Sunday, December 23, 2012

2 years in the life of a veteran in need

This blog represents a period in time, covering about 2 years of my life at the State of Michigan ran Home for Veterans.

It chronicles the slow decay of level of care, and quality of life offered to veterans who found themselves living at this location.

Some had hopes of leaving, others dream of it, many are slowly accepting their dismal fate of that place being their last home.

I think it clearly shows that although Federal tax dollars are used to support the facility, the fact that Michigans dismal economy has caused the home to have to make cuts to programs and quality of life care. And that the administration of the facility is not caring properly for those veterans, and is not living up to the mission statement of the facility. 

As you take time to read thru the archives, remember, this is what has happened at this place. And know this: the staff has always had the opportunity to respond, and so far they refused to or fail to.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, the picture of Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, is one that says  Michigan no longer truly cares for its veterans.

And as each day goes by without newer reports being filed here, remember that the Abuse of the Veterans continues.  And that Michigan's Guardian laws, allow guardians to continue their abuse our veterans and their destroying them financially. 


You be the judge.

See you in the next life.


Friday, December 21, 2012

Veterans for Justice Non profit group: Meltdown in progress

I hate having to report this news, but this blog is about the truth, and so with sadden heart it is in the best interest of all parties to know what is going on.

There has been a falling out amongst the main board of  officers that created the Non Profit group "veterans for Justice".  Due to communications problems,  the Trustee and Secretary have resigned. This occurred last week, and their resignations are still pending.  This weeks meeting was canceled by the President and they are unable to turn in their resignations.

Previously the Vice President resigned due to being involuntary discharged from the home, after a mental break down incident that many are calling a political assassination by the Homes administration. But his resignation was refused by the other officers of the group.

For 2 months the VP tried to participate as best he could, due to limitations placed on his movements. I.E the home said he could not set foot on the homes property without trespassing.

So during these 2 months, the secretary was informing the VP as to what was going on. Note the President only called the VP twice during that time.

It was THIS  "lack of communication" that made the Vice President forcefully impose his resignation upon the group in early December.

The Secretary and Treasurer also resigned for what ever reasons at around the same time that the VP imposed his resignation upon the group.



Friday, November 30, 2012

Calling for Help: Please Help this Imprisoned Veteran

This is a general call for help. If you are reading this blog, we need your help in dealing with a situation that has gone on long enough. Contact your local VA, your Local Veterans representatives, your congressman both state and federal, anyone who will listen and try to help these guys.


Both Mac and myself have posted on this blog about 2 different cases of veterans who live at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. Fred Plicta, and Richard Ware.

We call for the investigation of the activities of Cynthia Thornbury, a guardian who has a history of abusing veterans by her incompetence.

Richard Ware, who has been fighting  her almost since the day she was assigned to him, is at his wits ends. He feels imprisoned  and has taken on a fighting attitude towards anything Thornbury does.

Thornbury is guilty of trying to force Richard into a divorce he did not want. Of selling his car without his permission and not accounting for the proceeds. For twice letting his ID get stolen and used by other people. For almost financially ruining his wife, and 2 children. For denying him the right to go to his son's own graduation. For using his personal funds to pay for health care that is supposed to be covered by the VA, because Richard is 100 percent service related disabled. Amongst other charges.

I will not go into the charges for Fred Plicta's case.


Now I am told that Richard has had to make a choice - Either take Behavioral altering drugs, or be forced to leave the home, as they are saying he is becoming violent.  This means putting him into a private nursing home which is what he DOES NOT NEED, and it means he will have to pay for it all out of pocket, leaving nothing for his wife and children.  Again Thornbury is trying to destroy Richards family and isolate him from them. Richard is not getting violent, he is very upset and not cooperating with staff that keep making mistakes with his medications amongst other things. Richard has MS.

Well, when you get woken up at 4am and asked if you were sleeping, wouldn't you get upset? When you are forced to watch yourself and family be victimized by someone, wouldn't you be upset? If you felt imprisoned with no way out, wouldn't you be upset? Richard is very very upset and no one is listening to him. Others have tried including a lawyer who represented Mrs.Ware at a hearing. Judge Murkowski apparently went beyond the authority of a judge and held the lawyer in contempt and fined him for doing his job - representing Mrs. Ware's interest in all of this.

Maybe Murkowski is another Judge Post who is currently facing disbarment charges.


It is high time to get rid of Thornbury and to demand her license to be a guardian permanently revoked. and if possible, bring her up on criminal charges as well.



I will update this post as information becomes available. In the mean time, Here is come contact information that I hope will help.



 Honorable David M. Murkowski, Chief Probate Judge, (616) 632-5428    


Michigan Probate Court.
180 Ottawa Avenue NW, Suite 2500
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Phone: (616) 632-5440
Fax: (616) 632-5430
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday
Filings accepted from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.






Cynthia Thornbury     No Photo Available.
National Certified Guardian
Grand Rapids, MI
Phone: (616) 459-9247
Email: cindythornbury@sbcglobal.net
Date to Recertify: 10/31/2013


http://www.victimsofguardians.net/  

http://stopguardianabuse.org/


The Center for Probate Litigation, located in metro Detroit Michigan, Call them at 248-641-7070 for a free consultation.  This article is not intended to substitute for proper legal advice and is based entirely on Michigan laws. http://www.probatelitigationmi.com/lawyer-attorney-1392959.html





Michigan Department of Attorney General

Lansing Office
G. Mennen Williams Building, 7th Floor
525 W. Ottawa St.
P.O. Box 30212
Lansing, MI 48909
Main Number (517) 373-1110

Facsimile (517) 373-3042


 Grand Rapids Office
State Office Building, Suite 4C
350 Ottawa NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
(616) 356-0400
Facsimile (616) 356-0411

Friday, November 23, 2012

Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, eliminating the Dormitory unit?

I remind people that the very existence of the Michigan Home for Veterans, located in Grand Rapids Michigan, was the result of the state being ashamed that so many Civil war veterans were living in poverty in flop houses and in the street. So the state gave these honored hero's some place to go. Yet today we still have veterans forced to live in some of the "modern day" flop houses, like the ones downtown on Division, which are ran by charity organizations like the Mel Trotter Missions, and Goodwill.. Call it what you want, a flop house is a flop house.

The current Michigan home for veterans doesn't have that same idea driving it that caused its original creation. Instead it appears the current home thinks its a privilege for the men and women who put on the uniform of this country, those who put their lives on the line for this country, to be able to go and stay at the veterans home even when many of them pay for it. And those who are 100 percent service connected disabled? The state gets paid by the Federal government to house and care for the Veterans. So that is not a privilege at all.

But the Dormitory unit, now that has become a horse of a different color. The Dorm unit has changed over the years. And in the last 5 many many changes have occurred. The 2 or 3 counselors whose job we still do not know, used to be able to have veterans discharged for being abusive, for behavior problems, or for rule violations. That power was taken from them, and they are pretty much useless now. - But they are still costing taxpayers over 150,000 tax dollars per year in costs to keep them in that job!  I know that 2 of them basically just walk around the place, and are seen taking breaks every day but other than that, none of the veterans seem to know what they do anymore.

Usually about this time of year when the weather turns cold, they start filling in the place, pulling veterans off the street.. At one time there was over 200 veterans there on the dorm unit, which is the top 2 floors of the Rankin building. Last count there were about 50.

