State Lies, moves to prosecute Former Residents of Vets home.

NEWS FLASH

State of Michigan goes back on its word, notifies veterans of prosecution for income tax evasion.

19 Dec 2017. Earlier this year 4 veterans at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans were discharged (kicked out) of the home for selling non taxed cigarettes at the home to fellow veterans. These smokes were obtained from Native American Reservations by a VA employee, and brought to the home to a specific veteran who then sold them to others. 3 other veterans helped him by “watching the store” when the 1^st veteran had to go get his meds, or use the rest room, or something like that.

State of Michigan got involved in the case and decided to let the veterans home decide the fate of the 4.

Now 3 of the 4 have left the home, the 4^th being in hospice due to medical issues. 2 of the others, one of whom was the contact person, require nursing care, only 1 can live independently. All 3 had to move out of Kent county to find living accommodations. We just got the last one situated in permanent housing this last Friday.  

None has personal transportation, and all must appear in State court, Grand Rapids Michigan in January. How the state expect them to get there, I have no idea. 2 are scared to death that they will end up in the county jail for months, losing their recently obtain living quarters, effectively putting them on the street yet again.

WHY? Haven’t these people been thru enough already? Who decided to do this? IS this more of the Atty Generals failure to protect veterans? All we know right now is that members of congress have been notified, news media has been notified and many, many people are angry that this is happening just before Christmas. Many think its just a political stunt so that the AG can get a victory under his belt, after so many failures at the Vets home. 

Part of the "rest of the story", what MI AG Schuette ignored.

What people may not know what happened during the Time of the previous administration. A number of abuses of veterans at the home occurred.

Veterans were systematically stripped of all assets by the Guardian/Conservator System imposed on them by the state courts. Several times we had wives of veterans tossed to the street, their family home sold out from underneath the wife who belonged to the generation that took care of their “house wives”. because her name was not on the houses deed. Married for 50+ years, no Social security, nothing, and curbed because her hubby vet got put into the vets home when she could no longer care for him due to her own problems she gets with aging.  The guardian/conservator kicked them to the street.

Veterans were MURDERED by incompetent medical staff who gave them wrong prescriptions,  refused to follow VA doctors instructions or did not treat their medical conditions properly. One veteran named Monrow, was kicked out of Dom unit for refusing to turn over the medication he got from VA Ann Arbor, after a major shoulder operation. And Dom unit people are "self medicating" meaning they keep their meds locked up in their rooms, and take them as required without help of nursing staff. The Doctors wanted to change his meds upon his return from his VA Hospital stay, and he refused to let them, choosing to follow the VA Surgeon's instructions.  So they kicked him out to the street.

Other vets in Nursing units were overdosed, given wrong meds, given meds they did not need, forced to take them against their will or have their personally owned property taken from them as punishment.

Some of the veterans would have a meds routine that they had been on for years, then they move into the home and the doctors there changed them, many times resulting in the Vet having to go to the ER. One vet was taken by family members just 3 weeks after moving into the home, to the VA hospital in Battle creek, near death because of what the homes medical staff did to his meds schedule. 

Then we had veterans who were forced to take drugs they did not need. One fellow died from taking Depakote, a drug he did not need. The state imposed conservator Sythia Thornbury ordered him to take it. When he refused they threatened to take away his scooter – his PROPERTY that he owned. I call that theft and intimidation.  He had to carry a sign on his scooter that said if he did not take his meds, he would loose his scooter. This is abuse of veterans. And it happened more than just one of them. 

Michigan family court judge David Murkowski was the one who approved many of the homes request to impose a guardian or conservator upon the veterans who became slaves to the guardian/conservator.The Veterans Freedom to choose, freedom to consent, was taken away from them by the courts and Murkowski.  The veterans were forced to pay the service fees for the conservators/guardians too, out of their own pockets.  

I have one veteran currently living at the home whose conservator REFUSES To put his money into a trust for his daughters. The state wants to claim it after they kill him off, just as they did so many others before him. 

They tried to make another veteran take drugs he did not need because of a family history of epilepsy. He did not have it,  and taking it made him feel like a zombie.. so when he refused they fought with him and his wife for 8 months trying to get the courts to impose a guardian on him. He finally left the home after an accident caused him to spend 4 months in a recovery hospital, and just 3 months after leaving that, he began walking again for the first time in 6 years, with the help of a walker. His health improved dramatically after leaving the home.

Then there is the intimidation of veterans. Sara Dunne stated publicly she would not tolerate any resident talking bad about the home to state legislatures. She said it was her job to talk to them. - denial of freedom of speech.

Sara, and Board of Managers  Lino Pretto told a group of residents they did not have a right to hold a meeting amongst themselves to discuss issues. This is a denial of their freedom to assemble and freedom of speech. It is well known, that any resident who spoke up or made waves risked being kicked out of the home. And many were under the Sara Dunn administration.

Jim Dunn, attorney, and I believe a former Michigan House of Represenatives, told people that he told the Governor everything that was going on at the home. He lied. The truth is he withheld information from the Governor to protect him and the upper management. 

These people were intimidated to the point where they were afraid to speak up about the abuses they suffered every day, because they had no where else to go. And this is just some of the abuses veterans tolerated every day.

