As a veteran, the editorial cartoon showing the VA Hotline unmanned due to staffing cuts (Herald, Mar. 9) is shameful.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Doug Collins, posted on Feb. 13 and Mar. 5 that rumors of veterans’ benefits being cut are false. The secretary admits that organizations, operations and structure of the VA are all under review.
Good.
There are 90,000 contracts worth $67 billion. After reviewing 2% thus far, and canceling 600 non-mission-critical, duplicative agreements, $900 million has been saved and returned to servicing veterans.
I look forward to more dollars being redirected.
As for staffing, there is a goal to reduce the agency by 15% from 470,000 to 398,000, without cutting health care or benefits for veterans. At the same time, VA is continuing to hire for 300,000 mission-critical positions.
Out in the real world, in administrative fields, I’ve been included in company downsizing RIF’s. I imagine many folks have. It doesn’t feel great. But, to insinuate that the phone will no longer be answered? Reprehensible.
Kim Baldwin
Durango
