VA needs to change

It sickens me to read and listen to garbage about “help is right around the corner” for the veterans of this nation. Let’s realize that nothing will be accomplished until a new administration and more pro-veteran persons are elected to Congress.
One month before the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed Robert McDonald as the new Veterans Affairs secretary, on June 17, 2014, I mailed two and one half pages of reasons to our Louisiana congressional delegation and the chairpersons of the House and Senate of Veterans Affairs my suggestions as to why the Veterans Administration should be reconstructed. I would like to share a few of my suggestions and questions I made to Congress.
A. Why can’t Congress totally assume the responsibility of the Veterans Administration?
B. Why can’t Congress appoint a VA director with a proven background in medicine coupled with a military background?
C. Why can’t Congress instruct the new director to divide the United States into four sections -- North, South, East and West and appoint an equally qualified assistant director to each geographical location? This would establish one main office in Washington and four other districts representing the rest of the USA.
D. Restructuring the VA completely with new and simple guidelines resulting in favor of every veteran and qualified dependent with a valid medical card to be used in any pre-qualified civilian medical facility in the veterans community and state.
E. By now Congress, the taxpayers and all veterans should be getting the drift of my suggestions. Properly planned -- the Veterans Administration could justify privatizing veterans civilian medical care. Note: What a wonderful feeling for each veteran to be able to be treated by his or her doctor of their own choice within their respective community with full knowledge that the paperwork and claims will be handled within their assigned District. Absolutely no red tape.
My letter to Congress emphasized that the Veterans Administration was entirely too large in personnel and controlled by “homesteaders” a term used in the military as “one who serves and remains in one place entirely too long and quickly promoted to parasite status.” Another major point I stressed is that all existing veterans hospitals, veterans nursing homes, military cemeteries and Veteran Service Offices would become the responsibility of the Assistant Directors of VA in the respective District. This would eliminate each State Department of Veterans Affairs and most importantly a savings of billions of dollars of taxpayers money.. Again, properly planned -- in the next administration this is doable. One problem -- Politics!
It is important to remember my suggestions and questions were written before Secretary McDonald was appointed and “misrepresented” himself to all Americans and lost the confidence of veterans.
Link Savoie of Sunset is a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars and a past state commander of the Louisiana VFW.