One veteran was kicked out of the home for laying his hands on another veteran, while stopping 2 of them from fighting - one of which was nearly killed by the other one who was hitting him in the head with a bike lock in his hand. Had the veteran who broke up the fight not done so, we would have had another veteran murdered at the home by a fellow veteran and the Andy Ball case would have been one of several. - and it is.. the others just never got into court.  The man who got kicked out is Jerry L, one of 2 veterans who testified in Lansing to the House joint committee about the abuses at the home. He too has become a victim of the administrations abuses. 

Another veteran was kicked to the street without warning because he lost his temper when the home threatened to steal his car, having it towed away and impounded when it was parked in the wrong spot due to the staff always parking in the area reserved for residents. His first offense, and they kicked him out because he was an activist advocate for the veterans there. After being kicked out he was the other veteran who testified in Lansing about the abuses at the home.

When veterans called GR police department to report crimes by staff, GRPD refused to investigate.

It is really a wonder no one went postal there. A couple of times I thought someone was going to. One guy went around and pulled every fire alarm he could find in retaliation for the abuse he was putting up with.. they put him in court yard for a year and threatened him with removal to Battle Creek VA psychiatric unit.. 

And that VA Director of the Battle Creek VA hospital Mary Beth Skupian, who signed off on several years of VA audits showing continual problems at the Home. She needs to be held accountable as well. She could have done something, but did nothing. 

 

 

During this time,  AG Schutte 's response to the complaints by veterans was "they don't have to live there", instead of looking into the complaints filed by veterans, families of veterans and advocates.

Well, yes they do have to live there,  when their only other option is the street. And many were kicked to the street, only to die on the street, and in several case, less than half a mile from the home itself. To this day residents are still afraid to speak up, and many do not trust the new administration.

When advocates and residents took their concerns to Lansing, they were refused, and rebutted and told that anything they told Lansing would be used to support the administration. Basically their pleas for help were rejected. THIS is why everyone is so upset with Schuttes recent act of shear incompetence, and why so many feel insulted by what he did not do. Lansings job was to protect people, the veterans. Instead they protected the administration, and by doing so, have now helped to victimize the veterans. 

And now Schuttee dismal performance by announcing the criminal charges against middle management while refusing to hold accountable the upper management who supposedly were supervising the middle management and FAILED,  has insulted the veterans, veterans groups and advocates, and everyone is in an uproar over it.   

This isn't over yet people.. the fire storm is about to hit Schuette and Lansing. Shuette might as well give up his run for governor because this incident will be put front and center where ever he goes to speak for his run for governor. 

 These are just SOME of the abuses that happened. 

MI Atty General Bill Schuette Dishonors Veterans - Again.

On Monday,, 24 July 2017, Michigans Attorney General Bill Schuette announced criminal charges against 11 former workers at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, relating to the previous administration.

These are middle management people, and are being used as scapegoats, nothing more.

This poor performance of the AG's office is an insult to the justice demanded by the victims of the Sara Dunne administration.


Given Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette and his team took so long to announce charges relative to abuses at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, I truly expected to see substantial, meaningful criminal charges filed.  I believe anyone abusing our veterans should be prosecuted to the maximum extent possible.

In that regard, everyone should support the filing of charges of the individuals named today.

However, activists for the veterans are extremely disappointed that after all this time none of those charged included some of the worst offenders:  Michigan Attorney General Schuette's own team member (who was the Assistant Attorney General who guided past Admin. while atrocities were ongoing - the same one who advised us Schuette and Governor Snyder were told "everything" as early as 2014); the past administrators and Home leaders who not only shut a blind eye to horrific abuses, but who should be directly accountable for many abuses they made  themselves; those who are accountable for the still missing millions of dollars; as well as certain previously identified Board of Manager members who threatened and intimidated those who spoke out about abuses or asked for change.

Until that happens, Any action taken by the Attorney generals office, is inadequate for the justice demanded, and deserved by those victimized by the previous administration.

Schuttee made his position on veterans clear years ago when he said " they don't have to live there", showing complete disrespect to those for which that veterans home is the only place they have other than the street. And todays action by Schuttee is a furthering of that previous idea.

In other words, he could care less.

Schutte claims that people did not provide him with names, locations, and specifics.. To this I claim BULL!  I personally did video interviews of fellow residents, and took those videos and paperwork to both local media and Sent copies to the AG's office.  NOTHING was done. No one stood up for the veterans.  The AG office has that information. 

There is no excuse for this poor performance of the AG's office. 

It is clear that its position is one of protecting the Governor Rick Snyder Administration and its followers.  Schuette should wear a bag over his head in public to hide his shame.

Abuse and Punishment at Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.

Just definition of abuse, or punishment do we apply when it comes to caring for our veterans?

Punishment itself can be a form of abuse.  While everyone would agree that sometimes a person needs to face punishment for wrong doings, you must also take into account where these action are taking place: at a state ran institution that tells its residents that it is a hospital, whose name says its a "home" for "veterans". All of which is misleading.

Not only is this location a place for veterans, several family members (wives) of Veteran also are in residence here. Two of these ladies are currently living in the Dorm unit. Both are treated with high levels of respect by the younger veterans who live there.

The administration also calls this a Hospital, due to the fact that there are full time nurses at work. And other professionals that help with the healing of people, both physical and in a very very limited way, the mental aspects.