Maybe they are going to shut down part of the Dorm unit without telling the Board of Managers, the way  (according to local media reports on Channel 8 and 17), they shut down the 4th floor in the Mann building?
They said that was for renovating.. yet a year later nothing has been done to it.


Several veterans have expressed their concern that they think the dorm unit is being shut down, as part of the states continual effort to save money and trim the budget.   And many of those guys are there because they have nothing left, are homeless and penniless, (the very reason the home for veterans was created in the first place), due to the continual on going economic recession that Michigan has been in for the last decade.

People in the Dorm unit are not being informed of anything. Most have stopped going to the monthly member council meetings because they feel they have no voice, and that the meetings are nothing but glorified bitch sessions, and where the staff communicates threats of expulsion to veterans for things the staff knows other people from other units are doing.  So why bother going? Also these veterans feel they are imprisoned, because of the administrations attitude that its a privilege for them (the veterans) to be there, and that most are lazy and are there only because they want a handout.

A few months ago, a new Member handbook was printed out.. it was not ISSUED to members. In stead members (veterans) where encouraged to come to a member council meeting and after SIGNING THEIR NAME, they could get one.  Humm.. if its not important, why did they have to sign their name acknowledging they got a copy of it?

Also, no veteran is getting any help or information about housing, low income housing,  Section 8 vouchers, etc.. they have to go off campus to obtain that information.

Yet the original goal of the Dorm unit was to give them a time out and get them straightened out then back into society.  Apparently someone forgot the part about getting BACK into Society!





So, are they closing down the Dorm unit, or what is happening with it? Why aren't the people in Dorm being given the help they need, and the information they need?

You decide.. is this a good use of your tax dollars?



Vets Home Under investigation.

I cannot keep this to myself any longer.

Due to this blog and several other postings on various other websites, I have been contacted by no less than 4 different government organizations in the past 72 hours. 3 of these are directly involved in investigations of things going on at the veterans home. Two of these are federal and one is State. The 4th one was a general inquiry due to this blog and was from a federal congressional representatives office.

Some of the information has been passed on to other veterans at the home, and veterans who were at the home.

While I cannot tell you exactly what exactly is being investigated, I can tell you the basic nature of the investigations.

One deals with the health care being given or not being given to veterans who need it. This includes mental as well as physical health.

Another deals with members and their financial situations.

And another deals with lack of critical information being given to the veterans, which would allow them to make informed decisions.

Two of the investigations involve possible criminal charges, the third one may involve civil charges being brought.




Thursday, November 15, 2012

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, are you doing anything to solve this problem?

"Two years ago when I was taking office, we looked at how our veterans were being treated in the state, and it was simply unacceptable," Governor Snyder said. "We weren't doing the job we needed to do in terms of helping our veterans find jobs, in terms of educational opportunities, and in terms of health care benefits. Our veterans have earned it, and we need to deliver, and we are going to deliver."
 From the monthly email newsletter from the Governors office, called "Re-inventing Michigan"   November 12, 2012 edition.

Well Rick, all I can say is WHAT IS TAKING YOU SO LONG?!!  What have you done to help the veterans at the Veterans home in Grand Rapids?  Why aren't the veterans in the Dormitory unit getting the help they need? Why have you allowed Sara Dunne to turn it into a glorified FLOP HOUSE that kicks out veterans who need help but aren't getting it?
You say that how veterans are being treated is unacceptable? Well when are you going to get off your tail end and do something about it?  Health care is both physical and mental for these guys. And many of them at the Veterans home are not getting what they need, if they get any at all!
So lets see what Rick says next time.  Maybe then he will have something to show us.. Because if the way things are at the Grand Rapids Veterans home is an example of his idea of "taking proper care of our veterans", then Michigan will go down in history as the second state that doesn't give a damn about its veterans.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Fund Raiser by Guitars for Veterans at American Legion Hall is a success.

I had a great time at the Neal E. Fonger  American Legion post 179 in Grandville, Mich.

The founder and another official from Guitars 4 Vets, from Milwaukee Wisconsin came to accept a special guitar that was made to remember flight 93, from the 911 incident. Remember flight 93 was the one where the passengers tried to retake the plane from the terrorists and instead crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.

2 guitar builders,  T.W. Felty and Don Bremer created the special guitar and it was given to G4V.

The 2 fellows from G4V HQ were Patrick Nettesheim (founder) and Eric Weinstein (executive director).
It was good to meet them.

I had a chance to talk to Patrick about the G4V t-shirts and suggested we find a way to add status to the shirts, indicating the person wearing the shirt was a student, graduate, and/or instructor. Patrick thought the idea was a darned good one.

I found out only 25 G4v Chapters are currently in existence, with the number to double by end of next year.
I told Patrick that I would continue to support this group as it defiantly had helped me.


Also, a number of veterans from the home came. Sonya brought Dave who is not a guitar participating member but one who enjoys the sing alongs. She also brought guitar members Randy and Joe.


The Veterans home also sent a buss and Bob Thompson, Eldon Frank, Rich Samson, Clair Birman and Charl Schwass.

Thanks to all who particpated and hope to see you all again next year.
 

Friday, November 9, 2012

Guardians embezzeling veterans banks accounts at Veterans Home?

What is this news I am hearing?

I had medical over at the VA clinic the other day, and afterwards I stopped in and talked with a few of the guys at the Vets home.  It was nice to see them again.

I was not surprised to hear that once again, Cynthia Thornberry and other guardians are violating the rights of these veterans.

100 percent service connected disabled veterans do not have to pay medical costs out of their own pockets, yet this appears to be what is happening. I was told by 2 veterans that Cyntha was using their private bank accounts to pay for services that are supposed to be covered by the VA. One fellow said his bank account which used to be in the Thousands of dollars, now has a balance of - $19.00.  This is not right.


Michigans guardian laws are long overdue for an overhaul and several attempts have been made.

IF you or a loved one has been abused by a guardian, or you think the guardian is stealing from you, or misappropriating  funds, or using funds the wrong way, you can write to the Attorney Generals office and ask them to investigate it for fraud, as that is what it is.

I am trying to find websites to help those who need help with abusive guardians. When I find them, I will post them here.


Thursday, November 8, 2012

Chears to Spartan Stores for Hosting a Pizza Bingo

Spartan Stores came to the Veterans home today and hosted a Bingo and served Pizza. After the bingo, they served over 50 pizza's to the veterans.

Thank you Spartan Stores!

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Vets Home finally disposes flags properly.

I got a call yesterday about an ongoing issue at the Veterans home, about how they are disposing of used Federal Flags. Apparently they are not disposing them or caring for them properly. Members (veterans) have caught them at this dastardly deed, and the Home's response seems to be making the areas where the flags are being stored to be off limits for members. The area is in the maintenance department building.

I don't have all the details yet, but will be getting them soon, and will post an update here.

Ok an update.

Apparently there is this big HUGE flag that flys between two trees on the south wast corner of the main entrance area. These flags are like 20 by 15 feet or so, (not sure of the dimensions of them). Well, 2 of the veterans found some of these used flags just piled up in a pile in the maintenance shack.  They also saw one of them piled on one of the Gator trucks used by the lawn staff. One even took pictures of it.

