LA’s Royalty Must Serve Veterans And Not Rule Against Them

By Robert L. Rosebrock, Staff Writer

For decades, Los Angeles County has been the most populous county in the nation with more than 10 million residents.  Moreover, there are an estimated 400,000 Veterans living within L.A. County and more than one million who live within 50 miles of the VA Greater West Los Angeles Healthcare System (VA GWLAHS), which is the largest VA in the nation.

Government Royalty
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors is one of the three most powerful governing seats in the nation, serving as both the executive and legislative rule with no real “checks and balance” or oversight.

There are five L.A. County District Supervisors and each Supervisor’s District includes approximately two million residents, which is nearly the equivalent of three Congressional Districts.

These Supervisors have so much power that for a long time they were dubbed the "Five Kings," even though one of the current Supervisors is a female. Nonetheless, today’s "Kings and Queen" of the Board need only a majority vote of three Supervisors to impact the lives of 10 million residents, including millions of America’s Veterans.

An Upstanding Citizen and a War Veteran
On the second Wednesday of each month, the Veterans Advisory Commission (VAC) of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors meets to discuss and take appropriate action regarding Veterans issues.

RIGHT: Conflicting Interests
Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles County Supervisor of the Third District, Sue Young, executive director of Veterans Park Conservancy, Henry Waxman, U.S. Congressman of the 30th District, and Flora Gil Krisiloff, Westside Senior District Deputy to Yaroslavsky and the vice president and board member of Veterans Park Conservancy, hold a rendering of the proposed public park on Veterans sacred land. The rendering shows the "majestic wrought iron fence" to beautify the entryway into Brentwood, which the VA was hoodwinked into donating $1 million of Veterans healthcare money.  The concrete part of the "fence" includes the denigrating slur of "Beauty, Honor, Country" instead of the noble "Duty, Honor, Country."

Each Supervisor appoints two Commissioners within his or her District for a total of ten Commissioners on the VAC. Each Commissioner must be an upstanding citizen and a war Veteran, and each is expected to put the priorities of his or her fellow Veterans and their needs first and foremost above any political agenda. 

Commissioners Have Enormous Responsibility
The Commissioners’ responsibilities include: “Study, advise and recommend to the Board of Supervisors on special problem areas relating to veterans within Los Angeles County, and to serve as a means of communication for veterans within Los Angeles County. The Commissioners must also endorse Veterans affairs within Los Angeles County, which the Commission believes are positive and worthwhile.”

As noted, there is a large number of Veterans living outside of L.A. County that depend on the healthcare services at the VA GWLAHS, yet they cannot vote for any of the County’s Supervisors. As a result, the Commissioners of the VAC have an enormous responsibility to ensure that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is providing the very best of healthcare needs for Veterans who not only live within Los Angeles County, but to ensure that the large sector of Veterans living outside of their respective L.A. County Districts also get proper treatment and care at the VA GWLAHS.

The Entrusted “Watchdog”
While the land of the largest VA in the nation was exclusively deeded to our federal government on March 3, 1888, the property lies within Los Angeles County’s Third District and is subsequently under the review of County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.

Thus, the Third District Supervisor and his two appointed Commissioners are the primary line of defense as the entrusted “watchdog" on behalf of all Veterans in case the VA or federal government tries to disserve or misrepresent their best interests, whether it is for healthcare services or protecting their sacred land from misuse or abuse. 

Because all County Supervisors have Veterans living within their District, it is imperative that they be unified and equally vigilant to ensure that the line of defense protecting Veterans and their National Home is always solidified, dedicated and harmonious.

“Save the Home”
Politics must never take a priority over Veterans issues because the decision-making and action-taking responsibilities of the Supervisors must be first and foremost to protect, preserve and defend the Deed of 1888 so that there will always be a “Home” for America’s Veterans. 

As a result, there should never be a “homeless” Veteran in Los Angeles, County, even though there are an estimated 20,000 of our fellow Veterans who are without shelter and must fend for themselves on the dangerous streets of L.A.

No Effective Line of Defense
Unfortunately, during the past two Presidential Administrations, Veterans have painfully watched this sacred land that was specifically deeded in their behalf prostituted away for non-Veteran use, with no effective line of defense against the egregious land grabbing. 

