The Soldiers Home, 06/21/2021
Tags: Corruption, Veterans, Homeless, Housing, Los Angeles

Welcome to the first in a weekly series of independent, accurate and reliable updates about the ongoing, West Los Angeles VA Soldiers Home Racket that’s defrauding disabled homeless Veterans and Taxpayers General Welfare; here in Our Nation’s Capital of Veteran Homelessness — Los Angeles County. If you’re interested in reviewing additional evidence of anything mentioned herein, e-mail requests for it to rt@nhdvs.net with a subject-title of “Soldiers Home 06212021”.

Veterans Meet With VA GLAHS Directors at the Soldiers Home

On June 4th 2021 — disabled and homeless Veterans, their volunteer advocates and supportive local residents met with VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VA GLAHS) Executives Robert McKenrick and Matthew McGahran at the West Los Angeles VA Soldiers Home; primarily to express frustrations with existing, vacant housing at the West Los Angeles VA Soldiers Home they can’t obtain, how the barriers to entry are killing them and propaganda campaigns criminalizing the disabled homeless Veterans as “service-resistant vagrants”.

During the meeting, one of many disabled homeless Veterans named Dean, complains to VA GLAHS Executive Robert McKenrick, about 1.5 years of his requests for housing at the Soldiers Home going unanswered; then he asks: “I’m a homeless Veteran… I need a place to sleep here tonight… Where do I go?”… To which Robert McKenrick responds with a lie: “The Welcome Center”.

As confirmed by VA GLAHS Executive Matthew McGahran during the same meeting — there are no Veterans sleeping at the Welcome Center in Building 257 of the Soldiers Home. Not only are disabled homeless Veterans no longer able to sleep in empty beds there — a directive issued a few days prior to the meeting ordered WLA VA Soldiers Home Staff not to accept disabled homeless Veterans applying for services in-person; as the policy changed to work with homeless Veterans by phone on a next-business-day basis.

One reason the Welcome Center is nearly unoperational, is VA GLAHS Executive Steven Braverman signed a deal with a Federally non-compliant, private kids soccer club — whereby the club, free of rent, receives the Building 257 Welcome Center, a six-acre field, Building 206 and an approximately two-acre parking lot. It’s not only the soccer club 9th Circuit Federal Judge S. James Otero ruled to have a null and void land use deal in 2013, not only that soccer club the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Found non-compliant with Federal Law in 2018; but also the soccer club that Congressman Ted Lieu personally intervened on behalf of, to rescind the two Federal Eviction Notices they were served with. Note, the field the soccer club illegally operates on was the site where former VA Secretary Robert McDonald, who current VA Secretary Denis McDonough hired back when he was Chief of Staff — declared the first 150 units of newly constructed housing for homeless Veterans would become available by over two years ago.

Unfortunately, on June 22nd 2021 — Dean, the disabled homeless Veteran Robert McKenrick lied to, collapsed dead on the sidewalk outside the WLA VA Soldiers Home. Unpaid, full-time, volunteer and disabled homeless Veterans Civil Rights advocate Robert Reynolds, initiated and sustained CPR on Dean for approximately twenty minutes; by which time paramedics arrived to oxygenate Dean, while Robert Reynolds continued applying chest compressions. Dean was brought back to life before paramedics transported him to a local hospital ICU. As of the morning of June 23rd, 2021 — Dean remains alive but unconscious in that ICU (at taxpayers expense), instead of alive and well inside the Soldiers Home stolen from him.

Robert Reynolds, who was a California Firefighter for approximately five years, administered Naloxone to Dean as a precaution in any event of opoid overdose. Considering Dean did not appear to respond to the Naloxone, it appears Dean was not intoxicated by opiates.

Denis McDonough Quietly Inks a Multi-Billion Dollar Subway

During the aforementioned meeting of June 4th, 2021 — VA GLAHS Executive Robert McKenrick revealed to the Public for the first time, that VA Secretary Denis McDonough had just visited the Soldiers Home to execute (via attorney Matthew C. Leddy) a purported easement whereby the following “Grantors”:

a) “National Home for Disabled Soldiers”

b) “National Home for Disabled Veterans”

c) “The Soldiers Home”

… Must provide tens of acres of the WLA VA in Public Trust to “Permanently Maintain as a Home” for Disabled (and Especially Unemployed) Veterans — for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Chaired by L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti) to construct, at the Public’s expense; two Purple Line subway stations within two blocks of each other on the same side of thge street.

The reason there are several (unintended) Grantors is because, contrary to propaganda, there are several Deeds to the U.S. Government in Public Trust for the WLA VA Soldiers Home; for example, the “National Home for Disabled Soldiers” is a separately Deeded Parcel of approximately 300-acres held in Public Trust to disabled Veterans, than the adjacent 300-acre or so parcel for the same called the “Soldiers Home”. The Racket puts much work into misrepresenting one woman donated 388-acres; to suppress the fact more of the Home’s approximately 1,000-acres were pillaged — with much thereof for a gated community of mega-mansions.

