurse who has the attitude of supreme petty authoritarian to a lesser subject, reminding me several times that the mask policy was political, trying to blame all hospitals in the region of implementing a similar policy (which is fake), and then trying to excuse himself by claiming he was just a messenger and not involved in the policy implementation. Concluding the call, with the temerity to tell me that I was in the wrong to not follow VA policy. The patient advocate had the effrontery of sending a message to me stating that I should have asked for a full-face shield instead of a mask. Seeing as no face shields were offered as a workaround, seeing as the policy enforcers demanding only a mask as the single viable and allowed option, and seeing as I spent more than an hour while in extreme pain trying to be seen to no avail, none of that mattered, the patient was at fault, per the patient advocate.

My cherub-like demeanor has taken a bloody beating over this incident. Worse, my health has suffered tremendously and I have had to question myself and my advocacy of the VA. The behavior of the bureaucrats and petty authoritarians of the VA at the Carl T. Hayden VA Hospital in Phoenix, AZ is detestable, and I can only conclude and wonder if I am having these problems, what are less outspoken and less knowledgeable veterans suffering? I will not be the quiet little mouse in the corner where my safety and the safety of other veterans are being endangered by the politics and illegal actions of Federal Employees. The policy is wrong and needs immediate revision before more veterans die at the hands of the VA! I-Care

The author holds no claims for the art used herein, the pictures were obtained in the public domain, and the intellectual property belongs to those who created the pictures.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesalisbury/

As the Department of Veterans Affairs Goes, So Does America – A Warning!

I-Care Would the honorable elected representatives please answer the following question: “Are the veterans of America’s armed services the next ‘Tuskegee Syphilis Study?’”

While we await this answer, here is why the question is raised. The Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) just posted their investigation results of the Critical Care Unit Staffing and Quality of Care Deficiencies at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia, and the results remind me of the game musical chairs and the disaster caused by the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. Musical chairs because the VA-OIG was unable to ascertain direct harm because of record screw-ups, gross mismanagement, and a detestable and despicable perception of the patient. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study because real harm to real people was caused, and the leadership did not care enough to fix the problems without an official investigation.

More on the Tuskegee Syphilis Study – History can be viewed in the link.

The VA-OIG report begins with the following:

“Critical Care Unit Staffing and Quality of Care Deficiencies at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Augusta, Georgia discusses significant patient safety issues including events related to noncompliance with pressure injury policy, intensive care unit cardiac monitoring, and sitter availability for high-risk patients.”

Pressure Injuries — Bedsores/Pressure Injury Progression

But concludes with the following:

“Publication is warranted so that other facility leaders and healthcare practitioners can be made aware of OIG-identified problems applicable to their own facility.”

Leading me to ask, of the VA-OIG, is this warning to proactively fix, or retroactively hide the nefariousness of poor management and dead patients?

Pressure injuries are exceedingly painful, can become deadly very quickly, and leave scarring and pain. Pressure injuries are the nice term for bed sores, which are caused by critically ill patients who are already unable to move and circulate blood properly to the skin. Thus, the tissue dies, a sore develops, then the skin breaks, and by this time that patient who is already in trouble, is now in danger of death.

Bedsores, pressure injuries, are serious conditions; yet, the Charlie Norwood VAMC has record-keeping problems, staffing issues, and without outside impetus refrained from fixing the problems. All reminiscent of the “Tuskegee Syphilis Study.”

Hence the articles originating question, “Are the US Military Veterans the next ‘Tuskegee Syphilis Study?’”

If so, I refuse, and those leaders who think this conduct is allowable need to be held personally responsible for the harm they are causing. If the answer is no, why are so many VA-OIG reports of leadership and management’s nefarious deeds being allowed until the VA-OIG comes knocking? Even after the VA-OIG investigates, is anything being done? Are people being held accountable? The leadership issues are repeated, and while those repeats might not be an exact match from VAMC to VAMC, the leadership problems are real, glaring, and real people are dying!

America was shocked and angry when the whistle and plug were finally pulled on the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, and rightfully so.