Well, they got angry and took the problem to Gary Davis, head of Dept of Veteran Affairs at the home.

The good news is the flags have been properly disposed at a local crematorium, and they are now holding flag raising and lowering ceremonies. The flags will be properly disposed of in the future.

Thanks to the vigilance of 2 of the veterans. 

Update: They tried to Kill Billy Ray.

This is an update to an earlier post.. See:
 
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Death Awaits this Veteran.
http://www.grh4v.blogspot.com/2012/06/death-awaits-this-veteran.html


This is Billy Ray, a power wheel chair person.A catheter that was damaged by the staff here at the Home, and which was later removed, almost caused the death of this man.

For months he tried to get help, as fluids built up inside his body.  Recently Billy Ray was transferred to a Federal VA hospital, where they drew out 7 liters of fluid from his abdominal area.  Fluid which, would have killed him, if the pocket it was in, had broken open internally. Just 10 min's worth of exposure of that stuff to his insides and he would have died in agony.

The fact that the GR home for Veterans did NOTHING to help this person, other than to offer him hospice, is proof that they no longer care about Veterans.

7 liters of fluid people.. that is almost 2 full gallons. And yet Sara Dunne says she cares about Veterans? Not if this is an example of how she cares.

Their lack of action almost got this man Killed.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Update: Appeals Hearing for Mac.

Mac, aka Greg from the Dom unit, who started this blog for me, called me yesterday. I just got back from my trip to Ann Arbor, and talked with him this morning.

As many know, he got kicked out of the home on 10 Oct 2012, because he thought they were intending to steal his car by using the impound laws, so he lost his temper and blew up - first time in the 2 years he was at the home. And the only trouble he had been in, during that 2 year period.

His appeal hearing with the Board of managers is scheduled for Wednesday the 14th of November, at 9:15am, in the Boardroom of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.

Supporters are encouraged to meet him at 9am, and attend the hearing. 

He also said that he will be at the Clinic this next Thursday, the 8th of November, in the afternoon.. so about 3 to 5 pm he will be over by the clinic woods area..

He jokingly said he is not parking his car anywhere in the home area, and will only park it in the clinic area.


Monday, October 29, 2012

Silencing the voice: targeted for removal? You be the judge.

This blog is getting over 1000 hits a month, not counting the hits that would be counted when Andy or I log on to post.

Recently I got kicked out of GRH4V, the results of my blowing my top over something that should have never triggered it.. but hey, we all make mistakes..  I WAY WAY over reacted. Everyone blows steam once in a while and I did with this one because I saw something happening that was not, or so I thought.  My fault. No big deal right? Wrong. They think differently.

The question is, was this member targeted, and the incident set up to solicit such as response from the member? You decide.

Look at this picture. The yellow areas are for visitors, the pink areas for staff, and the blue for members. 

Just one problem. Staff and Clinic people park in members areas.

There are about 20 members that have their own cars. Some have handicap plates or window permits that allow them to park in the handicap area, The blue and yellow line above the main parking lot.

Members are supposed to park in the first row, (blue line) and the small lot out back (circled blue).

But it is difficult to park there when staff fills up the first row, and Government vehicles from the VA clinic are parked in the small lot in back. PLUS there is the extra need of members to be able to carry things from their cars to the building. A distance of about 100 yards in if you are in the small back lot.

Now some members were parking their cars in the visitors section by the chapel entrance. (Yellow C). There were about 4 or 5 guys parking here. This stretch is reserved for visitors, and for funerals. In the 2 years I was at the home, the only time that area got filled up was when there was both a funeral, AND when the public people were parking there while having a wedding photo shoot in the grotto, which is just north (up) from the picture. The grotto is for members only and technically NOT open to the public. But that is never enforced.

So October 1, 2012, in preparation for this years snow removal, the home started notifying people to move their cars to the proper lots.  But how does a member do so, when their parking spaces are taken up with Employee cars?

Most people found a notice put on their cars like the one below.. 
The last paragraph says "Vehicles found to be in violation of the homes parking policies will be issued one (1) warning citation. Te safety department will make (1) attempt to contact the owner of the vehicle via the PA system. After 30 minutes, the vehicle will be issued a citation and towed off the campus grounds".

Now then. How is one to take this? How does one park in the designated area when the home does not enforce what policy it already has.

Do you see the conflict here?

Well, this is the notice that was posted on many vehicles.

But not all of them.


Some of them, like me, got THIS first.. A warning.  When I saw it I went ballistic. They were threatening to STEAL my car. Why? Because if you are a member here, and you have no income, you get 20 dollars a month for personal use.. Anyone with a pension or what ever, gets to keep 100 a month and that is all. So if they tow the vehicle, the impound tow will cost over 200 bucks, plus the impound lot fee. You are talking 2 to 6 months of saving that 100 dollars, so that you can get your car out of impound. IF the impound lot doesn't charge you a daily fee. IF it does, then you are screwed.. might as well forget getting your car back.
Thus in a way, the home steals your car. And for many of us, our cars are the last thing we own. And I like any other veteran will not allow them to do this.

Another guy got a letter handed to him to remove his vehicle. His truck that sat out in the back lot for 6 years without being bothered.

There are those that think that guy and myself were targeted by the administration in part because of this blog, exposing the criminal acts going on here at the home, and  the abuses to older veterans and their families.   And, because the other guy and I had started a non profit charity called Veterans for Justice and we obtained 501c3 status.  So many are now thinking I got targeted because of that.

Well like I said, i took it the wrong way. I got very very angry and had to blow steam. I really thought those A-holes were going to try to steal my car.  So I photo copied it, and in writing told them that the first person to have my car towed, would be the first to go to the hospital to have their head re-attached.    and that it was not a threat, but a promise.

That was my first time in the 2 years I was at the home, that I lost my temper.

In the members handbook issued to me when I arrived in October 2012, it said that there is a progression before being discharged. 
The issuing paper work from the home claimed I was being discharged for the welfare of other members and employees, and that I was cited for "disrespectful, rude, inappropriate behavior, and general behavior, and Harassment. And this administrations actions was and is disrespectful of veterans.

WHO is harassing who here? And General behavior?   This is the first incident I have had at the home. Other guys go on screaming rants for hours, kicking doors, breaking things and NOTHING happens to them.  Yet I blow steam once and get kicked out.  Guys threaten staff and each other all the time and nothing is done about them doing it. Maybe because they do so verbally and I did mine in writing.

Mind you, I am a cardiac patient, recovering from heart surgery. I can barely walk around the building without needing a nap, let alone be able to beat someone up.  And who would warn someone that they intended to hurt them? 

The administration here has all the records.. Are they really telling folks that they truly believe me to be a big threat to their personal safty considering my medical history and situation?

Are they really that F_ing Stupid?!  Apparently.

Either that or this is a direct result of being targeted for expulsion, because I stand up for veterans rights, I speak out, and I helped form a nonprofit group to help other veterans. And I created this blog, so that others would know what is truly going on here.

   In other words, the greatest fear of the older veterans has been made real: Someone spoke up and got kicked out for doing so. THAT is how they are going to see this. 

This whole scenario was done the wrong way by both parties.. I should have seen it for what it really was, and made an inquiry of how the expected me to park in members parking when THEIR cars were in our spots. Instead, I blew my top.  And again, the question of, did they do what they did, because they wanted me to blow up, giving them a reason to discharge me?  Despite the fact that I had no other incidents in the 2 years I was there?