Although Secretary McDonough’s recent visit to a Minnesota VA Facility received National Press amid no substantial development from the visit; Secretary McDonough’s visit to the WLA VA Soldiers Home, namely the largest VA-managed facility with the Agency’s largest operating budget, located in the Nation’s Capital of Veteran homelessness — for the purpose of executing (via delegated authority) a controversial, multi-billion dollar Easement that does not Principally Serve Veterans, with a publicized purpose of facilitating the private, 2028 Summer Olympics Games Franchise —has yet to receive any Press coverage, let alone a word from Secretary McDonough about it.

President OK’s 99-Year Leases for Controversial Private Developers

On June 23rd, 2021 — U.S. President Joe Biden signed the purported “West Los Angeles Campus Improvement Act” into Public Law. The original House version of the bill was introduced on November 21st, 2019; by Congressman Ted Lieu during a Public Meeting in a Public Office that Lieu never Notified the Public about; amid exclusively notifying the private developers and non-Veteran special interest corporations in attendance. Lieu re-submitted the bill a year later, after it originally died on the floor without a co-sponsor.

Local Congressionally Chartered Veterans Services Organization Leaders, disabled homeless Veterans, their volunteer advocates and concerned residents discovered the meeting by monitoring special interest groups’ social media discussions. Lieu’s Staff expressly ordered attending Veterans and their supporters to sit in the back of the meeting hall and not participate in the Q&A session. Despite Congressman Ted Lieu and his staff’s (Janet Turner’s) illegal attempt to censor Veterans and Taxpayers, Veterans maintained raised hands for over 30-minutes, after which Congressman Lieu conceded to their limited participation. The only part of the purported “WLA VA Campus Improvement Act” that Congressman Lieu didn’t mention during that meeting, are the free 99-year leases to private developers attending the Public meeting that Lieu apparently never wanted Veterans to attend.

On June 15th, 2021 — the purported “WLA VA Campus Improvement Act” (117th HR.711 / S.102) made it’s final passage through Congress in the same manner every bill to privatize just the WLA VA Soldiers Home does; by Voice Vote in a near empty chamber after suspending the Rules. HR. 711 makes no effort to justify providing free 99-year leases to private developers and had no co-sponsors at its time of passage. No hearings on HR.711 have debated, let alone even mentioned the free 99-year leases.

During the June 15th, 2021 session to pass HR. 711 by voice vote after suspending the rules, right after House Veterans Affairs Committee Chair Mark Takano again discussed the bill without mentioning the free 99-year leases; the House Clerk began to read the bill… Well, until Mark Takano worriedly interrupted the Clerk and requested the House “dispense with the Reading of the Bill” — to which the Session’s Speaker obliged. Note the most recently amended version of the controversial bill was never read in either chamber of Congress.

Los Angeles and California State Leaders of Congressionally Chartered Veterans Services Organizations including AMVETS, Vietnam Veterans of America and American GI Forum (each of which also have longstanding, Nationally adopted Resolutions significantly conflicting with the bill) have consistently opposed the Bill by means including formal complaint submissions and investigation requests to all three offices of Congressional Ethics. Furthermore, American GI Forum National Commander Lawrence Romo presented Congress with substantial concerns opposing the bill. Amid approximately two years of such clear opposition from the actual WLA VA Soldiers Home stake holders and National Veterans Community; Ted Lieu, Dianne Feinstein, Mark Takano, Congressional Ethics Committees and all other Public and Private proponents of the bill have refused and / or ignored every request to discuss the Bill’s controversial problems; namely its promotion of illegal WLA VA land use that as of late, intends to launder Public lands into the coffers of a Racket at the expense of disabled Veterans lives and Taxpayers General Welfare.

By Design, among illegal lessees the purported “WLA VA Campus Improvement Act” may and / or will illicitly benefit are: Thomas Safran & Associates, Vivian Ming Lum, Shanrgri-La Construction, Blue Green Preservation, Figueroa Economical Housing Development Corporation, Step-Up on Second Street, US Vets, Century Housing Corporation, US Bank, Deutsche Bank AG, Wells Fargo Bank and other entities and persons. Review of thousands of pages of Public documents regarding the foregoing entities attempted leaseholds currently prove:

a) all but one entity do not declare the housing projects will be for Veterans.

b) the one entity occasionally mentioning the housing will be for Veterans, limits applicants to Veterans over 62 years old with incomes.

c) only non-binding covenants to provide housing for Veterans (or even low to moderate income housing) are noticed, yet they only have a term of approximately 20–50 years

d) nearly all the entities have significant Congressional and Oval Office lobbying expenses pertaining to the intended developments

e) many of the entities consistently make and / or bundle large campaign donations to Ted Lieu, Dianne Feinstein, Jon Testor, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Mark Takano and other Public Officials.

