Another Va Website

[carlie]

This one is new to me too.

http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/

[halos2]

New to me too, Carlie. Interesting, though. A lot of blogs in a short period of time too.

Edited November 9, 2010 by halos2

[broncovet]

"VAntage" is a website ran by the Department of Veterans Affairs, complete with links to www.va.gov.

IMHO its of "doubtfull" use to Veterans, because it has little/no information that is not already on www.va.gov EXCEPT Veterans comments.

In no way shape or form does this website come "even close" to replacing www.vawatchdog.org

It seems like an "incredible 'coincidence'" that watchdog shut down around about the same time frame that "Vantage" started up.

It also seems very odd to me that Larry Scott did not "turn over the site" to others when his health failed, and instead just shut her down rather suddenly.

It smells an awful lot like Larry Scott was pressured to shut down his website by the VA, who we all know HATED VAwatchdog for doing things like exposing the shreddergate scandal. I would not put it past the VA to offer Larry a lot of money for his website...paid for, of course, by Veterans, so they Va can continue on their merry way of putting Veterans seeking benefits on the proverbial decade long "hamster wheel" of trying to get their benefits.

This is all just my opinion..but if anyone else has a credible explanation for this incredible coincidence, I would love to hear it.

[Fosk]

Unless the VA provides someone full time to answer these blogs I don't see this going anywhere. If you notice there are many people writing and very little answers.

[retiredat44]

New to me too, Carlie. Interesting, though. A lot of blogs in a short period of time too.

thanx, I got to put my rants in there.. hopefully, at least someone read it... since we can't see people in person.. at least we can reach out with a B'Slap..

[carlie]

It smells an awful lot like Larry Scott was pressured to shut down his website by the VA, who we all know HATED VAwatchdog for doing things like exposing the shreddergate scandal. I would not put it past the VA to offer Larry a lot of money for his website...paid for, of course, by Veterans, so they Va can continue on their merry way of putting Veterans seeking benefits on the proverbial decade long "hamster wheel" of trying to get their benefits.

Bolder-dash !

Larry is way above anything like that.

[broncovet]

Yea..Carlie, I hope you are right..that Larry would be "above" such a thing, as caving to the pressure at the VA to shut down watchdog. I kind of thought the same thing about Tammy Duckworth, too, before she sold out to the VA.

Still, dont underestimate the "strong arm" tactics employed by the VA.

The VA has to be "strong arming" people to get away with half the stuff they get away with, for decades.

Larry Scott was particulary "hush hush" about his health issues...almost up until "shutdown".

He was also "hush hush" about why he didnt let someone else "take over" watchdog..gee, Carlie, you may even have been a good candidate to do just that.

If someone else has good explanations about why watchdog shut down and Vantage started up in about a one month period, I want to hear it.

For me, "common sense" would be that there either is, or there is potential for advertising income from the watchdog site, so it should have some value. As an example "youtube" was bought by google for about a a billion dollars.

I kinda doubt that watchdog was worth a billion dollars, but I also think it was worth something...Larry put his heart and soul into it...and he had advertisers on the site.

I dont often see men give up on a dream like that, unless there is a compelling reason. Yes, poor health can be a compelling reason. But there are others, too.

Oh, yes, I could be one of the guys who keeps his mouth shut and every one just kinda wonders..what happened to watchdog. And, being that way would have saved me a whole heap of trouble over the years.

However, I cant help being who I am. Larry Scott was that way. He didnt "keep his mouth shut" about many of the scandals that rocked the VA..and I am very glad he didnt. No, Im not and will never be Larry, nor will any one else. But I do think "SOMEBODY Has to watch over the VA." ...because the VAOIG sure doesnt..they just help the Va cover up their own bloopers.

Larry Scott was to Veterans, as Orville Wright was to Aviation. I just couldnt imagine the Wright brothers announcing..."Ah..we are giving up on Airplanes...those things are dangerous, and we are getting to old and poor health do try to fly anymore".