You decide.



Sara Dunne, what have you done?

I have a question for Sara Dunne.  After serving as acting administrator for over 2 years, just what have you accomplished in that time, that has contributed to increasing the quality of life for the veterans at that facility?

You say you are the right person for this job? Then Sara Dunne, what have you done to justify it?


Saturday, October 27, 2012

Members Handbook: The Rules, or just a Guide?

Mac finally got his new phone working, and his old number ported over to it. He called me to day and we talked about a lot of stuff.  One of the things I was shocked to hear about was that the administration of this place doesn't think Members should know what is in the member handbook. At least that is what it seems to be telling us.

Mac, who was kicked out on the 10th of October for his first offense, told me that just a week or so prior, new handbooks came out for the members. And that if a member wanted one, they had to go sign for it.

Sign for it? If the information is critical, and the member should know what is in it, then shouldn't the administration issue copies to each member?

Is this "members handbook" a guide, or the rule? If it is the rule then every Veteran at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans has a inherent right to know what is in the booklet, and should have been issued a copy of the latest edition, IF what is inside is what the administration was going to operate by.

But as we all know, this administration does what it wants, to whom it wants because it has no consistent policy enforcement. Nor has it ever been held accountable for its actions.


I hate to say this.. but it is now quite clear to me, Michigan will be the second State of the Union, (following California) who will be admitting that it cannot or will not care for its Veterans.

Shame on us all.


Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Wrong Meds AGAIN! This is a hospital?

I stopped into the vets home Tuesday, and talked with some of the guys there.
Richard Ware (a subject of this blog), told me they screwed up his medications yet again. This time they gave him the wrong ones and he was kept awake for 3 days 'till they got it right.

This is the 4th or 5th time they have messed with Richards medication. No wonder the guy feels he is in prison. These so called professionals can't even get his medications correct.   How much are taxpayers paying these people?

Makes you think they are overpaid.


Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Another victim of the Thornbury/Murkowski team speaks out.

CJO has left a new comment on your post "Vet Advocate to State AG: Veteran imprisoned at Ve...":

"We also have had a terrible experience with Ms. Thornbury. She was assigned as the trustee of our father's estate in March 2012. During the proceedings she refused to communicate with family members resulting in personal items being sold with the house, she would not let us into the home to grieve our father's death until four months later when she closed on the home. At this time she failed to secure the home and the new owners were already moved in and sleeping there! She failed to ensure the house was locked resulting in several family treasures being stolen and the estate was not reimbursed. When we objected to her final accounting, we took her to court only to have Judge Murkowski side with her. Your statement that your family unit was destroyed rang true for ours as well. Our family will never recover from the financial fallout nor will we ever be a close family again. This all due to Cindy Thornbury's lack of good judgment, poor management of the estate, and failing to communicate with family members. Who is holding these trustees accountable? What a great profession, trustees and guardians. These individuals have carte blanche to do deal with individuals and families in any way he or she feels is fit. There is no one out there holding these individuals accountable. Our court system and Judge Murkowski certainly are not!!"


Sorry to hear about this. There has to be something victims like yourself and Fred and Richard can do to get relief from the wrong doings of those 2 criminals.

I did some research on Michigans' guardian laws, and it seems that people have been trying to get the laws overhauled, and some new checks and balances and accountability sections put into place to prevent the guardians from doing what you have described.

I have seen it first hand what Thornbury does to people. I watched her steal from 2 veteran friends of mine.
I pray Richard Ware gets his justice and is able to obtain his freedom. He feels imprisoned at the home.
Fred, I am sorry to say is in bad shape, and waited too long, and may not make it past another year, due to the devastation the agent orange is doing to his body.

Both are victims of Thornbury and Murkowski.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

2 Bloggers exposing the acts of the administration at Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.

Mac decided to set me up with my own account, so that now what I write, will be credited to me. That is good since that piece of garbage in the front office kicked out  Mac last week. Well, if she ever figures out who I am she may target me. But unlike Mac, I don't use the homes internet. I have my own way of accessing the internet without having to go thru their hacked system.

Why should adults have to go thru a system that restricts where they go?. The internet is supposed to be open, but the way the paranoid staff at GRH4V runs things, you end up thinking you are in one of the state's many prison compounds.

It is pretty clear, that Mac got targeted by the administration. He was set up to be kicked out because he set this blog up for me, and contributed to it on about half the postings.  Why else would they put a parking citation ticket on his car, when other people were given information printouts?

And knowing mac's medical condition,( he can't even walk around the building twice without needing a nap),  his disciplinary history (none in 2 years), Should be reason enough to give him 5 or 10 days out for the threats he WROTE down, (LMAO).  How can anyone feel threatened by that fat tush? Sorry Mac, but you are just a big fat blob, who couldn't hurt a flee without needing a rest after 30 seconds, and these idiots thought you were going to hurt them? Ha ha, well, to me it serves as proof you were targeted for political reasons.

I mean, if you really wanted to hurt someone, would you give them warning that you were going to do it? NO. You would wait patiently for the right opportunity to pound on them (or do what ever).. without warning.
I cannot believe those morons actually think you are a threat.  But then again, you do understand why they took your writings seriously, right Mac?

 They know they are pissing off the veterans, and more and more people are getting angry and sooner or later someone is going blow up and when they do.. oh... run for the hills because someone is going to get hurt badly.


Well, is it a fact that Sara Dunne is a college graduate?  Does that mean she is intelligent or just another highly educated idiot? I'm starting to think its the latter, as her actions are telling us a different story than that which is being put out by the papers or the media.

It doesn't take a lot of smarts to run the kitchens, but the current blondie in there can't seem to do it.
But it does take a lot to run the veterans home. And Sara, you were unqualified to do so when you stepped into the job, and are STILL unqualified to run it.

You cannot run a home when your attitude is negative, because you think the veterans are all there because they are looking for a handout. 

And your administration has completely forgotten why the Dorm unit exists.. TO help veterans, which you are not doing at all! There is no help for those with social problems, or depression, or minor mental health problems.. Nor any help for those who have drinking problems.. you just kick them out of the home. That has been your solution for the last year.

You got rid of Mac, but I am still here, and I won't give up until you are gone.






Thursday, October 11, 2012

Diana Knoll's 15 minutes of Fame.

Andy Warhol said everyone deserves 15 minutes of Fame, and after being accused of mentioning Dianna Knoll in this blog, I decided to actually do it.

But for the record, I set this blog up for someone else who used to be at the home. He does most of the postings. I 've done a few. And my name is Gregory.

On 21 Oct, 2012, the Veterans home started imposing its parking policy on all people at the home, and one of the security people put a parking citation ticket on my car, because it was parked out front near the chapel entrance. I took it the wrong way and managed to get myself kicked out of the place on the day of my 2 year anniversary. First offense in 2 years, and wala, I am a free man once again - but with a mark on his record that I am going to fight.

In the mean time, I have decided to write this about Diana, seeing how she seems to want to be written about.  For those who do not know who I am writing about, Diana is the activities person for the Dorm unit.

