Kudo's to Rep. Bob Filner (D, CA). for having the guts to at least make this disgrace public. I can't believe that there are really knucklehads at the VA who would defend Nicholson - the guy is a DISGRACE!
I got one of the "letters" the VA sent out - and it's true, all they told me is that I have to watch my credit reports and monitor my credit status. They aren't offerring any solutions that aren't already in place for us now. WHAT A JOKE!
As a veteran, I truly believe that when the man retired from the Army Reserve and hung his uniform in the closet - HE LEFT HIS HONOR IN THERE AS WELL!
Read this story from the Marine Times............
June 13, 2006
Filner, VA employee trade barbs outside HQ
By Rick Maze
Times staff writer
A stunt by some House Democrats in front of the Department of Veterans Affairs turned into a shouting match over the theft of personal information from millions of veterans and service members.
ersonName>Rep. Bob FilnerersonName> of California, the acting ranking Democrat on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, staged a press conference Tuesday morning in front of the VA headquarters near the White House to ceremoniously deliver boxes of envelopes that could be used, he said, to send letters to veterans, service members and families warning about the possibility of identify theft. VA records containing names, Social Security numbers, birthdates and other information was stolen in early May from the home of a VA employee who had taken the information home.
Envelopes were involved because VA Secretary R. James Nicholson told Congress that veterans were not immediately notified of the theft, which raised the threat of identity theft for 26.5 million veterans, 2.2 million current service members and 50,000 survivors, because “we have found out we cannot right now get 26 million envelopes.”
The VA has since found enough envelopes to send letters individually notifying people to be wary of someone obtaining credit in their name.
At the end of the press conference, where Filner and other House Democrats lambasted the Bush administration for being slow and unresponsive to questions about the threat, Filner got into a shouting match with unidentified VA employees after he called Nicholson a political “crony” of ersonName>President BushersonName> who wasn’t up to the job.
The employees fired back that at least Nicholson was a decorated combat veteran, while Filner never served in the military. As the press conference broke up, the arguing continued on the sidewalk, according to other lawmakers.
In a statement issued before the press conference, Filner said he was “baffled” that the VA has not asked Congress for money or legislation to respond to what he called “one of the biggest data breaches in history.”
“It is as if the White House has washed its hands of the matter,” Filner said.
“So far, the administration’s efforts with respect to this critical matter do not give me great confidence. It appears to me that they are simply saying. ‘We lost your personal information, so you folks need to monitor your credit reports and keep an eye on your finances’,” Filner said.
There has been punishment. The VA employee who took home copies of data bases with personal information will be fired, VA officials said, and his immediate supervisor has resigned. Another supervisor has been put on administrative leave.
However, Filner said that isn’t enough. He wants senior-level political appointees to resign or be terminated. “Accountability should not stop on floors below the individuals under whose leadership this blunder occurred. Top VA officials, including the secretary and deputy secretary, must be held accountable,” said Filner, “and the Bush Administration must start showing real concern and offer substantive rather than cosmetic fixes.”
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