Yet, it appears that the VA learned nothing from the history of Tuskegee except to keep playing musical chairs on responsibility, paperwork, and hiding the evidence from accountability.

America, your medical system, which before President Obama was the best in the world, is now on the same train of failure the VA Medical System is on. Are you paying attention to the harm caused to veterans? Do you want the same? I do not!

America, to correct the problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and to reduce the costs to the taxpayers, as well as beginning to correct the damage done to your health care, the following is needed immediately.

Legislation needs to be written and passed repealing ObamaCare. Every single mandate, every single costly item, and sunder forever this socialism experiment. The answers to the rising costs of medical care, including dental and vision, are not to be found in increasing the size of an already bloated government.
Legislation needs urgent action to provide Secretary Wilkie the powers of any other CEO to clean the Department of Veterans Affairs. The leadership between the veteran facing employee and the Secretary’s office needs to be culled, and the only way to do this is through legislation.
Demand accountability. The VA-OIG reports these issues constantly, the findings need to be on the news and be topics of conversation. No longer should a bureaucrat be able to shift responsibility, harm patients, and keep their comfortable jobs and benefits. Real harm to real people is being caused by the medical system paid for by your tax dollars, demand more!

Understand the following principle, know it well, and let us begin processing the reversal of this trend. Charles Reich (1964) wrote a Yale Law Journal article describing “New Property.” The new property Reich discusses is you and me, and how we are used by bureaucrats like property to be abused, harmed, and mistreated, all through the largess of the government we pay for. Like a wheelbarrow or a hammer, we are the fodder upon which the bureaucrat steals money from one person to pay another person through government benefits, all to the enrichment and personal satisfaction of the bureaucrat.

Government Largess 2 The actions of the nameless and faceless bureaucrat are unconstitutional, but allowed in the name of “government action.” Every time you hear the government is acting on your behalf, it means that the power of the people has been stolen, and will be doled back to the taxpayer in infinitesimal amounts, while the bureaucrat keeps getting fatter. Think Reich (1964) is wrong, here are some examples.

The government went to war against poverty, the poor have become poorer, poverty’s blight has spread, but the government offices “fighting” poverty are fat with people and taxpayer dollars.
The government went to war against drugs, the only winner so far has been the government. The drug infestation has only gotten worse, and now states have begun selling harmful and illicit drugs for the tax money.
The government got into student loans, to “make the lending field fairer.” Students were harmed, colleges and universities tripled, or more, their tuitions, and students are saddled with increasing levels of debt. But, the government officers in charge are living high on the debt and interest.
The government allowed labor unions to represent government workers, now the taxpayer is abused, treated like scum, taxes went up, but responsibility and accountability under the “Rule of law,” that all citizens are expected to live by, have all but disappeared for government workers. Ever tried getting adjudication or remediation from a government worker?
The government and some private citizens decided black health needed improvement. Planned Parenthood and the Tuskegee Syphilis Study are but two of the disasters that hit the black communities and have destroyed their community’s legacy, honor, and power, all for government largess, and the lining of private pockets.

Choose to stop being the property of the government; the US Constitution declares the government works for us, and we control them, not the other way around!

The author holds no claims for the art used herein, the pictures were obtained in the public domain, and the intellectual property belongs to those who created the pictures.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesalisbury/

Desperate Changes Needed at the VA – A Letter to the President

President of the United States
Attn: The Honorable Donald Trump
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500

10 May 2020

Dave Salisbury
1947 Edith Blvd SE
Albuquerque, NM 87102

Subject: The Department of Veterans Affairs

Dear Mr. President,

Please forgive my presumptuousness in writing to you directly. I have made several attempts at raising the issues contained herein at lower levels, to no avail. As the Chief Executive Officer of the United States of America, I come to you as the person of last resort. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), especially Healthcare and Benefits departments are sick, and in desperate need of urgent corrective action.