The main focus of this institution was for veterans. And veterans are different from ordinary people, due to their experiences. Military life is hard, even in peace time. And it can leave unseen scars on a person for years afterwards.  Military people tend to react differently than most folks, to common situations. This is why this place is special. Every vet is a special needs person due to their service.

We are going to focus on the Veterans. Some times these guys get out of line so to say and need to be reprimanded. They need to face punishment for what they have done.  For Jim Dunn (deputy director of MVAA) to say veterans are not punished is an out right lie and proves he is ignorant of what goes on at the Home.

For guys in the Dorm unit, proper punishment can be a written warning, or days off. Meaning they are kicked out of the home for 24 hours, 2 days, 3 days, 5 days and 7 days. As "independent living" people, capable of taking care of themselves and not needing nursing or care giving, this kind of punishment serves to remind them that it is a privilege to live at the home. And that doing so means they have to live by the rules of the home or face permanent discharge. Before permanent discharge a veteran usually gets a few chances to correct their behavior with the warnings and lesser "time out" days.

However, some do not get that luxury and are discharged on their first offense.  

Never mind the rules written in the "members hand book". The past administration never did follow those rules, and a double standard has been policy for the last 5 years.  THIS is seen by many as ABUSE of Veterans who are used to a strict chain of command and strict adherence to the established rules by everyone in that chain of command.













For the nursing units, punishment can be a number of things. Disallowing the veteran to go to the clothing room to get even more clothing (when they don't need any more), would be an acceptable punishment. We do have veterans with hording issues. A guy in Dorm unit used to horde junk mail which became a fire hazard. He was punished by permanent discharge for that and other reasons.

Some guys are in powered wheel chairs. These guys OWN these chairs. The punishment of having these chairs taken away as a punishment should be seen as ABUSE;  except in the case where the veteran has proven to the staff that due to physical and/or mental issues, the veteran lacks the skills to properly operate the power chair without becoming a danger to himself, others, or property. 

Walking into a veterans room in the middle of the night and snapping on all of the lights, thus waking up all the guys in that room, is seen by many vets, as abuse. Not respecting the privacy rights of veterans is also seen by the membership as abuse. Abuse doesn't always have to be physical.

And that abuse goes both ways. I have seen veterans get down right nasty with care givers and nurses that are trying to help them.  Case in point.  My room mate and I were interrupted one day when it was announced we would be getting a 3rd person in our 4 man room. The caregivers brought him up from another unit and this guy cussed them out calling them every name in the book he could think of because he was angry that he was being moved from that unit. His abuse of the staff was not acceptable. His other abuses eventually got him permanently discharged from the home.

Is it abuse of veterans to feed them a high carbohydrate diet when so many are suffering from Diabetes? Some would say yes.

Is it abuse of veterans, for staff members to go to a member council meeting and threaten them with disciplinary action, for the actions of another member who is not even in that unit? This happened many times at Dorm Unit member council meetings.


Is it abuse of a veteran, when that veteran is afraid to speak up, out of fear of being targeted for dismissal?


Is it abuse of Veterans, when staff members go to member council meetings, talk down to veterans then ignore what Veterans have to say in reply? This was standard policy the entire time I was at the home.

Punishment does happen at the home. So does abuse. And that abuse goes both ways.

To act as if it does not happen, is to deny reality and what goes on at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.

Grand Rapids Home for Veterans War on Free Speech.

Well they did it. It has been a successful campaign. The Home silences voices for Veterans, (unless it is one of them) and obstructs free speech.

Historical evidence clearly shows an intentional attempt by the administration of the Michigan Veterans home at Grand Rapids, is involved in squashing free speech by its residents or any other out side influence from speaking up for the veterans within.

From targeting residents for discharge (removal) to targeting visitors. Anyone who has anything negative to say about the home or its administration, even if it is for the purpose of bringing attention to problems that need resolution (positive criticism) , the administration is actively attempting to silence that voice.

From Sara Dunne's claim that its HER job to talk to Congressional representatives, instead of letting veterans do so, to Jim Dunn of the Michigan Department of Veterans Affairs Agency, who said its his job to represent the veterans to the congress, the history is clear.

The fact that this home ordered a state congresswoman  (Winnie Brinks) whose district includes the home, OFF of the homes property should not surprise anyone.

The local media is in lock down about the home and refuses or fails to do any kind of story on the home or what is going on within the home, without the administrations approval. And any stories short of murder are quashed unless they reflect the home in a positive way.  Outside voices for the veterans and resident veterans themselves have gone to local media (WOOD TV8  and WZZM 13) with stories only to see them silenced. A video interview with one resident (at his request), who later died at the VA hospital in Battle Creek, was hand delivered to WZZM and it too got silenced.

What once used to be a real HOME for veterans has become a glorified prison for many of the remaining residents. Members as they are called, even though the home is classified as a "hospital" and ran quasi like one. It has become a place for veterans to die, more than an actual home where people do things like live and enjoy life.  Residents are afraid to speak up for fear of being targets for expulsion from the home. And for many of them, it is the only place they have other than the streets.


