There’s a VA hospital in Los Angeles. A Department of Veteran’s Affairs study suggested that some of the excess land on which it sits could be sold. Since the site is in a super-rich area of LA, it could fetch up to $4 billion that could be used to upgrade the care of veterans.
But it’s probably not going to happen. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is micromanaging the department, seeking to forbid it to carry out the action recommended by its own experts. Call it an earmark by another name.
Why the action? One possible reason: “Word is that some Hollywood luminaries who live in Mr. [Sylvester] Stallone’s neck of the woods have also complained that any changes would impede views from their 15,000-square-foot manses.” Hollywood types have a lot of money to donate to political causes, if you haven’t noticed.
There’s nothing new with pork-barrel protectionism. Perhaps it’s time to apply the BRAC solution to the VA.