Military.com article from Larry Scott at VA Watchdog dot Org 

 

Here's the link to subscribe to Larry Scott's Military.com articles as an RSS feed
 

 

 

December 09, 2004

 

Principi Out at VA

New VA chief must address issues

 

Opinion by Larry Scott

 

 

VA Secretary Anthony J. Principi has resigned.  The resignation was made public on Wednesday, December 08, 2004.  The letter of resignation was dated November 16, 2004 but withheld by the Bush administration to avoid the appearance of a Cabinet-level “house cleaning” immediately after the election.

 

Principi is the ninth Cabinet Secretary to leave setting a modern-day record for personnel changes at this level.  As with most of the other Cabinet resignations, insiders say it was not a true resignation.  It appears Principi was forced out to make way for a VA Secretary who would more closely mirror Bush Administration policy.  Principi’s generic parting statement, being short on specifics for the future, would seem to confirm this.  Principi said, “It is now time for me to move on to fresh opportunities and different challenges.”

 

Principi’s resignation is being handled in a very low-key manner.  A Google search returned just a handful of hits.  But, this is very big news to America’s 27 million veterans.  The new VA Secretary will be making life-and-death decisions for those veterans seeking healthcare at the VA.

 

The question is:  What’s in store for VA healthcare?

 

Principi’s four-year reign at the VA controls brought massive changes that can only be described as Draconian.  Priority Group 8 veterans were denied enrollment.  Co-pays were increased.  Means tests eliminated many veterans from the system or forced them into a “pay for care” status.  The now infamous CARES Report closed hospitals and clinics while laying out a 20-year plan to construct more buildings without providing the funding to staff those facilities.  And gross under-funding at the healthcare level has forced cancellations of surgeries and critical diagnostic procedures putting the lives of thousands of veterans at risk.

 

For the last four years the thrust of VA policy has NOT been proper funding.  Instead, incredible amounts of time, energy and money have been spent to find ways to eliminate veterans from the benefits and healthcare rolls.  Will the next four years be any better?  That is up to President Bush.  He alone holds the power to appoint a VA Secretary who will see to it that ALL veterans receive proper benefits and healthcare.

 

Will that happen?  The White House and Secretary Principi have not supported legislative efforts to provide Full and Mandatory VA Funding, thus taking VA funding out of the discretionary budget and making it part of the mandatory budget process.  This would seem at odds with President Bush’s promise to “provide more care to more veterans where they need it the most.”

 

Here is where the Bush Administration goal of smaller government will backfire.  Smaller government equals less spending equals fewer employees equals inadequate healthcare for veterans.  It’s time to rethink the concept of smaller government in the context of a VA that provides necessary services for veterans.

 

If the new VA Secretary is just another “Yes-Man” then veterans would do well to remember the old acronym that artillerymen love to paint on their shells.  BOHICA:  Bend Over, Here It Comes Again!

 

But, being an optimist, I wish the new VA Secretary all the best and provide the following task list.

 

  1. OBTAIN PROPER FUNDING.  Forget the smaller government, lower spending philosophy and stand up and be heard.  We can’t care for our veterans without spending the money to do it.
  2. PRIORITIZE SPENDING.  Throw out the CARES Report.  Forget new facilities.  Staff the buildings now in use by the VA with doctors, nurses, technicians and medical support staff so veterans do not have to wait months for necessary surgeries and critical diagnostic procedures.
  3. RE-EVALUATE THE NEED FOR THE VISN SYSTEM.  The VISN system has just created another layer of bureaucratic nonsense that isolates the VA hierarchy from the local hospitals and clinics.  Is it needed?  No!
  4. LISTEN TO YOUR EMPLOYEES.  Give them a venue to speak openly without fear of retribution.  Let them talk about staff shortages.  Let them tell you about veterans who wait for months and months to get care.  Let them tell you about those who die while waiting.  It’s imperative that you know what they know.
  5. LISTEN TO THE VETERANS.  Take off your suit and tie.  Put on a pair of jeans and a comfortable shirt and fly to Portland.  Don’t tell the local VA people, just wander in.  I’ll meet you in the VA hospital canteen and we’ll have a coffee or two and chat with the veterans we meet.  You’ll learn enough about veteran’s needs in a couple of hours to keep you busy for the next four years.  By the way, I’ll buy the coffee.