As part of this “pay to play” scheme, the VA GWLAHS leases 21 acres of Veterans land to Brentwood School, one of the most prestigious and expensive private schools in the nation with annual tuition nearing $30,000 per student. Still, the school pays less than $1,500 per month per acre for Veterans land for an athletic field that is off-limits to Veterans. Dirt farmers and sharecroppers would pay far more than that for this fertile ground, which was once farmed by Veterans themselves.

The VA GWLAHS has a long-term lease agreement with Richmark Entertainment Group, a Hollywood / New York entertainment company, to operate the Veterans’ Wadsworth and Brentwood theaters as a public cultural center to benefit and entertain the neighboring communities, while everyday Veterans, particularly patients at the VA GWLAHS, have no theater or entertainment of their own. 

The VA GWLAHS leases numerous large buildings to UCLA for research. UCLA also has a baseball diamond on Veterans land and if the American Legion wants to use it, there’s a fee of $1,500.

The VA GWLAHS leases numerous acres of land to Enterprise Car Rental and Laidlaw Buses for vehicle storage. It also leases prime land and mineral rights to Breitburn Energy to operate an oil well with the royalties going to the Department of Interior. It leases a large, prime building to Marriott to operate a laundry facility for their hotels. 

The VA GWLAHS has made endless deals with the entertainment and filming industry to use Veterans land and facilities for site filming and storage.  In brief, the VA GWLAHS bureaucrats have used this sacred place of Veterans rehabilitation and convalescence for commercial use. 

There’s More …
For decades, the VA GWLAHS has had a special deal with the Pacific Palisades Riviera Country Club to use Veterans sacred land for parking thousand of cars so that attendees to their PGA Open Golf Tournament can be shuttled back and forth in large, noisy tour buses.

The golf tournament parking begins February 18th and runs through the 22nd, and is just one of many endless abuses and misuses of Veterans land that seriously violates the Deed of 1888.

It’s important to know that there is a nine-hole golf course on Veterans land, which is supposed to be for their own recreation and rehabilitation, but it is open to the general public. Less than a mile away is the private Brentwood Country Club with an eighteen-hole golf course that should be open to those who are not Veterans, instead of allowing the general public to use the Veterans golf course,

Even a Dog Park …
There’s even a public dog park on Veterans land. This abuse and disrespect is not only shameful, but does great harm to this sacred and revered land, and further negates the quietude and quality of life for convalescing Veterans by violating the spirit of the Land Grantors and their heirs that this Gift is "for the sole purpose of providing Veterans with a place to heal from war."

The violations against the Deed of 1888 and Veterans sacred land goes on and on and are too numerous to list herein. So, where is the line of defense on behalf of America’s Military Veterans? There has been absolutely no responsible oversight of the VA GWLAHS by those elected and entrusted to act in behalf of our Veterans.

Adding Insult to Injury
As though leasing Veterans sacred land and facilities to the highest bidder isn’t insulting enough, the VA GWLAHS also has a no bid, long-term “sharing agreement” with Veterans Park Conservancy (VPC), which is not a Veterans organization but a wealthy, special-interest homeowners group, to build a public community park on 16 acres of Veterans land, “rent free.”

On VPC’s website under “Government Support,” it has an interesting list of politicians who support the public park agenda, including former Presidents George W. Bush and President William Clinton; Former U.S. Secretary’s of Veterans Affairs James Nicholson, Anthony J. Principi and Hershal Gober; U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein; U.S. Congressman Henry Waxman, whose 30th District encompasses the largest VA in the nation and he is the subsequent steward of this sacred Trust, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a resident of neighboring Brentwood who has two children attending the aforementioned private Brentwood School; and L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, the Supervisor of L.A.’s Third District.

While VPC may have a list of government and community supporters, it does not have the support of any noteworthy Veterans organizations, yet they claim they are building the public park in “honor of our veterans.” If VPC were really honest about honoring our Veterans, they would honor the Deed of 1888 and leave this land exclusively for Veterans’ rehabilitation and convalescence.

A Very Serious Conflict of Interest
Veterans have always respected and shown trust in their elected and appointed public servants, particularly the L.A. County Board of Supervisors and the Veterans Advisory Commission.

However, there’s a no-confidence vote among the Veteran community for Third District Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky for various reasons, but most importantly that his Senior Field Deputy is an active and prominent member of VPC, including being a vice-president and a member of its board of directors. 

Flora Gil Krisiloff, the Supervisor’s Senior Westside Deputy, is not only a major player in the VPC agenda, but she is also a past-president of the Brentwood Community Council (BCC), and still very influential in the ongoing, behind the scene, decision-making process.

