It seems like there is never a lack of topics for columns.

I’ve been on vacation in Texas for a couple of weeks and I thought about writing on the Texas economic surge — it really is remarkable. Then the scandal in the Department of Veterans Affairs exploded this month.

As a veteran, I cannot miss the opportunity to write about the disgraceful way veterans have been treated. There are two sides to this issue. First, veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam are at the age where the need for medical care grows exponentially. Secondly, the emotional care needed by veterans has grown in an unprecedented way also. Consider that some service members have been deployed to combat areas five, six, or more times in the past 13 years.

Of course, the task of caring for the veteran is unprecedented since World War II. However, the resources given to the VA has grown. Its budget has doubled in six years. The Department enjoys bipartisan support in this age of partisanship. Thirdly, Eric Shinseki is one of the very few general officers who were wounded. He should be a sincere advocate for veterans. I’d hold off on his firing squad until more facts are developed.

So what has caused the dysfunction in the VA? Why are bureaucrats in the VA doing despicable things to our veterans? I’m sure that more outlandish stories about bad treatment of veterans will be uncovered. I hope that bipartisan outrage will prevent the usual “stonewalling” we’ve seen concerning other Obama administration scandals. It will be difficult for any politician to pooh-pooh the mistreatment of our heroes.

We may, therefore, actually get to the truth for once.

In this time period before the facts are uncovered, I want to offer my theory and its implications. My theory is that some bureaucrats will, like water, seek the lowest level. If bonuses are offered for small wait times for treatment, some bureaucrats will invent creative ways to ensure that short wait times are a matter of record. That’s what the bureaucrats in Phoenix are accused of doing.

They assigned veterans medical appointments, which were weeks if not months away because that was what was available. They didn’t enter the information about the appointment until it was just a week or two away.

Therefore, the wait time data in the VA database looked great. Bureaucrats received bonuses and other rewards for good management. Meanwhile, veterans waited and waited. Perhaps 40 people died because their diseases weren’t treated until it was too late.

Imagine if this mindset were to infect Obamacare? I’ve written in this column about the Accountable Care Organizations established by Obamacare. What if the impetus to produce positive statistics cause bureaucrats in Obamacare to play with the data concerned your healthcare?

However, first things first. Let’s find out what happened in the VA and why. This scandal must be carefully and aggressively investigated.

I sincerely hope no politician takes the same position on this scandal that many of them have taken regarding Fast and Furious, the IRS scandal, Benghazi and NSA eavesdropping: There’s nothing here — move on. It’s just politics.

 

Michael Waldron is a retired lieutenant colonel, US Army, who was born and raised in Niles. He has served on the Niles Commu¬nity School Board of Education since 2007. He can be reached at ml.waldron61@gmail.com.