In the 2 years I was at the home, I have had only 2 issues with the activities people. The first was when I was accused of crashing the homes internet computer system while downloading text files. The other was the way Diana chose people to go on trips. That last issue was brought up repeatedly at Dorm Council meetings before I arrived there, and was still an issue when I wrote it up for my own reasons. The veterans never did get a proper response from the staff about it. So most gave up trying.

Over all I am pleased with the efforts of Diana and the other activities staff. Due to recent cutbacks in this last year, many Activities people were required to do more and more with less, and work on more than one unit. I think Diana has 3 units shes working on now, and yet she still manages to arrange about 20 or so trips or activities each month for people in the Dorm unit.

As the holidays approach she will be busy as any Santa Elf, putting together Christmas activities for the various units. For the Dorm unit, there are the usual Christmas day gifts, and a unit party, where an outside group comes in and donates food and gifts to the veterans of  the Dorm unit. I attended 2 of those functions and both were down right fun and the food they gave us was outstanding. I think one year we had real fried chicken, with real mashed potatoes and corn, and hot buttered rolls. The next one, if I remember right, we had real sloppy joes, and chips with dip  - things we do not get at the main dining hall at the home. And the group that comes in gives gifts out to the vets.
   The first year, they gave out a large number of DVD players, and a dozen or so VIP Tiger baseball tickets where they took the members to a Tigers game in Detroit ( or where ever it is).  They did the Tigers thing again the next year and gave a bunch of other gifts out too. Many of us expressed our thanks to the group that came in, and when a thank you card was passed around, made sure we signed it.
  I was looking forward to going to that party again this year, but nope.. not again.oh well.

The fact of the matter is, is that when people talk about the current deteriorating conditions at Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, and bad staff and things like that, you rarely hear them complain about the activities staff, other than it seems that some activities are being canceled too often.
   You are more likely to hear someone complain about a nurse, or a care giver than one of the many activities people or activities helpers. It takes a person with the right attitude to be an activities person, and this place has those people - if it can keep them.

Another hipocrit speaks out.

As usual, you have no idea what you are talking about. You really should get your facts straight before you print your lies. I contacted the "security jerk", you mentioned that you took photos of. It seems that other people were parked in spots that belonged to the members. He was asked by the members if they could get those vehicles out of there. So once again, you print crap without knowing the facts. Maybe you should step into reality before you starting running your mouth. All you are doing is printing false information without even finding out what is happening. You are a poor excuse for a reporter. Try collecting the facts before you accuse people. All your doing is printing your own thoughts, and as everyone can see, you need help. Good luck with that!!!


OK Mike, challenge accepted.

Look at this photo. 

The BLUE areas, are those areas designated for Member parking.  The incident I wrote about was in the area marked by RED. The little 4 spot lot, that has until recently been filled daily by Dwight Furgusan, (SP?) one of the Dormitory unit Social workers, and volunteers who worked in the clothing room. 
One member was parking his truck there, for a while but he moved out 2 weeks ago (Bixby).

There was one handicap spot - you saw the picture of that car with the handicap tag hanging from their windshield.

In the time I have been at the home, I was always told that lot was for the volunteers who ran the clothing room, and for anyone with a handicap sticker or plate..

But to be sure, I asked around. I asked Randy, Randy (we have 3 of them), Bill, Tony, Steve (Dom unit council president), and several others and they all told me the same thing.. Some said that lot was for the people who ran clothing, others did not know what it was for, but all of them said the only places for members parking were the back small lot and the first row in the big lot (as indicted by the BLUE lines).

Now mike, who has their facts wrong, and who is spewing lies? Mike, you are just someone full of hate, and anger who needs some counseling.. I suggest you try the VA clinic next door.

Oh Mike, that first row of cars you see in this photo? by the blue line? Only 1 is a member car. The rest are employee and staff cars - parked in member parking.  

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Time to Put up or shut up Mike Martin.

This is a comment someone left, that I have posted to the original message.

 Comment by Mike Martin:
"As a fellow veteran, I think your behavior is a disgrace. You have your own weaknesses and flaws and instead of addressing them, you chose to print lies and attack other people. Most of the time your information isn't even correct. You do not represent the members at the Home, you only represent yourself. You need to grow up, plain and simple. Try acting like a Vet some time. See if you can change and at least have respect for yourself. Stop using your blogs for self pity. Most of the members do not even realize you have this blog, so stop painting yourself as a man of the people. Learn how to be a man first and then maybe you can help others."  comment on the post called Vets home still harrassing legaly parked car owners 


Ok Mike.. Tell me what is a lie? Which one? Which article. Submit the correction Mike. No one else has even tried, you can be the first. Come on Mike, help me make this blog 100 percent correct. Oh by the way, we had 989 hits last month. Have you read the comments? Even family members are now reading this blog.
Many are concerned over the abuses going on here. And that's why this thing exists. To expose the abuses.

I personally witnessed that so called security guard writting down the tag numbers of those cars in the small parking lot and putting one of those tow warning printouts on the van's window wipers.. How do you think I got the pictures if I wasn't watching him do it?

A handicap van parked in a handicap spot is LEGAL, and the owner does not need to be threatened with towing. Threatening to have it towed is HARASSMENT no matter how you look at it.

So it seems to me Mike, that you are the one that needs to grow up.   Or, as this post says, Put up or shut up. You make claims you cannot back up. All the claims here, in this blog, are backed up and many with the very pictures needed to back them up.

So be warned: The veterans here are tired of being harassed and are now watching you.

Veterans ombudsman - Useless according to vets.

I was informed today, that a member veteran at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans has used the chain of command to address a grievance and has been snubbed by the very person appointed to help him.

Earnie Meyers (SP?), was appointed Ombudsman by James Dunn, the assistant deputy director of veterans' affairs in the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs headquarters office. 

The only time Earnie Meyers shows up at the Vets home is for board meetings. 

The conflict of interest exists with Earnie Meyers as he is also Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Veterans home.  

Apparently this Veteran member had a meeting set up with Earnie and the board.. And Earnie who said he had a win - win solution, never showed up for the meeting. And the member veteran also says the other board members didn't even know why they were having a meeting that day.


Time to shut this place down and for Michigan to hang its head low in shame, as it admits it doesn't care for its veterans anymore.



Vets home still harrassing legaly parked car owners.

What else do you call this? Securitys job is fire watch, not parking police.
This morning we saw this security jerk nosing around peoples parked cars, putting these harassment notices on cars parked properly in their proper place..  This must end.. Lawyers are being contacted.
Veterans are on vigilance. We will not tolerate our property being stolen from us. 

daily filled lot

Security messing with cars parked properly

Security man doing the dirty deed

With Handicap authorization in a handicap spot

This is the harassment notice on a legally parked car.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Veterans Home threatening to tow resident Veterans Cars.

I went out back for a smoke this afternoon and talked to a bunch of the guys sitting at a picnic table over by the 6 gas grills.

Seems the home is now threatening to tow member veterans vehicles and one members vehicle has been ordered to be removed from the property.

J's truck has been broke down for 6 years and has sat in the back lot without being messed with. J is fighting for disability, and has no income to get his truck repaired.

G's Car is insured, plated, and he parks it out front in front of the chapel entrance because of his medical condition he cannot carry heavy things, nor regular things very far.