Residents have witnessed what they believe is the homes targeting residents who "speak up" and who 'are not afraid to say whats on their minds", only to see those residents discharged, "kicked out" of the home shortly after they become vocal.   Other residents are told to "shut up" when they try to bring up issues. I am told this happened most recently to a veteran of the Dorm Unit, who spoke up about proper licensing on a hunting trip.

The homes residents "member counsel" has become nothing more than a glorified bitch session, with the residents whining about trivial matters and the administration ignoring them, while talking DOWN to them about various things.

Dorm unit member counsel meeting was eliminated because Dorm residents stop going to it. They got tired of being talked down to by the administration who refused to listen to what they were saying to the administration. Ideas on how to improve things and how to deal with problems fell on deaf ears (so the residents felt). Now there is just one resident counsel meeting that covers both nursing units and Dorm unit, and recently a member from the Dorm unit was kicked out of that meeting because he was trying to discuss a serious problem at the home.

Long time volunteers and advocates for veterans from the DAV (Disabled American Veterans), VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) and others have been banned from the property after years of volunteering at the home.

Several residents, volunteers and visitors who go to the home on a regular basis have told me that they believe the only reason Greg M is not allowed to visit resident friends is because the board of managers believes he is directly connected to this blog and this is their attempt to silence him. The residents say that they think that the board seems to believe that if he cannot go on the property he cannot report what is really going on there.  They are wrong. Joe and I get reports form over 40 people. Residents, volunteers, visitors, and even a few employees contact us monthly to keep us informed as to whats going on there. I can and do visit once in a while when I have time and I see things going on that are just unbelievable and unacceptable behavior from the administration. Joe was there last week and says the place should be shut down and the veterans allowed to go to private sector care places.

Pro veteran members of Michigan Congress say they are being stopped by the Executive branch, and Governor Rick Snyders' people. Many have tried to intervene on behalf of veterans only to be shut down.

The Governors people, the board of managers and the homes administration doesn't want the public to know about any of this for their own self interest reasons. And that is why this blog and its Facebook page exists.


This is a criminal act by those who are employed by the state to act in the interest of the public trust to care for our veterans. And they need to be held accountable and REMOVED and where applicable, prosecuted.

Veterans treated as Guinea pigs for Doctor at Grand Rapids Veterans Home.

http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2014/12/join_gov_rick_snyder_for_a_liv.html

In the comments section, a person claims Doctor Bates is unlicensed to prescribe medications in Michigan yet does so daily at the home. And this is not the first time we have heard about this.

This makes our veterans Guinea pigs for this doctor. Why hasn't this issue been addressed by the Board or by the Administration?

Something is not right here.

Dr. Bates was the Doctor for a number of veterans who appeared to have passed early from this life.
In the case of Richard Ware, both Bates and the state imposed Conservator Cynthia Thornbury seem to be the 2 parties responsible for Richards early death by forcing him to take a physo drug that he did not need, leading to is developing C.Diff, which killed him. 

Are our Veterans at the Grand Rapids Veterans Home being used as Guinea pigs? If this doctor does not have a proper license to be prescribing medication and is doing so, it would indicate that the veterans are.

Impregnable wall of silence surrounds Michigan Veterans home while abuse continues without any oversight.

Something is wrong with the State of Michigans veterans home in Grand Rapids Michigan.

Local media refuse to publish stories on complaints made by veterans. Local police refuse to take complaints by veterans and/or family members.

State Legislatures are ordered off the facility grounds by the Administration and are refused access to talk to veterans without a staff member being present; which reminds me of the political officers of the KGB in the USSR.

State legislatures refusal to provide an independent ombudsman for veterans while people in Michigans Prisons have them.

Numerous deaths occurred at the home over the last 5 years due to a number of  situations that should be investigated as wrongful deaths.

Deaths related to veterans being forced to go outside in cold weather to have a smoke, instead of the legislature giving the home an exemption for smoking rooms for winter time; as many retirement homes have.

Deaths related to the over drugging of veterans.

Deaths related to the use of psychotic  drugs, without qualified personnel being present to over see their usage,  as required by law.

Deaths related to poor meals, and the increase of diabetes in veterans due to poor diet of high carbohydrates.

Theft of Veterans personal property by staff members as punishments, this could also be seen as abuse of the elderly.

Just to name a few charges that need to be investigated.  

Misuse of donated funds, misuse of federal funds.

Abuse of veterans by State imposed guardians or conservators.

Abuse of veterans who dare to stand up and speak out - they get targeted for reprisals from the staff and/or discharged from the home.

Volunteers who speak up are banned from the property. Workers who speak up are fired.

The systematic taking of veterans assets while at the home, by State imposed Guardians or Conservators.

For the last 5 years several groups have tried to bring these problems to the attention of the public, and our government and our police forces when justified.. All have stood and remained silent on the issue claiming they are internal issues to the home.

Yet the home exists on Federal dollars. Without the influx of that money the home would most likely  be forced to shut down, because the state of Michigan does not want to have to fund it.

The wall of silence about what is happening to veterans at that facility must be broken down.

And to make matters worse, members of VFW, AMVets, Am Legion, and other Veterans organizations, don't want to get involved.

Is Systematic Abuse by State Appointed Guardians and family court helping to cause early deaths of veterans at the Michigan Veterans Home?

If you are an adult, and you are married, who comes first? Your spouse, right?