The community of Brentwood is adjacent to the VA GLWAHS, and BCC and its membership of homeowners fully support the rent-free “sharing agreement” that VPC has for a 16-acre public park with the VA.

Veterans Organizations Oppose the Public Park
On the other hand, prominent Veterans organizations, including the California American Legion, the American G.I. Forum of California, National Veterans Caucus, Veterans Untied For Truth, and the Veterans Caucus of the California Democratic Party, all have major Resolutions opposing the public park. 

To compound this dangerous conflict of interest, Ms. Krisiloff, who is not a Veteran, is also a member of the powerful Local Advisory Panel (LAP) of the VA’s Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) that reviews and makes major recommendations for the use of Veterans property. 

Who Really CARES?
The Department of Veterans Affairs CARES Business Plan Studies supposedly represents a system-wide process to prepare the Veterans Administration for meeting the current and future health care needs of veterans in modern health care facilities.

No matter how much “warm, fuzzy and feel good” the acronym CARES sounds, Capital Asset Realignment really sounds more like a Wall Street Financial scam than an entrusted process that is supposed to protect Veterans property from becoming a public park and other misuse and abuse.

When our federal government enters into a “sharing agreement” for 16-acres of Veterans land that is considered to be one of the most valuable parcels on the West Coast, estimated to be worth nearly one billion dollars, yet leases it “rent free” to a non-Veteran organization for a public park, you have to ask, “who really cares?”  One thing is for certain, not the VA and our federal government.

Conflict, Conflict and More Conflict
On September 27, 2007, former VA Secretary James Nicholson, who is personally on VPC’s list of major “Government Supporters,” announced the results of a CARES Master Plan for Veterans property at VA GLWAHS, stating: "I have accepted the planning option #3 recommended by the Local Advisory Panel (LAP). This concludes the work of the panel. I want to thank the Panel for its guidance in making this decision.”

Well, that was certainly short and sweet for VPC but long and bitter for America’s Veterans.

The fact that Ms. Krisiloff was an influential member of the LAP, and option #3 includes the public park by Veterans Park Conservancy of which she is vice-president and a board member, represents one of the greatest conflicts of interest and grossest violations of public trust ever imaginable.

The fact that this was done at the expense of America’s Military Veterans for the benefit of Ms. Krisiloff’s own neighborhood community in the Third District just rubs more salt into another painful mental and emotional wound of the Veteran community.

Unprecedented Compromises
When Sue Young, the executive director of VPC, was essentially asked in the November 2007 issue of the “Brentwood News” how she was able to expropriate this 16-acre parcel of Veterans land with a sharing agreement for a public park that is rent-free, she responded:
  "Because this arrangement was unprecedented, it required  lengthy discussions and compromises with Veterans  Administration in Los Angeles and Washington. The agreement  also called for approvals at the highest levels, i.e., Secretary  Nicholson, and the involvement of the Congressional  delegation."

As though Veterans do not have enough problems trying to protect their land from the likes of Ms. Young and Ms. Krisiloff, having the VA Secretary compromising Veterans land rights to appease these self-serving homeowners is simply deplorable.

Even more troubling and curious is that Secretary Nicholson conveniently approved LAP’s option #3 that included VPC’s public park, on September 27, 2007, just three days before his retirement.

Make no mistake; this is an extremely serious conflict of interest by former VA Secretary Nicholson. This kind of manipulation negates any respect or confidence that our federal government in general, and the VA in particular, could possibly be working in the best interests of America’s Veterans.

Furthermore, these kinds of “unprecedented compromises at the highest levels of government” are extremely detrimental to not only our nation’s democracy, but in preserving and protecting the Veterans Home as it was so patriotically Deeded in 1888, that the land is "to be permanently maintained as a National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers." 

Conflicts and Contradictions
Equally important, VPC’s public park “sharing agreement” also contradicts the claims of Carolina Winston Barrie, a descendant of Arcadia de Baker, one of the land grantors of the Deed of 1888.  Ms Barrie, who is also a member of VPC’s board of directors, recently declared: "This gift was from Arcadia and Senator John Percival Jones for the sole purpose of providing Veterans with a place to heal from war."

In her letter to then President George W. Bush, and published in Veterans Park Conservancy’s Winter Newsletter of 2003-04, Ms. Barrie proclaimed, “Dear Mr. President: My family’s intention was clear. The land was given for the benefit of the veterans themselves.”

