Greg M Speaks, Part 3

Greg Continues:

Examples of the staff treating us as if we were stupid are many. At one meeting, Dwight Fergason (spelling?) told us that if any one caused the home to be cast in a negative light, woe would befall upon him. We took that as a direct threat.

Another example is the staff constantly threatening Dorm unit with discharge, for smoking in the building at the duckpond landing by elevator 9, on the first floor. Yet they knew that one of the guys from Rankin 1, (a nursing unit) was doing it 2 and 3 times daily. He would not step outside. The area was covered by security cameras. They knew who was smoking in the landing area. Yet we got bitched at and threatened.

Another example, was Tiffany Carr, who came to a meeting complaining about the way the guys were using the computers on the internet. She admitted she knew nothing about computers, so why was she there bitching at us for something she knew NOTHING about?!! She was threatening to take away our internet.  And from what I hear, the Dorm units Wireless routers that lets the guys access internet, have all been shut off or are not working properly because no one will reset them from a power outage that happened 2 months ago."

At the Dorm unit meetings, we constantly heard the staff bitch about how the internet was for job hunting and doing resume's. Yet no one on the staff even knew how to do a resume. I was the one who taught the Dorm Unit activities person Dianna Knoll how to use Microsoft word and the templates found in the program, to write a resume!

And there was no help in finding jobs, or information available to us as to where to look, or how to do resumes, or how to prepare for a job interview. We were left on our own. So the guys used the internet the way most people do - For email, and for playing games and getting music and watching videos on you tube and such.. and the staff did not like us doing that, claiming it ate up too much bandwidth.  Heck, those idiots didn't even know what bandwidth was! When guys had questions about computers, the came to Randy or me, not the staff."


Joe - "Ok, so what happened after you left the home? Did you end up on the street?"

Greg - "No. My sister took me back in. I paid her rent money this time though. I had planned on being at the home until the next spring, and then try to get an apartment of my own.. But that was not to be. I wanted to continue with Doc Edgar to work on my edema and weight problems, the edema of which is in relapse now, meaning the legs are swelling and oozing again.

     I also switched my health care back to the VA clinic and applied for mental health screening.. I talked to one Doc there for about 5 months on a bi-weekly basis.. he really helped me learn how to cope with this new life I have.

   In November, with the help of a lawyer from legal aid, I filed for my first appeal. The Board of Managers wanted me to get some counseling first, and that's when I asked for it at the VA clinic.

 In June of 2013 the next year, I filed my 2nd appeal, and was denied access to the board of managers. I talked to another lawyer and started going back to the home to visit friends, but I never went INTO the home. I just sat out on the pavilion and met them there and we talked.

In July I was invited as a guest to go to Carnival.  There Sara Dunn objected to me being on property, and did not have the professionalism to address me directly even though I never said a bad word to her, even on the day she kicked me out. Instead, she had Gary Davis do it. He told me I wasn't supposed to be there. I have witnesses to this. I told him I would leave if he asked. He did not. I spent the day with my friend and his wife, and did not take a THING from that Carnival.  Then I left at the end. Well, it was the worst one of the 3 I had attended. Many people cited the Administration for the lack of turn out of the volunteer groups who put it on.

I continued to go to the home and started returning to Guitars 4 Veterans. That was the only time I set foot inside the buildings. I went to 3 session. Guitars 4 Vets is a A non profit nation wide organization that holds it meetings at the home. I was a graduate of the class, and became an instructor.

   Also that month I moved into an apartment near Grand Rapids and not too far from the home. My sis brought me a letter on the 25th, that was written 2 weeks before from the board of managers. Earnest Meyers, chairman of the board told me to stay off the property until I  appeared before the board, and that if I asked, I would be sent notice to do so. I wrote back saying I asked before in June, and heard nothing. What he did not tell me, was that the board met in August, at the DJ Jocabbi home in the Norther UP, and brought up my case, and denied my appeal. I was then invited to the September meeting at the GR home.