The Veterans home has a parking policy that members are to park in a small back lot, and the first row of the main lot located in back of the complex.  However, the small back lot has government vehicles from the VA Clinic taking up spaces, and the first row of the main lot, has employees parking there most of the time, thus not leaving any room for the members cars.

So far the home is NOT enforcing its parking limits on the Government and employees cars, but IS threatening to have members vehicles towed and this is NOT right.

And how are they supposed to get them back? Most of these members have zero income or limited on disability income. The home takes all of that but 100 dollars a month. Non income people get 5 dollars a week, or 20 bucks a month.  Their cars are usually that last thing they own before they become totally indigent. Many dump all their money into them trying to get them fixed so that when it comes time, they can use them to leave here.

UNDERSTAND THIS: Threatening Member veterans with having their cars towed and impounded, for parking on the lots here, where they live, can only be HARASSMENT of Veterans. 

There is no reason for the home to be playing these games with these veterans' property. SHAME on Sara Dunn and her Administration for allowing this to happen.

Members lot south side with Fed Cars parked in it
Former Dormitory member council president George Merrit told me that they had this problem before, where cars from the VA clinic were parking in the members lot, taking up spaces.. and when the home finally cracked down on it, it only lasted a week.

He also said that they have done this before. And now believes the only reason they are threatening members again is because some formed that non profit organization, called Veterans for Justice.

Members Lot North side, all full.

Members first row, main lot,  filled with employee cars.

Government cars in members lot

argue with this tag.


Thursday, October 4, 2012

Who are they asking for, themselves or the veteranss?

Mlive.com, has a story about a business collecting things for the veterans at the veterans home.
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/10/grand_rapids_business_to_colle.html

"Grand Rapids business to collect items for Grand Rapids Home for Veterans"

The story goes on to tell about a company that will collect items for the home, and has a page link so that you can go and see a list of what is needed.

The list contains the usual items - but is missing some critical items. Larger sizes for the bigger vets who are overweight and in powered wheel chairs usualy wear sizes 4x and up.. they are not listed.

And 2 items seem out of place on the list. 
 
"Small electronics (extreme need to replace decade-old models)
  • Digital cameras (Looking for quantity of six Nikon COOLPIX S6300 Black 16 Megapixel Digital Camera – 26301, approximately $170 each)
  • GPS devices (Looking for quantity of three TomTom GO Live 1535M dash-mount GPS units, approximately $200 each)"

One of the members contacted the company and inquired. He sent me his emails, and the company said the GPS units were for the Home's vans.  Strange.. what vans? We have buses, not vans. And they go to the same places every day.  So why do they need GPS units? The new bus has one built in and the driver doesn't even know how to use it.   These items should be part of the transportation budget, not as a donated item.

As for the cameras? Whose pocket are they going to go into? These items should be part of the activities budget.

Oh wait. DUH.. Dummy me.. I forgot. Acting administrator Sara Dunn has cut that stuff out of the budget to save Governor Rick some money from the states budget.. Thats' why they are begging for the items.

Shame on them.


I just hope those items don't end up in some employees car or purse, like the car-hart jackets that were donated for the veterans did.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Focus point; is this volunteer the center of a controversy that is bad for the Vets?

I do not like targeting specific people unless their case is so extreme that attention needs to be brought to it, so that needed changes can be applied and the situation corrected.

This controversy involves one man. Walt. The guy who collects all the items being donated to the home at the front welcome desk, and takes that stuff to a little office just a short skip down the hall where it is said, he sorts out the incoming donations.

This also the man involved with activities that holds "tournaments" of various kinds on Monday nights. Such tournaments have included: Pool, Texas hold em poker, shuffleboard, checkers, cribbage, and horse shoes.

One of the latest controversies surrounding this person is a new set of horse shoe pits.  We have 1 set of horse shoe pits that run parallel to the side walk on the back side of Rankin building. These pits get used 3 times a year when Walt has his tournament.

Recently a outside group gave a donation for the building of 3 professional regulation pits and what was actually created was a disaster and the people who made the donation are unhappy with what was built.

The fact is most people think the 3 new pits are a total waste of money and space, seeing how the old pit rarely got used at all.

Now besides tournaments, it is being reported that Walt was a Volunteer that recently has been HIRED by the home to work with the Activities department. it is reported tat he is an active member of an organization called Friends for Veterans, and the question of conflict of interest for him to be serving both.

Since walt is also the point man for all incoming donations to the home, some people are calling for an audit of all incoming items donated to the home that go thru Walt's little room, because many are NOT getting to the veterans.

And, I hate to say it, but I have heard from a dozen  people or more, that Walt himself has been caught taking home, donated items meant for veterans.That is stealing.  And it is exactly what member veterans are saying happens to too many donated items. The items get donated but veterans never get them.

Several Dom Unit guys have asked about the truck load of new flat screen TV's? Where did they all go?
And the Carhart winter Jackets; why did staff get them when they were meant for veterans?

And that truck from "in the image". What items are being sent there, and are they being inventoried, so that we know what is being sent and where it came from? Many guys think the donated items that are in good or new condition are being re-routed to this truck, so that someone can sell the items to make money, instead of giving the items to the veterans. And they say that is why the new clothing room lacks any good inventory.

And Walt seems to be at the center of all of this.




Saturday, September 29, 2012

No wonder guys can't get what they need at the Clothing Room.

I have written about this new clothing room and how it looks nice, like a department store, but functionally, it is a failure. It fails to keep sizes on hand that members need.  While it is a bit easier to get around in, the fact is, the older clothing room had more stuff and more sizes available to you, and was open more often too.

This new location and new management, doesn't seem to be putting as much out, as the last one did. And it looks like they are not rotating stock as much either. I have seen the same pairs of shoes on the she now for 4 years, and none  is taking them. Time to rotate them out and bring in some new.

The old store had metal cabinets for shirts, jeans, sweats, and were packed to the top. his new store has a small shelf where they keep a few sizes on hand., and some wall hanging areas for shirts.

Lack of any thing over 3x is a real problem and we have a lot of guys that ARE 4x and bigger that are in wheelchairs.

If the purpose of the clothing room is to provide needed clothing, then this clothing room is a failure. It has too much open space in it and not enough exposed inventory that guys can get to.

Hoarders: Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, the next group for this show.

Expired food stuff being handed out at unit functions. That is a sign of a hoarder. And there seems to be a lot of it going on at GRH4V.

I am getting reports from several units, that food stuffs being given out at unit functions, were expired.
One person reported that the chips they got were the ones donated to the home for last years carnival, (2011).

Seems no one really knows what is in storage and what is not. Nor can anyone tell us where specific donations to the home for veterans, have gone to.

Many donated items end up in storage rooms or cupboards and never seen again for years. Some items never even get to veterans.

Accusations of one group of volunteers who were storing stuff for specific functions,  having their stuff stolen by another group of volunteers, has happened.

One of the guys in Dom unit was telling me there are 2 rooms on 3rd floor, that no one ever goes into. One is located by their shower room and pantry, and is the space that on the 2nd floor, is a laundry room. Jeff told me hes never seen anyone go into that locked room and there is nothing on the door to indicate what it is being used for.

