Mr. Sol Liebster uses the term "volunteer" very loosely because he wants the reader to believe he's volunteering on behalf of our Veterans, when he's really volunteering on behalf of the community of Brentwood that wants to take Veterans’ deeded land for public use
ACLU attorney Peter Eliasberg’s article was written to expose this abuse and misappropriation of Veterans land, but Mr. Liebster wants to deflect this fact and falsely attack the ACLU and "protesters." Neither have complained about VA health care, but their real complaint is specifically about the mismanagement and malfeasance of the top bureaucrats that Mr. Liebster is closely aligned with.
In brief, the ACL’s complaint is about the VA’s breach of fiduciary duty to honor and enforce the Deed of 1888 and maintain the land and facilities as a permanent Home for Disabled and Disadvantaged Veterans. As a result, there are 20,000 homeless Veterans in Los Angeles, but Mr. Liebster conveniently avoids this fact.
Two years ago, 13 Veterans representing leadership with prominent Veterans organizations in the Los Angeles area were refused a meeting with Donna Beiter, the VA’s executive director. On the other hand, Mr. Liebster, who is not a Veteran, can walk into the executive offices on the 6th floor at will or random without an appointment. Even worse, Veterans have to wait weeks, if not months, to get an appointment to see their Doctors.
Mr. Liebster, along with Congressman Waxman, Senator Feinstein and County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky support a public park on Veterans property. So does the chairwoman of the Brentwood Community Council (BCC), Nancy Z. Freedman, who is also on the board of directors of Veterans Park Conservancy (VPC), which is not a Veterans organization by any stretch. None of the aforementioned individuals are Veterans.
Mr. Liebster talks about “income” from leasing Veterans land for “VA needs.” Talk about ridiculous! That’s what we have a Congress for, to fund Veterans' needs who have pledged their lives for the safety of all others.
Still, the VA has refused to report this so-called income Mr. Liebster speaks of, or where it goes. Most of whatever is supposedly collected goes into the general fund to pay VA employee overtime and not to Veterans’ healthcare needs or shelter.
In fact, the VA donated $1 million of Veterans health care money to help the community of Brentwood build a wrought iron fence to “beautify the entryway into Brentwood,” while homeless Veterans sleep outside the VA alongside this pretentious facade.
The 16-acre, billion dollar parcel of Veterans land that was leased to VPC for a public park for the residents of Brentwood is “rent free.” Nonetheless, Mr. Liebster ridicules the ACLU and protesters for exposing this malfeasance.
Mr. Liebster fails to mention how $1 a year for a public dog park and a rent-free public park generates income for the “needs” for Veterans. He’s simply representing the Brentwood residents while misrepresenting the ACLU and Veteran protesters --and it is deplorable.
Using Mr. Liebster’s “logic,” the White House should lease out the front lawn to provide better Secret Service for the President, and Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base needs to be leased to fund the war.
In summary, the VA hospital needs volunteers who are there to solely help Veteran healthcare patients and not representing the community of Brentwood.
The VA is not A-OK.
Did I mention there are 20,000 homeless Veterans?
Robert Rosebrock
U.S. Army Veteran
Brentwood Resident
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