What if you become ill and need help and go to the hospital, and the hospital administration decides you need a court appointed guardian, what then?

What if the State court just decides to revoke the  power of attorney you gave your spouse, and appoints a guardian over you, without a hearing?  Is this not due process abuse?

And what if you have been married for over 45 years to the same man, and the guardian refuses to allow you to VISIT him?!! And sells your family home forcing you into a nursing home? Is this not abuse of not only your husband veteran, but you as well?

And what if that guardian immediately files for a divorce that neither you nor your spouse wants? Would you call that abuse by the guardian?

And what if that divorce never happens, but 20,000 of your money is spent on lawyer fees? Is this not abuse of your MONEY by the Guardian?

Or what if the guardian tells the home to make you take a psychotic drug, because the guardian is tired of you as a veteran, standing up for your rights, objecting to the presence of the guardian, and the decisions they are making on your behalf, for which you feel are not the right decisions?  Is this abuse?

And during your time under this guardian, your ID is stolen 3 times, resulting in your credit history being ruined, the guardian sells your car, but cannot account for the money. Is this also abuse?

And what if someone calls your Home Mortgage company, claiming to be your wife, wanting to refinance your home, but finds out since they don't have the security code, they cannot proceed?  Is this Abuse of the person?  It is fraud, and it is a felony to misrepresent ones self as someone else in such legal matters. And it has happened more than once.

What if that Guardian instead of consulting your wife on maters, calls your Mother and Sister who both do not like your wife of 35+ years; and conspire with them for a full funeral, which you and your spouse do not want. The guardian puts a large sum of your money down as a deposit for a funeral that you don't even want. IS this Abuse? 

And instead of returning your belongings and finances to your wife, the guardian sends them to your Mother who has no legal right to them, is this not abuse (of the family by the guardian)?

What about over drugging you, or forcing you to take drugs you do not need, denying you the right to a second opinion, (from someone other than the homes medical staff), is this NOT abuse of the Veteran??

These abuses and the stress from having to endure this kind of treatment by people who are supposed to be helping you and looking out for your best interests, has terrible effects on the health of these veterans. It wears them down fast, and leads to an early grave.

These are abuses that have happened to various veterans who USED to live at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.  They are dead now.  And its still happening to many other veterans at the Home.

An investigation of how many veterans are appointed Guardians needs to be called for by members of  the US Congress.  And abuse of these veterans by the State family court, and the Guardians and/or conservators, needs to be investigated fully due to the fact that the State government won't lift a finger to help these veterans.

Local law enforcement refuses to get involved or take any complaints by veterans or their families. In stead they are referred to the State Attorney General, who represents the State in such matters, not the veterans. The veterans have no voice, no Ombudsman to speak for them.  No one. 


Karen Fugi (SP?), a counselor at the home, is one whose name keeps coming up as the person who has made the recommendations for guardianship.

The State Appointed guardian whose name keeps cropping up as letting these abuses happen is Cynthia Thornberry, (SP?) 

And the state judge who took away the spouse's rights is  State Family Court Judge David Murkowski whom himself has abused families and veterans, by doing what he calls "helping them".

Yeah right. They are helping themselves to the Veterans Money, and sending the Veteran to an early grave. That is not helping them.

How long is Michigan going to continue to allow Court appointed Guardians or Conservators to Destroy Veteran families and Steal Veterans Assets?

How many times have I heard this in the last 5 years? A man goes to the Michigan Veterans Home in Grand Rapids, Mi, and with in a few months a court appointed guardian or conservator, has been imposed upon him and his family.

Yes I said family,  as they have to deal with that guardian/conservator as well. And it can be a very highly charged emotional experience as well as very aggravating when you find out that the courts that are supposed to be protecting your rights are violating them and making things worse not better.

And for the rest of this article G/C will mean Guardian and/or a Conservator that is court appointed.

Either way the fact remains that these people are Court appointed Agents. We haven't quite figured out who they are an agent for except perhaps the courts themselves; or maybe the law industry in general. (Meaning judges, clerks, court administration, lawyers, paralegals and CPA's, ect..)


Either way the G/C is a curse upon freedom. They are rarely held accountable for what they do and under Michigans current laws, it is difficult if not impossible to hold them accountable for the damages they do to families and the very people they are supposed to be helping.

And the Michigan Veterans home LOVES to get G/C's imposed on veterans.

As soon as the court appoints a G/C, any power of attorney issued by the veteran to his wife, or other family member is immediately nullified, many times without any hearing or without showing cause as to why that person should no longer be allowed to exercise the power of attorney given to them by the veteran.

This in effect stops the family members from having any say in how their veteran relative is treated, or how his/her money should be spent and for what purposes. The family is effectively shut out of the veterans life except as a visitor IF the G/C even allows that to happen.

On no less than 6 occasions I heard family members complain the G/C was preventing them from seeing their family member. In 3 cases I saw complaints of G/C removing spousal support; support that the wife of the veteran depended upon and had since the day they got married over 30+ years before. The wives were left with nothing, and instantly became financial widows.


If a veteran does not like what the guardian is doing he can fight it by petitioning the courts. Case after case, I have seen this result in the veteran being put on "anger drugs" when the court refuses to remove the G/C, and the veteran gets angry that his freedom and his right to choose and right to consent is being removed from him by some black robbed thug sitting behind a bench claiming to be upholding American Justice.