f) every request regarding any information about the developers compliance with Federally Mandated competition procedures and the Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business programs have been refused and / or ignored

g) a former VA GLAHS Executive became a whistle blower by providing the US Government and Veteran Advocates with video records of meetings between Public Officials and the entities conspiring to “avoid Congress”, “avoid Federal Laws”, create “legislative opportunities”, suppress (my) FOIA requests, “come up with Veteran stories” about the developments and other related evidence of fraudulent intent behind the land mis-use deals 117th HR711 / S.102 facilitate

h) many of the entities currently face trial for fraud, deceit, unquiet title and other causes, as defendants against the City of Los Angeles for using Public properties and homeless housing bonds like “their personal bank accounts”.

Denis McDonough’s True Perspective of the WLA VA Soldiers Home

On June 8th, 2021 — VA Secretary Denis McDonough testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee that “… there is less demand for prodigious, sprawling campuses…” (in our Nation’s capital of Veteran homelessness, where disabled Veterans immense demand for their Home taxpayers fund them to use is misappropriated to the Racket unduly influencing Public Officials, including Denis McDonough, to keep disabled homeless Veterans out).

One reasonable question may be: “why spend billions of local, county, state and Federal tax dollars to devise grand Master Plans for homeless Veterans that would take years to build if they were ever delivered; when we can immediately start housing them at the most capable and well financed place to do so — the WLA VA Soldiers Home… The Home (now barely) housing disabled homeless Veterans for over 134 years, without a private developer ever financing any of it?”

To which a reasonable answer is: a criminal Racket that even the most complex, swift and deceitful legislative actions can’t save itself against inevitable RICO convictions.

If the Good People of the United States of America could care less about illicit laws preventing black people from using the same public toilets as white people, then why would any crook with half a brain think they’d support illicit laws preventing disabled people (who are also U.S. Military Veterans) from using the Public Lands they’re Warranted to be housed and fed at by Law? … Especially while on the brink of the Public’s general awareness that a Racket’s making the Soliders Home progressively look more like a mafia’s exclusive country club.

On June 21st, 2021 — “Stars & Stripes”published a story about non-Veteran, career-intel-expert yet current VA Secretary Denis McDonough’s support for Lieu and Feinstein’s HR.711 & S.102; and how the deals such legislation supports must move even faster. No doubt, Denis wasted no time delegating greenlights to an Olympic subway system that will only increase traffic; as well as an illegal UCLA baseball field next to UCLA’s other illegal baseball field at the Soldiers Home in West Los Angeles. It’s times like these we must remember Proctor & Gamble Chairman cum VA Secretary Robert McDonald was hired by former Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and in turn; Biden Transition Team Member Robert McDonald, referred Denis McDonough for VA Secretary.

The June 21st, 2021 Stars & Stripes story misrepresented there are 3,681 homeless Veterans in Los Angeles. The accurate statistic is over 4,200 were in Los Angeles County as of January 2020. The only reason we don’t have a 2021 update on a much larger number, is because former VA Special Assistant to the Secretary Heidi Marston, who presided over the mass eviction of disabled Veterans and their Veteran-based service-providers at the WLA VA Soldiers Home; became the head of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority — upon which she promptly canceled their annual homeless count “due to COVID-19”, while restaurants started taking over Public sidewalks for crowded, un-masked “Al Fresco” dining throughout L.A. County.

McDonough stated it’ll take a lot of work, money and time to move swift on the new Master Plan for WLA VA Soldiers Home that he intends to design and sign at the end of this year. Considering the Racket’s in a tight spot amid the current so-called Master Plan never providing for any Purple Line Subway whatsoever, we may substantially guess what one of many things not for Veterans that McDonough will try inserting (after the fact) by fiat is.

Meanwhile — Veterans like Robert Reynolds and David Echevarria are saving disabled Veterans lives on a regular basis; and Congressionally Chartered VSO Leaders like Dick Southern, Francisco Juarez and others are helping them do it… Every day, without pay, without grants , without weapons, without propaganda — They’re legitimately and ethically delivering quantifiable, life-saving benefits to disabled homeless Veterans, Taxpayers and local communities. Amid rapidly growing evidence (and proof) of crimes and frauds against Veterans at the Soldiers Home, this fact is the core-evidence-based indicator of the false barriers created by private interests against disabled and homeless Veterans Civil and Human Rights at the West Los Angeles VA Soldiers Home.

On that note, it’s the Good People of The United States of America who, despite all the dim-wit, mafioso frauds proliferating against disabled homeless Veterans, have the standing to wish the proponents of a WLA VA Soldiers Home Racket -

Good Luck,

Ryan Thompson

Resident of Brentwood, Los Angeles CA

rt@nhdvs.net

https://www.nhdvs.net