The VA-OIG has documented multiple times when claims have been improperly been decided, where training was lacking, leadership failed, and the veteran suffered. Yet, never in the VA-OIG report is a discussion on correcting the past decisions. The process for a veteran to have a previous decision, more often than not improperly decided by the VA, is to produce new material evidence, and wait interminably for the VA to decide they need to act. This single issue is a leadership failure of enormous proportions, that Congress refuses to act upon; thus, the leadership failure begins and ends with the House of Representatives and the Senate refusing to do the jobs they were elected to complete.
While the following is specific to the New Mexico VA Healthcare System (NMVAHCS), the problem is rampant throughout the entire VA healthcare system. I witnessed, 11 December 2019, a VA employee tell a veteran that they would not submit paperwork for the veteran, to the doctor, in the clinic unless the paperwork was “processed correctly.” Meaning that the veteran took an envelope, placed the VA forms inside the envelope, and then mailed that paperwork to the VA Hospital. The veteran lives a significant distance to the hospital and was trying to do in person what had failed through the USPS, this was made clear to the VA Employee. The employee went as far as to claim, “If that form is placed on my desk, I will throw it away because it is not being presented to the doctor in a manner acceptable to the employee.” Never have I witnessed such blatantly disrespectful behavior by a bureaucrat. In true bureaucrat fashion, he created rules to thwart, obfuscate, and dodge work; unfortunately, this is standard practice with the majority of employees in customer-facing positions in the VA. The leadership failure, the protected status of termed (beyond first-year) employees at the VA, and the dearth of customer service skills are all aspects to the core problem the VA is terminally suffering from, bureaucratism.
From June 2018 to June 2019 (5-days short of completing my first year) I was an employee of the NMVAHCS, working in the Emergency Room as a Medical Support Assistant (MSA). I was discharged through lies, deceit, and under the auspices of Quid Pro Quo, where my termination was required for two others to be promoted. While employed, I regularly reported to the leadership team my supervisor, the HAS director, the hospital director, the VISN 21 director, and the VA-OIG problems like HIPAA violations, a physical attack by a senior MSA on my person, fraud, waste, and abuse, as well as potential solutions to improve the ER operations. All to silence and platitudes from the leadership team. Did you know there is a loophole in the whistleblower protections if you are under term employment, (1, 2, or 3 years term) you have no whistle-blower protections, and if your job is lost, you have no whistle-blower protections? The abusers have worked out many angles to protect the dregs of society while allowing malfeasance and misfeasance to proliferate in government employment. Please allow me to elaborate upon the specific issues witnessed:

A 14-year old is being treated in the ER. A 16-year old is turned away. The difference, the triage nurse who decided who gets seen and who gets bumped because the NMVAHCS cannot treat children. When asked what age is considered a “child” under the hospital policy, no answer in 12-months of regularly asking. I saw several times when this repeated, the most egregious was a new military spouse, 17 years old, denied treatment at the ER that services the Air Force Base next door due to being “too young” per the triage nurse. By the way, under Federal Law, this is illegal for an ER to do; yet, this was regular practice while employed.
A health technician supporting ER patient care comes out of the ER and begins to harangue a patient currently being seen, expressing comments that made clear the health technician knew intimate details of that patients’ chart, past care received at the NMVAHCS and other VA Hospitals across the southwester US, and treatment received. Under HIPAA this behavior is illegal, as well as being immoral, unethical, and plain wrong. Yet, HIPAA is regularly broken by MSA’s, Health Technicians, and other care providers in this VA Hospital. Every time these HIPAA violations were brought to the attention of the HAS Director, excuses, platitudes, and professional brush-off occurred, including the deletion of emails reporting these problems. On more than one occasion, the HIPAA violator was promoted to “treat” the problem. When these issues were brought to the attention of the VISN 21 Director, the problem was pushed back onto the assistant hospital director in NM for further consideration. When complained of to Congressional Representatives, lame excuses were generated by the Assistant Hospital Director and the HAS Director and accepted by the Congressional Representatives staff. HIPAA Abuse continues unabated!
Homeless veterans regularly received substandard treatment when compared to other veterans. I saw nurses bad-mouth, scream, and yell at homeless patients. I saw a homeless patient with a broken leg, get delayed treatment for more than four hours because the duty nurse was tired of treating this particular patient and didn’t believe the veteran had broken his leg after a fall. I saw nurses put patients into treatment rooms and left for anywhere between 45-120 minutes because the shift was changing and the nursing staff did not want to treat another patient before their shifts ended. The nurses stood outside the patient’s door, joking, carrying on, and gossiping while the patient listened and waited to be seen. Every time these issues were raised the lamest excuses came from leadership, platitudes, and pie-crust promises were delivered. I reported these issues and more via both verbal and email, to no avail; yet, when a member of Congress’ staff contacted the hospital, there is no email proof that the leadership was ever made aware of these problems. If these are examples of “World-Class Care” being delivered to veterans, I shudder to consider what poor service would include.
The NMVAHCS has a reputation for killing the employment of term employees all the way up to their last day under the term. For example, a house-cleaner employee, a good worker, well-liked by the staff where she cleaned, got into a disagreement with her supervisor and was terminated at lunch on her 364^th day of employment in a 365-day probationary term. Her supervisor did not need a reason to discharge her and used their disagreement to end her employment. By the way, the employee was in the right, and the supervisor made the needed changes after discharging the employee. An MSA male employee, hard worker, came in on his 361^st day of term and was terminated, no reason, no excuse, no justification, simply told to scrape his employment parking sticker and leave. This pattern has repeated so often, that the veteran employment counselor at workforce connections warned me to not accept employment with the VA due to the NMVAHCS’ reputation for ruining people.