The staff at the home forces the veteran to take the anger drugs or they impose punishments on him.  Sometimes they end up making him take even stronger "zombie" drugs. This is shameful, but is standard operating procedure at the Vets Home.  And for several years it was done without qualified medical people. I wonder how many wrongful deaths occurred because of that?

Veterans will find their power chairs or power scooters taken away from them as punishment if they do not take prescribed drugs, or for other behavioral violations such as returning to their unit too late or for going down the hall way too fast when no one else is in the hallway or for any other number of so called reasons.

The fact is when the staff does this, it is not right. The Scooter or power chair is the veterans property and the home takes it from them as punishment??? That is thievery at the very least and is a CRIME. It should also be seen as harassment and abuse of the Veteran. Yet this happens almost daily at the Vets Home.

The only exemption to this is if the power scooter or chair being used is one that belongs to the Home itself; then the home has the right to take it. 

How many times have I heard a Veteran or his wife tell me that the G/C is trying to force them to get a divorce? Just about every time. And I think I know why. So they don't have to use the veterans money to pay for the spouse. Because its easier to care for one person, the veteran which is what they are being paid to do. They do not feel they should have to care for the spouse, as they are not getting paid to do that; or are they? When they take on the responsibility of being G/C for the veteran that means they take on the responsibilities that the veteran had, which may include caring for a spouse.  But if the guardian doesn't like the spouse, or thinks the spouse is abusing the veteran, (with out any proof) the guardian can use any of the veterans assets to pay for a lawyer to force a divorce on the two people, even if neither party wants it! Now explain that to me. Explain how that is helping the veteran?   (Yes this is directed at you Murkowski.)

G/C's can spend unlimited amounts of the veterans money for a divorce lawyer, that does nothing. This has happened to at least 4 veterans that I know of at the home.


When the Veteran tells the G/C he doesn't want the divorce, the G/C may think the wife is influencing the Veterans opinion and get a court order banning the wife from having any contact with her husband. All without a hearing where the wife has the opportunity to speak openly without fear of reprisal from the so called presiding Judge.  In 2 cases, wives were kept apart from their husbands for over 14 months.

In 4 cases, the veterans tried with their wives, to get the G/C's removed. In 1 case the G/C was removed and a daughter was appointed G/C. In another the guardian was removed completely. In the other 2 cases, the judge refused to remove the G/C yet did not explain why and when asked in one case, the judge replied he didn't have to explain his decision.


Can you see why some veterans get angry with staff and G/C's? Well, an angry vet is a dangerous vet, in some cases  - but not all. Vets with PTSD  can go off at any time when angered, so the home forces the vet to take "anger medication".  Medication designed to keep them calm even if they have the right to be angry. This creates a lot of unnecessary stress for the veteran. And many times the application of the drugs is done without proper supervision of qualified medical personnel. 

Some of the drugs are psychotropic drugs that require a certified licensed Psychiatrist be on staff. Well the home hasn't had one since before 2010 that I am aware of.  And yet many veterans were on those kinds of drugs, both in Nursing and Dorm Units.

In the case of a Veteran with a G/C, the veteran is forced to take the drugs, even if doing so goes against the will of the Veteran.

Most of these drugs turn the guys into zombies, and side effects are not monitored as closely as they should be.

In one case, a veteran stopped taking one of those zombie drugs, and for months was spitting it out. Then at a care conference the staff said he was doing great not knowing he was not on the drug.
Only after this veteran went to Outside hospital, did the home find out and when they did, they went ballistic. They made him take the drug he did not need, and their excuse was that he had had anger issues in the past. A few weeks later the man was dead because of what that drug did to him.

The G/C, the medical staff at the home, are responsible for the early death of this veteran, and several others for the same reasons: Forcing them to take medications they do not need.

Also, Veterans at the home do not have the same opportunity as other veterans to go get a second medical opinion if they disagree with the homes medical staff. For the veteran to be able to go over to the vets clinic located next door to the home, they have to get the ok from the home's medical staff. And that doesn't happen very often.

And if the Veteran has a G/C assigned to them, the veteran can't go out on his own to a private doctor at any of the medical centers here in town or anywhere else in Michigan, to get a second opinion.
This is not right either.

If a G/C is challenged and a Petition is presented to the Court for their removal, exparte communication between the G/C and the Judge happens where the G/C is given permission to use the Veteran's money the G/C has control of to pay for any and all legal expenses related to the termination of the G/C. If the Veteran wants to have his G/C removed, his money is used by the G/C for them to keep their job.

In addition, the G/C has control of how medical bills are paid. If the G/C chooses not to use the Veterans insurance, they can make that choice as they control the veterans finances and often this ends up leaving a huge bill for the family. An unnecessary bill for the family that also creates even more distress and anger.

In the case of Veterans at the Home, the G/C may see several different veterans in one day yet she will charge each veteran with individual mileage to and from the Home. In most cases, the G/C does not keep a vehicle log. Many G/C's do not keep proper receipts. When the ward of a G/C dies, the G/C does not contact the family. The extended family is contacted though. It is not uncommon for the G/C to make funeral arrangements for the veteran without informing family members, or the veterans wife. In several cases they did not find out until after their loved one died.