Another room is in the weight room on 3rd floor. Seems this room has a walk in closet, which is a small space the goes behind the elevator shaft. No one has ever seen anyone go into the room. 
The weight room, a converted 4 man room also has 4 closets. 2 are unlocked, 3 used to be. In one is a bunch of hardware for the 4 man room. things like shelving for the closets, and extra bulletin boards. In one of the others is a pile of interesting things.  A big tackle box, full of something. The unit's Wii box, a big banana box full of golf balls, an unused HP 34 toner cartridge for a printer not in use anywhere on Dom unit, and boxes of other useless junk. And in the 3rd locker, a stack of "yard balls" deflated of course, the kind you used to use at elementary school. About 30 of them in there, along with other things. If we are not using them, shouldn't they be given to someone who is?

And that is just on Dom unit. Tommy from the McKleish building says he knows of rooms that never get used, and Paul from Mann building reports the same thing.. but a BUNCH of guys tell me there are rooms downstairs in the basement area that extends under both buildings, that are full of horded stuff that was donated to veterans that never gets to them.

Also, when asked if there was an inventory of what is donated and a tally sheet to show where it went, I was not surprised to find out no  such system exists. No one is tracking what goes in and what goes out.. Only if they run low on something that is popular or is being used.. and if there is a sudden need for more, then the volunteers start accusing people of stealing their stock or something.

GRH4V needs an open book policy where all items donated are tracked to where they go. A book listing all donations be made available 24/7 at the visitors/help desk. And oversight by a panel of member veterans, 2 staff members and an outside neutral person, needs to be put in place to keep those volunteers honest and to get them to stop stealing from each other AND from the veterans.




GRH4V Volunteer system needs overhauled and oversight imposed.

Seems I am getting a lot of reports of Cronyism in the volunteer system here at GRH4V. A specific group from a specific Veterans of Foreign wars post appears to be trying to gain complete control over the volunteer system here.

Starting with those who volunteer to run the volunteers office, to those who volunteer to distribute items donated to the home, to those who run Kozy Korners, to those who just volunteer for specific reasons or activities.  The entire system needs to be overhauled and clear and specific policies imposed. Also an oversight board, made up of member vets, and people from the general public, and one or two staff members, needs to be set up to ensure compliance and provide overseeing of the system, and to hear complaints.

Lack of fair and equal treatment for all volunteers is an issue here. Some get special treatment, others get mistreated and leave, and at least 4 have gone thru attempts to get them permanently expelled, and several after years of service, have been forced to leave.  Don Kramer for one, and Jerry the guy who ran Kozy corners for another. He reportedly got accused of stealing by a man who is also reported as having been CAUGHT stealing.

Policy changes and lack of enforcement are a big issue. An oversight board made up of member veterans and some people from outside this administration, might be able to change the way things are being done.

Friday, September 28, 2012

GRH4V volunteers need PUBLIC and Veteran oversight.

Fair and equal treatment of Staff, is essential for the welfare of Veterans.

Many guys here are angry that a well appreciated volunteer has been forced to leave this place, never to return until the current administrator is replaced with a properly qualified individual.

I am talking about Don Kramer, a member of the Purple Heart organization that was forced to leave here, due to some incident with a nurse or a care giver. Rumor going around here, is that the care giver is a gold digger and tried to "come on" to Don, who played with her for a bit, but in the end rejected her advances.
Then 2 winters ago, in the winter of 2010-11, when the states smoking ban was enacted and veterans had no warm place to go outside to, to have their smokes, Don caught this person smoking inside, in a closed room. And that after a series of incidents, this person got caught by security.

In retaliation for his getting her into trouble, an old issue was brought up that was settled, and it was used against him, which resulted in his leaving. Even after over 300 veterans signed a petition to get him back, the will of the veterans was ignored by this administration.

Well this same care giver is still here. And many are now watching her. I am getting reports that she spends to much time outside smoking  and drinking coffee. Some times its 6 hours a day.  And that isn't right.

And she is not the only one. In Dom Unit, I have witnessed one nurse spend hours in the day room watching tv with the guys.  I have also watched the activities person do the same.

It is time to get rid of these people and bring in folks who are going to do their jobs and not sit around all day to collect a paycheck.

Staff members such as Gary Davis have told veterans that it is a privilege for them to be here. Maybe it is maybe it is not. Many of us paid for this privilege by giving our lives over to the United States union of several states, to protect it from all enemies. Many of us are combat veterans, Drafted, that is, forced to serve whether we wanted to or not. I myself am part of the volunteer military, that exists today with no Draft.
I gladly put my life on the line for 6 years to protect this country. So I believe I have earned a place here.

Not only that, but many of us, after leaving military service, became productive members of society. Working in private sector jobs, we helped to create the wealth of this nation, instead of parasiting off of it.

Public service workers do not add one penny of wealth to this nation. They don't do anything that creates wealth nor do they do "value added labor" to a product or service that increases its worth.  They live off the backs of taxpayers, which is why their jobs are a privilege.  THEY are the ones that should be worried.


Tuesday, September 18, 2012

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF New Non profit organization.

I am honored to have been asked to be the first to make this announcement in public.

A new group of Veterans have created a non profit organization called "Veterans for Justice".
This group is a 501(c)(3) organization and is already helping local veterans.

This group is made up of veterans who are living at Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, and veterans that live outside the home, and family members of veterans who are at the home and some volunteers who volunteer at the home.

Trust officers are veterans that actually live at the Veterans Home.

If you would like more information about the new organization, or to inquire how you can help, feel free to write them at:

Veterans for Justice
PO Box 411
Comstock Park, Mich 49321





Sunday, September 16, 2012

Veterans Help Homeless girl with replacement bike.

Veterans at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans came to the aid of a homeless girl this past week. Seems someone stole her bike.

Charlie who runs the GRH4V bike shop and Ken, a member got together and using spare parts and borrowed paint and what ever they needed, put together a sharp looking bike which they presented as a gift to the homeless girl.

Cheers to Charlie and Ken for their generorsity and kindness.

SALUTE!

Friday, September 14, 2012

The perception of stupid administrating.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what you will see here, will be worth at least a short story.

Over near the Rankin building on the north side of the complex, is an area that contains a horseshoe pit area, for the sport of throwing horse shoes. See pix 1. These pits get used for about 3 hours at a time, 3 times a year when the activities person Walt, has a tournament for members. The rest of the time, the pits are used as a place to hide food for the squirrels and as a dust bath for birds.
Pic 1, existing horse shoe pits.

Now these pits are separated from the building by a large flat cemented patio where there are benches, and tables for members to sit on.


3 times a year these pits get used. RARELY at any other time, do you see someone actually tossing some of those horse shoes.

Now, some Bell View Genius has decided we need 3 of them!
 Oh yeah, like we really need these. Where is the money comming from, and who is paying for these things? We do NOT NEED THEM at all!




3 new pits

And to make things worse, in Rankin 2, there is a HOLE in the ceiling over the showers, that goes up to the 3rd floor shower room. This hole has been there for over 4 years.  They have money for new horse shoe pits that will be used 3 times a year, but they cannot fix a hole in a ceiling?!!


Do we really need 3 new pits, when this room gets used DAILY by veterans?

Is it any wonder they see this as proof of stupid administrating by the current staff of this place?


The "private contractor" that is building the pits, is using State owned materials, and equipment, such as the back hoe tractor. 

Yet the home cannot get a contractor to fix the Rankin 2 shower room.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Cooks too damm lazy to do their job? Fire them!

