Letters to the Editor
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No smoke and no fire
Accepting the highly visible and besieged position as DVA seems either brave or reckless. Veterans are a large and vocal lobby. Ignoring veterans needs is politically risky. Peake does indeed come from the private sector and like his predecessor earned a living by providing services to the VA.
The assertion that such work is "war profiteering" and inherently untrustworthy is unfounded. It seems clear from the review processes that QTC has fulfilled its very personal and sensitive obligations well. Are Democratic lawmakers "spineless" simply because they have found no honest reason to attack Mr. Peake?
Using assertion and hyperbole to suggest fire where there is no smoke is irresponsible, especially under the guise of journalism.
It is appropriate to raise questions, to probe and to determine the truth. The latter is rarely possible when one begins by calling service providers "war profiteers".
Before I am lambasted, tarred and feathered as some right-wing conspiracist, let me state that I am not involved in any government or political work outside of local issues, none of which relate to this topic. I am a veteran and my son is serving in Iraq with the 82nd right now. This issue is personal for me.
It is best, however, to stick as close to the truth as words allow. It is too easy to attack people instead of reporting facts.
For example, QTC was awarded its first contract in 1998. Bush was NOT president and no war was underway. Hardly "cronyism" or "war profiteering."
I strongly prefer private examinations for benefits determination. Using a private or third party firm actually removes the process one step from the pressure that could be applied to appointees. As war costs mount, there may be pressure on and by the administration to reduce those costs. Those costs could come at the expense of veterans services and health care.
No process, private or government, can be free from flaws. The VA and the actual medical care it provides should remain firmly in the public sector. It is wise, however, to focus on core business, and contracting non-core activity is a smart practice that all government and industry follow in order to maximize efficiency and improve the quality of their core work.
I like having a veteran running the DVA. I like scrutiny of all appointed and elected officials.
It is true that congress should thoroughly scrutinize any appointment. I urge that appointments can be depoliticized so that our government is staffed with well-qualified and enthusiastic people. I can't imagine any job being worth the political attacks that accompany the review process as it stands. I hope to see more journalistic reports that help us citizenry understand the appointment process and the track record of nominees. I hope to see less politicized opinion from journalistic source.