There are cases when a G/C is necessary. When a spouse and children are active in the life of an incapacitated adult, they need to be included in every decision regarding the ward. At the Grand Rapids Home(?) for Veterans, the Home does not like it when anybody other than the G/C inquires about a veteran.  The home will refuse to let a wife know what is going on with her husband. The veteran's children are told nothing, all at the whim of the G/C.

And the term incapacitated is a joke. Many times, the courts will label a veteran with this. The veteran may be totally coherent but if a judge decides to the contrary, the veteran loses. I know of one instance where a judge ruled a veteran legally incapacitated because "he didn't know how much money he received every month". To hear a judge scream this in court as his basis for making the incapacitation judgement is ridiculous. This fallacy of the judge hits home when you consider that in many cases, the amount of revenue a veteran obtains each month can change, due to changing benefits being received from several different sources. Some times its hard to keep track of it all. 


The Psychiatric hospital south of town called Pine Rest makes an evaluation that the Courts use to decide if a veteran needs a G/C. Many times, a veteran has poor motor control in his upper extremities. If this veteran is told to draw a clock and doesn't make the clock in detail with little arrows and numbers, he fails the test. When they are told to draw a person and the veteran draws a stick figure, they fail the test. You got to wonder how detailed Pine Rest wants this figure to be


The fact is the G/C laws in Michigan are old, outdated and need to be scrapped and re-written for the benefit of the people who get burdened with them. They are destroying lives and families. Right now these laws only benefit the people imposing and administering them.

How much longer are the people of Michigan going to allow this to continue?

Vets Home Top Administrator Obstructing Veterans access to Congressional Representatives?

Once again, we have to report about Sara Dunne and this twisted, warped, and outright wrong idea she has about veterans and the Congress's, both US and State.

This past weekend, both Angry and I went to a Meet and Greet at a local retirement home, whose members hosted this event in their community room.

Guest of Honor was Democrat Governor candidate Mark Schauer who spoke to us about his vision of Michigan and its future.

At this meeting one of several Veterans Advocates who attended the meeting mentioned to Angry about a recent conversation she had with Sara Dunne. I inquired and the 3 of us ended up talking about it after Mark Schauer had to leave for another meeting.

Seems Sara Dunne, the top administrator at the Michigan Veterans Home(?!) in Grand Rapids, Mich told her that it was Saras' job to talk to the Congress people not individual veterans. And that she (Sara)  would not tolerate the veterans (members of the home) saying bad things about the home or the administration of the home to any member of Congress.

This is an out right violation of the veterans rights to speak to their duly elected representatives. This out right obstruction of their Constitutionally secured rights.

And while some people may think that this is just a rumor, I remind every one that Michigan State Congresswoman Winnie Brinks is the House of Representatives, Representative for this district which includes the veterans home; and she was escorted off the property for talking to veterans privately without staff approval. That action is well documented.

Since when does a member of congress need any ones permission to talk to anyone in his/her district, unless that person is in JAIL or PRISON?   Or is the Grand Rapids (home) for Veterans really the Grand Rapids Prison for Veterans?


There are those who think the Administration targeted Veteran members who started the Non Profit group Veterans for Justice for removal from the home. This non profit group has had several of its members kicked out of the home for various excuses by the administration. Most of the members believe they were kicked out for daring to stand up and voice their opinion and criticism of the Administration at the home. 

So to hear this latest bit of news, is not surprising.

What is surprising is that no one has found a good Constitutional lawyer willing to go after the administration yet. But I believe that day is coming sooner than they think.

At one point in time this blog reported a rumor about a secret meeting held at the home, where various people were told that a select small group of individuals where out there bad mouthing the home and trying to destroy its reputation.

I would like to update you on that. It is not a small group, now it is several groups and 3 are very very big groups with over 20 people who are reporting and spreading the news about the abuses and the ineffective staff and poor administrating going on at the home. And they are also telling folks that our Veterans deserve better. 

The Administration is doing it to itself. We are only trying to report what really happened, in other words, the facts. 

Grand Rapids Veterans Home: The Home is Euthanizing My Husband, Helping Richard Ware.

To all who care about Veterans
At 2:00 this afternoon, Richard and I attended his care conference. This is done quarterly for all residents of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. On my way to the Home, I spoke on the phone with my husband and I asked him if he was ready for it. He told me he was scared as he didn't know what his guardian, Cynthia Thornbury, was going to do to him next. I don't know what kind of fortitude my husband has but every day, he lives in fear of reprisal and further deterioration of his self esteem and spirit by either this woman or the Home.

Ms. Thornbury hit a new low today as she was joined by other members of the care conference brigade. They had questions for my husband. Basically, they wanted to know what steps my husband wanted to take to prolong his existence. Do they insert an airway, a feeding tube? Do they do CPR? Do they call an ambulance? What were his wishes? They even asked if he would consent to having Hospice involved.

Neither one of us were prepared for these insane questions and Richard didn't have a clue on how to answer them. I know when I have to make those decisions, they will be made with my family around me. That wasn't the case today. They wanted an answer that minute.