We have a person who works in the kitchen that needs to be fired or disciplined with time off. Last Saturday's lunch was Smoked Sausage on Bun. NO condiments were available.

It turns out a condiment bar was scheduled but the person whose job it was to do it, decided not to because they just came back to work from sick leave, and didn't want to have to put one up.

The people in charge allowed it. So the vets had nothing to eat on their sausage.

How long does it take to dump some catchup, mustard, onions, chopped pickle, into metal trays that get taken out and put on the salad bar? 20 min's at most. 

We PAY for this garbage, what they call a meal. And now we are not getting what we are being forced to pay for.   All because someone wanted to be lazy.

Unacceptable.
Unexcuseable
Fire 'em.


Skitzo ex member assults member friend, warrents issued.

Jeremy Van Dyke is a veteran that is schizophrenia, and is on serious drugs to control it. He was assigned to the Dom unit while he was at the Vets Home. He recently left the home of his own will. His room mate and best friend was Tadd S.  Recently Tadd S went to go visit him and found he was off his medication. Tadd visited a girl friend of both of them and when Jeremy showed up he went off the deep end and assulted Tadd. Tadd's face shows the result.

A warrent for the arrest of Van Dyke is out, along with Personal Protection orders for Tadd, the girl, and Tadd's family for whom Van Dyke called on the telephone and threatened that he was comming to get them.

Too many times we have seen these kind of people allowed to run loose in society, and sooner or later they get off their medications and become a threat to people around them.

The Dom Unit has another skitzo. Mike. He is on serious drugs and requires a special shot every 2 weeks. People like this should be in a Nursing unit, or a controlled unit, not allowed to run free. They are a standing threat due to the fact that if the go off their med's, they become unpredictable and unstable.


Stinky Update: back to being a sench bomb and health threat.

Back on July 5th, we posted that Stinky had been required to take a shower and change his clothing.
Well, sad to say here it is the end of August and hes had the same stuff on since that day.

Now we have had 6 cases of bacterial pneumonia reported here at the home in the last 2 months.

Stuff like that can be spread by people like this.
Our rules in our member handbook state that members must practice good personal hygiene yet this one doesn't  have to. 

It is, in part, why people are constantly sick here.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Offical Records do NOT lie. Thornberry needs to answer up.

State Ordered guardian Cythia Thornberry (or how ever you spell her name) needs to be brought to Justice and made to explain why one of her wards has had his ID Stolen twice in the last 90 days.

Both instances involved cell phone usage, and both instances were discovered not by Thornberry, but by the wife of the veteran victim for whom Thornberry has done everthing in her power to keep the wife away from the husban veteran.

In the latest case, a 3rd party collections agency called the Veterans home number, (not at grand rapids home for vets where the veteran is), and demanded payment.

The Wife, whose marrage rights have been abused by the Michigan Probate court judge Murkowski in conjunction with the court appointed guardian Cynthia Thornberry, has no idea what she can do becasue the court has her on some trumped up charge of contempt or something, and she is out on probation and is afraid to do anything for fear of being imprisoned in jail. One lawyer who tried to help her even got sanction by the abusive judge Murkowski.

In the mean time, this veterans Credit score is being trashed, his name in the commuintity is being trashed and Thornberry doesn't have a damm clue as to what is going on.

I am told that one of the doctors here wants the wife to have a copy of her husbands medical records, but Thornberry said NO and has stopped it. Now the Doctor is trying to help the couple get rid of the abusive guardian who has all but destroyed the lives of these two people.

I tell them to seek a lawyer who will take their case to federal court and go after both Thornberry and Michigan judge Murkowski for violating both of their rights, via a title 18 1942 lawsuit, which I believe is commonly called a Blivins action. They have enough proof of it.

The really sad thing about this is, since the court has appointed a guardian over the veteran, the guardian has abused him and his wife, and controls his assets. He has nothing without her approval and is imprisoned at the vets home because of it.

We are obtaining the record from both phone companies and records do not lie. Cynthia Thornberry is responsible for securing the private information about this veteran, and she has slipped up twice. Time for her to be held accountable.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Rancid tarter sauce being served to Veterans.

Friday we had Fish for lunch. One of our guys took out 10 packets of this tarter sauce and 9 out of the 10 looked like this or worse.

This is what the veterans home is feeding the veterans.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

How could he not know? Update on Richard Ware

Interesting thing happened a few min's ago. I got a call from 2 people. Both told me simular stories, so I wonder how true it really is, as it would seem a bit odd that a doctor would no know what is going on in his patients lives. Then I talked to Richard.

Well, Richard has been looking rather bad lately and 2 days ago he disappeared. Today he was back and told us he was in the hospital with double pneumonia. And when he got back, he was told his doctor was waiting to see him. Dr. Bates.

Richard tells me that Doctor Bates for some reason has decided to help him get rid of CynthiaThornbury, the guardian assigned to Richard by the courts. Dr Bates was unaware that Richards wife Cheryll once held power of attorney for Richard. Richard tells me that he told Dr Bates, that as far as he was concerned, his wife was his guardian.

He also informed me that Dr Bates claims he did not know about Cynthia Thornburys taking of 14thousand dollars out of Richards bank account to pay for a divorce that he did not want. 

There is more to this, and I will find out about it and post it as it becomes available. But something here just doesn't sound quite right.. its like someone is trying to cover their tail... If not, this could be the crack in the egg we have been waiting for, to go after Thornbury's license as well as Karen Fugi's license.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Drugging Of Veterans to keep them quiet continues at GRH4V.

Well, what else do you call it, when the administration or nursing staff here, gives a man drugs for schizophrenia, for 3 days when  he has never been diagnosed with it?

This is what has happened to Richard Ware recently according to sources. For about 5 days Richard was in zombie land, and one day when he was lucid enough he called a local pharmacy and asked them what the drugs were for. After that he refused to take them.

Is this how GRH4V silences the people who are out spoken about the abuses going on daily at this facility?
It makes you wonder.

Monday, August 13, 2012

They are destroying yet another family, like they did the Ware's.

Karen Fugi, take notice: you are being watched very closely. Your occupational license may be on the line.

It has come to the attention of this author, that yet another veteran is being victimized by the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans Family destruction squad.

A veteran with dementia, who has a large bank account and many assets, has come to the home. His wife has power of attorney. He has been here less than 2 months and already Karen Fugi, reportedly his social worker, is attempting to get a guardian appointed to him. It is reported that within 3 days of his being here, someone at this home, got him to clean out his bank accounts. No one knows where that money went.

It is also being reported, that his wife has been told she is banned from the property and cannot have any contact with him.  HIS WIFE.. This destroys the family unit, and is unacceptable.

So Karen Fugi, cover your tail, because if it can be proved that what you are doing is a standard of operation, the removal of your occupational license will be sought in a higher court. As well as damages for what you are doing.

This is the same thing that happened to Richard Ware's family. And Richard while suffering from MS, feels imprisoned here and now they have him so drugged up he doesn't even know where he is half the time.  We think they are doing this to prevent him from reporting to outside people what they are doing to him.

As long as the courts allow the guardian to control that persons assets, that person becomes a slave with no options and no choices, and NO FREEDOM.

This us unacceptable for a veteran.
More info will be posted as it becomes available.