Shinseki's resignation

Gen. Eric Shinseki has resigned as head of the Veterans Administration, taking responsibility for the problems.   Gen. Shinseki is a good man who managed to make the VA much better in many ways.   His demise is more the fault of factors beyond his control -- mainly a matter of supply and demand -- and the cheating scandal that resulted from undue pressure to meet demands that were way beyond capacity, or Republican's willingness to expand that capacity.

To the extent that Gen. Shinseki or someone else could have done better, it would have required a degree of bully pulpit drama that is not his style.   So, in the end, political pressure necessitated his stepping down.

But let's look at the real problem -- which doesn't change one iota by his leaving.

1.  Year after year, the VA Medical system is at the top in ranking of quality of care;  it beats out all private systems;   and it's service for amputees is unparalleled.   We do not have a problem of poor care, once a veteran gains access to the system.

2.  We have a problem of not enough doctors and nurses, combined with a burgeoning population of two million new patients trying to get into the system.

3.  The increased population has at least three sources:
     a.   Returning veterans from two wars that were started without thought for later consequences.
     b.   Older veterans, who had formerly chosen private medical care for non-combat illnesses, but who because of the recession can no longer afford the private care.
     c.   Viet Nam veterans who, like any aging population, need more medical care than before.

4.   Now combine those three increases in patient populations about 2 million) with the politics of Republicans' budget cutting mania.

5.   And add in another factor:  the pay scale for VA doctors is half to two-thirds what they could make in private practice.   So there is an actual shortage in addition to an increasing need for more.

As to the falsifying of appointment records?    It's the same story as the Atlanta Public School cheating scandal where, under extreme pressure to improve student test scores, teachers falsified test scores.    Put people's jobs on the line with unreasonable expectations, and they will often do what has to be done to keep them.

There will be some reprehensible individuals identified in all this, probably.   But Gen. Shinseki will not be one of them.    It is a systemic problem that goes all the way to congressional appropriations decisions.

Ralph