Secretary Bob announced today they will be changing the unique language that measured the distance from a Veteran’s house to the nearest VA facility as the crow flies and in nautical miles. Since odometers measure it in statute miles, this has caused endless confusion and many is the Vet who paid to have his odometer checked for accuracy.

As some of you are wont to say “Get the f*** outta here!”, I will voice your incredulity for you. One would almost have to ask why anyone would measure miles in any format other than the standard, accepted practice. Here’s the explanation from none other than the whizbang who ordered it up.

“We’ve determined that changing the distance calculation will help ensure more veterans have access to care when and where they want it,” Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald said in a statement. The change will be unveiled at a hearing Tuesday before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.

How ’bout them apples? VA working for us rather than against us. I told you all that they are nonadversarial and Veteran friendly but no one would believe me. I stand vindicated.

I do love the aplomb with which ol’ Bob can stand there in front of the press and say something inane like:

McDonald told senators last month that he was open to changes in the way the 40-mile rule is interpreted, but he and other VA officials stressed that relaxing the rule’s requirements was likely to result in higher costs for the program. 

Hellooooooooooo? Enacting the program in the first place was a thorn in the VA’s bonus program from the get go. Having to actually measure time and distance the way all of us do was going to be more expensive? Who do they hire to research these weighty subjects? The same gurus who determined how many shekels the new Denver VAMC was gonna run? And we wonder why it takes two years to do a claim for a burial flag?

Benefits may appear larger than they are in the mirror (but certainly no closer).

Here’s a precursor to this post in the same vein.