Now, I need you to understand something here. In my husband's opinion, as well as mine, HE ISN'T DYING! At least, God willing, not any time soon. Nobody has said anything to him about this. Cynthia went on to inform my husband and I that he is in the final stage of the MS. WHAT STAGE? MS isn't like cancer where it has stages. It isn't that way at all. Cynthia has her BA is Sociology. She is NOT a doctor. There wasn't a doctor at the meeting. There were 3 nurses, one social worker and one nutritionist in attendance along with my husband and myself.

I was very impressed with the nutritionist. Richard has dropped down to 135 pounds. He is extremely thin and emaciated. She is going to start a special plan with Richard where he will be eating every two hours. I know this is going to help him a great deal. When I had him home for Thanksgiving, he ate two huge ham sandwiches two hours before eating a large plate filled with turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and whatever else he wanted. He topped that off with a very large piece of homemade pumpkin pie and Cool Whip. The man can eat.

On Thanksgiving, our youngest son went to pick up his dad to bring him home for the day. Michael signed him out which is something I usually do when I go and get him. There is always a small envelope filled with his medication for the day that comes with him. That wasn't the case last Thursday. Richard informed me that he wasn't given his meds that morning either. You won't believe their justification for this. Cynthia looked towards the nurse who had all the records and she reported that Richard hadn't asked for them. Cynthia scolded Richard for not being medically responsible. Why would Richard willingly ask for drugs that turn him into a zombie? He is forced to take behavior modification meds. that turn him into a walking rock. These drugs have a drastic impact on him and his ability to be a man, not to mention being human.

Shortly after I left Richard to head home, a man from Hospice came to talk to him. They just chatted about nothing for a short time. It was more like a get acquainted time. This man is suppose to return on Friday. Richard wants nothing to do with him and has asked me how to handle this. I gave him a few suggestions and I hope he does none of them. In reality, we have time to figure this out as a family.

Bottom line is this. Dr. Bruce Vermeer, a well known doctor in the Grand Rapids area wrote a letter a few years ago stating that Richard would thrive and do best in a structured health care facility. Well. he isn't thriving and according to his guardian, he is on death's door. In the past 3 years, Richard has had pneumonia and has been hospitalized 9 times. Definitely, NOT THRIVING. He recently got out of the hospital for a bad intestinal infection. That comes from poor nutrition and germs. Again, NOT THRIVING. What am I getting to is this; THE HOME IS KILLING MY HUSBAND.. How can I stop this?

 If you can help, please contact me at CWare9155@aol.com.

THIS is what they do to kill off veterans at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.

Both of us have posted about Richard Ware, a Navy veteran who is incarcerated against his will at the Michigan Veterans home in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Over the years I have heard many things about this mans battle. Some of which are:

Now I just got word that Richard has been labeled by the home as a veteran who is about to die.
At a care conference today, his social worker who demanded the state appoint a guardian over him, didn't even attend his conference.

The conference was about his last days, and how he wanted the home to treat him. 

Richard went to the home due to drinking problems. The social worker demanded he be given a guardian, and Michigan family court Judge David Murkowski  ignored Richards wife's power of attorney, and stripped her of that power without a hearing of any kind.

State guardian Cynthia Thornbury was then appointed guardian. During the next few years, Thornbury and Murkowski, have destroyed this man.

Thornbury sold Richards car. The proceeds are not accounted for.
Thornbury then spent thousands of dollars of Richards money to pay for an attorney for a divorce that Richard did not want. In the end, he did not get the divorce.

Thornbury let Richards ID be stolen twice since she became his guardian. ONE such case was tracked back to the head of Safety at the home, Gerald Thomas who reportedly bought a cell phone using Richards social security number. 

Thornbury refused to allow Richard Wife to have contact with him for over a year and got a court order to back her up. Thornbury destroyed Richards family.

During an attempt to regain control over her husbands future, Mrs. Ware was arrested and put in jail by Judge Murkowski, and her lawyer fined for doing his job and now refuses to talk to Mrs. Ware. Mrs.Ware was given a no contact order and due to the order, Richard was not allowed to go to his Son's Graduation from Bible College because his wife was there.  Mrs. Ware was kept away from her husband for over a year.

Richard Ware originally went to the home due to alcohol addiction problems. He stopped drinking, then his MS kicked in. The guardian refused to let him leave the home. This angered Richard, and they started drugging him with drugs that only a qualified  psychiatrist  should be overseeing. But the veterans home has been in violation of Federal laws for nearly 5 years by not having proper psychiatric staff on campus and available. 

Due to the over drugging, Richard could not perform his physical therapy needed for his legs. The stress put on his body, by the long term exposure to unnecessary drugs and stress from the home not cooperating with Richard has lead him to this point where he is considered to be at deaths door by the home.  He has withered away, from 200 lbs down to 135. They will blame his smoking for his death, not the neglect and abuse of the powerful drugs they forced him to take against his will.

If this man dies within the next 60 days, I sincerly hope Mrs. Ware can find a lawyer that is hungry enough to go after Michigan Judge Murkowski, Guardian Thornbury, and social worker Karen Fugi,
and put them all in jail for violating this mans rights. 

Some kind of intervention must be done to save this man's life.  Please help if you can.

Update: Thornbury Screws up BIG TIME!  Life of Veteran is NOT in danger. Seems Thornbury made the decision to tell him he was about to die, but he is not dying. More on this later.