The Star Tribune reports in Franken, Walz and Peterson join GOP in demanding VA secretary’s ouster:
U.S. Sen. Al Franken and U.S. Reps. Tim Walz and Collin Peterson are among a growing number of Democratic lawmakers calling for Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to resign after an inspector general’s report that found “systemic” problems at VA medical facilities.
The interim investigative report released Wednesday found at least 1,700 veterans waiting for health care at the Phoenix Veterans Affairs medical facility were not included on the facility’s wait list, and patients there waited an average of 115 days for their first appointments.
The report also documents schemes used at VA facilities intended to conceal wait times and concluded that the problems are national in scope. . . .
Democratic U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan called for Shinseki’s resignation last week. Among the Republicans in the Minnesota delegation U.S. Reps. Michele Bachmann and John Kline also want him out.
Walz issued a statement:
Today, Representative Tim Walz (MN-01), Member of the U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the highest ranking enlisted soldier to ever serve in Congress, released the following statement after the VA Inspector General released an interim report substantiating serious concerns at the Phoenix VA medical facility.
“My number one goal as both a veteran and a Member of the VA Committee is to ensure our veterans get the support and care they have earned and deserve. The findings in the VA Inspector General’s interim report are inexcusable and unacceptable. The IG’s report makes it clear that some veterans have been let down in unfathomable ways and those responsible must be held accountable.
“Secretary Shinseki is one of the most honorable and loyal men I have ever met. He's dedicated his entire life to the betterment of our nation and caring for our brave men and women in uniform. It’s a shame that he and other veterans were let down by certain people working under him at the VA, but ultimately the buck stops with the Secretary. That is why today, I believe it would be best if Secretary Shinseki stepped down. We need to fix the systemic problems outlined in the IG report and restore veterans’ faith in the system.”
Photo: Minneapolis VA Medical Center.
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I agree with Walz that Shinseki was "let down by certain people working under him." Yet I also wonder how much blame should be shared by people over him, up to and including the general citizenry. We've come to accept (not just at the VA) a management model that provides ambitious objectives without scaling resources up commensurately, because efficiencies will magically be wrung out if individuals' incentives are aligned: those who work magic are rewarded with bonuses and promotions, while those who openly admit they can't are fired. This alone isn't sufficient explanation for lower-level operatives to engage in fraudulent behavior, but it provides a conducive environment. particularly if sustained for long enough to deplete the ranks of those who honorably take their talents elsewhere.
Posted by: Max Hailperin | May 29, 2014 at 07:06 AM