I think in this case there would be a lot less of an issue if there was even an attempt to increase the housing available for vets.....if this entire time they had been taking lease money and putting it aside and buying other land and building housing on it there would be a lot less of an issue
the other issue I have is I see this a lot more like lodging, marinas, restaurant, and other concessions that are on government land in national parks and federal lakes.....every so often those assets and the rights to operate them go up for bid and the government (supposedly) gets a "market price" for them and all is "good"......but in this case the assets that are built are specific to two entities and they are really the only ones that have a big demand for them and yet they are probably not paying close to what would be market rates and there are probably no other interested parties that want a high school athletics facility or a baseball stajium with no team to put in it
if the VA had built a strip center or a grocery store or some warehouse space they could put the management of that out for bid like they do with national parks concessions or they could look to lease the space (themselves) to interested parties at market rates (possibly with the help of a broker each time).....and then if they fucked off the money the vets would still have a complaint, but it is more with the VA and "where did the money go"
in this case it is "where did the money go" and why did you let shit get built on the property that really only two parties (plus the oil company that is probably he one really getting fucked here) have an interest in leasing/occupying