Whose Side Are You On?
So, how is it that Ms. Barrie makes statements on one hand that Veterans truly agree with, and then on the other hand, belongs to a non-Veterans organization that Veterans seriously disagree with? Is she being true to the wishes of the guiding principles of her ancestor’s Deed to Veterans, or simply answering to the dictates of VPC?

Ms. Barrie cannot speak out of both sides of her mouth by trying to please both Veterans and the homeowners.  Her word must be true in accordance with the Deed of her ancestor, Arcadia de Baker. It cannot ring hallow with America’s Veterans.

A Polarizing Figure
With unbending loyalty to her community and VPC, Ms. Flora Krisiloff serves her fellow homeowners first and foremost in Brentwood where she lives, and at the expense of Veterans and their deeded land rights, which ultimately impacts their healthcare services.

Consequently, Ms. Krisiloff has become a very polarizing figure in the Veterans community and her unilateral work has become detrimental to the entrusted responsibility of serving all residents of the Third District, as well as nearly 26 million Military Veterans across America who essentially have access to the largest VA in the nation if the occasion requires.

A Fiefdom of Their Own
Instead of the “Four Kings and Queen” overseeing Veterans land, the new ruling royalty has become the Veterans Park Conservancy group that is not a Veterans organization by any stretch, a former VA Secretary who kowtowed to the “wants” of a community instead of he “needs” of the Veterans that he was entrusted to serve, and a Senior District Deputy of the all-important Third District who is not a Veteran, yet serves on boards and committees that are counterproductive to the best interests of America’s Veterans. 

And, this self-anointed royalty continues to treat Veterans sacred land as their own fiefdom while dictating as self-serving kings and queens to use and abuse this exclusive property for their own public amusement, recreation and entertainment, while Veterans are trying to heal from war in privacy and quietude.

A Time For Choosing
Without equivocation, Supervisor Yaroslavsky must immediately terminate Ms. Krisiloff as his Senior Field Deputy, otherwise any credibility as a responsible “watchdog” for Veterans land will be forever destroyed.

The damage that Ms. Krisiloff has already done to Veterans sacred land, and her breach of trust against Veterans is just too serious to allow her any further interaction as an entrusted public employee.

There’s simply way too much at stake when it comes to serving the needs of America’s Veterans and protecting their sacred land for healing and rehabilitation, to be playing anymore politics. 

Rescind Option #3 and Sharing Agreement
Because of the enormous conflict of interest and impropriety by those entrusted to work in the best interests of Veterans, but didn’t, the CARES LAP “option #3 plan” that Secretary Nicholson approved, and the corresponding VPC public park "sharing agreement" that he also approved, must both be rescinded posthaste if there is to be any measure of respect or credibility to those who are entrusted to serve and protect the best interests of Veterans.

Accordingly, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors and their respective Commissioners of the Veterans Advisory Commission must act in consortium and demand, that in the best interests of America’s Veterans, these two documents must be immediately and permanently rescinded.

The Veterans Revolution
As a result of the continuous land grabbing without any trusted and formidable line of defense by our local government against the federal government, fellow Veterans have unified and are peacefully demonstrating against the VA and VPC’s public park and other abuse and misuse of their sacred property at the revered National Home.

This Sunday’s Rally will be the 49th consecutive of "The Veterans Revolution" to "Save Our Veterans Land."

Supervisors and Commissioners Are Appreciated
Veterans certainly respect and appreciate the work and dedication of the Commissioners of the VAC as well as the Board of Supervisors of L.A. County, and believe that they will continue living up to their entrusted job of serving for the greater good of all and defending Veterans land from any and all misuse and abuse.

The Man Who Will Become King
Veterans are also very confident that General Eric K. Shinseki, the newly Secretary of Veterans Affairs, will continue to be his own man and make decisions that are in the best interests of America’s Veterans. And Veterans firmly believe that he will not compromise their land nor will he ever appear on VPC’s list of “Government Supporters” like his predecessors.

Veterans are very confident that Secretary Shinseki will stand firm like a benevolent and trustworthy “King” to protect, preserve and defend their beloved National Home and the Deed of 1888.

Robert Rosebrock

U.S. Army, 1965-67, Schofield Barracks, Hqs., U.S Army, Hawaii. Director, The Veterans Revolution, Captain, the Old Veterans Guard, and Director, We the Veterans.