  There Earnest Meyers made it clear that HE ran the home, and not some lawyer. He was very upset that I took the advice of a lawyer.  Even with 2 well known and respected volunteers to testify on my behalf, Earnest never looked at my appeal. Instead he wanted me off property period. And he made that very very clear. He didn't even mention that they had discussed my case the month before. I found that out from an informant who got a copy of the Jacobbi  meeting minuets.

Well, they decided to table my appeal until the October meeting. And would not address any more of my issues. I waited till they voted and asked if I could at lest attend Guitars for Vets. I told them I would await their decision out on the pavilion.

I waited for 2 hours. And they came out and Earnest said NO. I had to stay off the property but that I would be called to the next meeting to present my appeal. I said ok, and agreed to stay off the property and HAVE DONE SO to this day, in hopes of bringing this to a close.

Then I got the letter of 7 Oct, all but shutting the door in my face, and telling me I had to take it to court.   Now it is clear, Meyers never intended on giving me a fair hearing. "

Angry - "Man that stinks. All that over one issue?"

Greg - "Well there are 2 now. The original incident, and the incident of my going back to visit friends on the advice of a lawyer and not on the word of demi-god Earnest Meyers Chairman of the board.   I now feel victimized by the home and the board. If he wants litigation, so be it. And I will do my best to make him look the fool that I now think he is.

I mean, we could have settled this and it been history MONTHS ago.. but he decided to keep it going. To me its like sending a guy to prison for life for stealing a pack of gum. Remember I told that to you last week when I gave you a copy of his letter, Angry. This is nothing but a pissing game ran by Earnie Meyers.

What they are doing is so damn PETTY, that I wanna just puke.  He is playing politics, and thank God no one is paying him for the job. His lack of professionalism is just dreadful. I think he is a disgrace to the veterans at the home. He doesn't give a rats ass about any of them. "

Ya know, I was at the Veterans Outreach center the other day talking to veterans, and a few had stayed down at the hospital in Battle Creek. They said the veterans down there say the Battle Creek Hospital may be bad, but not as bad as they have heard the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans is.

Apparently the Home has quite a BAD reputation now amongst Michigan Veterans. They think its worse than the VA! Well, I have only stayed at one VA hospital and that was the one in Ann Arbor and I thought that one was nice, for a hospital.  But even so, with the things I have seen here at the Grand Rapids Home, I fully understand how it got its bad reputation.

And lets face it. This blog has exposed a LOT of whats going on at the home. I just wonder why the home is not being criminally investigated and the administration hasn't been lead out in handcuffs yet. But I have hopes it will happen one day..

I guess its going to be like the State congressman said; once someone goes postal, then maybe the state will take a closer look.. I just hope none of the guys do."

Joe -"What is next for you?"

Greg - " Court. And I will let ya know how it turns out after its done, but it might be a while. I intend on going for damages, plus the removal of some of the board members, plus my right to visit friends again.

I think the courts have 2 questions that need answering. The first is when does a member veteran stop being subject to the policy rule making of the board of directors? The second question, is does the board have the authority to deny citizens access to the home for visitation without a court order? Also I intend on getting a court order allowing me back on property. To do that I think we are going to have to issue a show cause order and force Earnest Meyers to come to court to testify. There he will look very foolish in front of the judge.  Remember, the home treats member veterans as if they are nothing more than stupid slaves. So this should be an interesting time in court. And if I win, it will set precedence and force the board to rethink how it treats veterans. "

Angry - "Cool. Hey thanks for stopping by and doing this. I will get this typed up and posted soon.".


Editors note:

It is now evident that the word of Earnest Meyers is not worth a bucket of spit and he cannot be trusted.

Earnest Meyers told Greg he would be sent notice to appear at the October meeting of the board and instead, Earnest Meyers has shut him out and forced him to take his issues to court.  I hope a Judge slams Meyers for his stupidity, dishonesty and is disgraceful actions against the veterans he is supposed to be helping.

THIS is Ernest Meyers, chairman of the board of managers.