The NMVAHCS is one dead veteran from becoming the next Phoenix VA Hospital incident. I am not without hope, but it will take the House and the Senate to enact the type of change needed in the VA to truly see significant and lasting change. Towards this end, I suggest the following:

Draft legislation, one a single sheet of paper canceling the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) of all Federal Government Labor Unions immediately, and forever sundering the death grip the labor unions have on policies and procedures that protect the criminal and steal valuable resources from government coffers through direct and indirect means and methods. The cost of labor unions in government is astronomical and removing this single cost will open funds in Federal Budgets that are desperately needed. I know this is a political hot potato, and I know the impeachment farce continues to be a mental and physical drain. But, as the German Philosopher has said, “The hard is good.”
Draft on a separate sheet of paper, new legislation giving the Secretary of the VA plenipotentiary power, the likes enjoyed by every CEO in the private sector, to enact change. You have a good VA Secretary, but the staff is a hodgepodge of weak-kneed political cronies that should have been retired years ago! This legislation also would allow for a cleaning of house at the VA, realigning the entire organization, placing the power to positively affect veteran lives into the hands of the PACT team and out of the hands of the bureaucrats.
Place power into the hands of a roving IG team to have benefit claims immediately reviewed after a lapse in the procedure is discovered. Meaning that the veteran’s claim affected by bad decision-making by the VA is immediately checked by the VA-OIG instead of waiting around in record purgatory for new and material evidence. Another VA-OIG team should be put to work reviewing past claims where the VA was caught, and getting this backlog cleared out. The appeals process for benefits claims needs a complete overhaul. While this legislation and action might require more than a single sheet of paper to enact, it is the right thing to do.
The Mission Act was a good first step, but the entrenched bureaucrats are hindering and hampering the roll-out for personal gain, e.g. retirement. Encourage Congress to take up the legislation proposed, insisting that nothing else is added to these bills to protect the veracity and simplify the approval process.

I appreciate the work you do. I especially appreciate your classy wife, your well-behaved and intelligent children, and the gains made in “Making America Great Again.” I know the proposals are difficult; but I also know if we do not attempt the impossible, we can never know the realization of the legacy left to each American by those who have sacrificed before and leave a legacy of hope for our children’s children. Thank you for your sacrifice and service.

Sincerely,

M. Dave Salisbury

The author holds no claims for the art used herein, the pictures were obtained in the public domain and the intellectual property belongs to those who created the pictures.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesalisbury/

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