The Defense Credit Union Council, its members and every credit union whose members serve or have served in the armed forces should join together to ask for the resignation of Robert A. McDonald, Secretary of Veteran's Affairs.
McDonald has had almost two years to clean up the mess he inherited at the VA. He was given the responsibility to eliminate the incompetence that exists in VA facilities across the nation. He was told the wait for care by veterans that extended, at times, to years, must be eliminated. His mandate was to ensure those who served this country and put their lives in jeopardy are given the best of health care as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, veterans are still waiting—and waiting—to receive care.
McDonald was recently asked why the VA did not publicly report the so-called create date (the day when veterans first ask for medical care), which could be used to calculate how long they end up waiting for their appointments. He responded: "The days to the appointment is really not what we should be measuring. What we should be measuring is the veteran's satisfaction. What really counts is how the veterans feel about their encounter with the VA. When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? What is important is what is your satisfaction with the experience?"
Of Roller Coasters and PTSD
It is incredible that a cabinet official would compare waiting in line at an amusement park to waiting in line to cure a sick body. Does he really believe that the satisfaction of getting on a roller coaster or Ferris wheel is similar to that of getting to talk to a doctor about your failing health or broken body?
Secretary McDonald is the man in charge at the VA. What he says and what he does permeates throughout the agency. When you have a leader who makes remarks that demean the importance and charge of that department and likens it to that of Disneyland, you have to question whether he fully understands the problem.
There are tens of thousands of veterans in need of care and they should not have to wait in line. It may be time for McDonald to leave and make a trip to Disneyland and see how it feels to wait in line. Even better, he should go to a VA facility and experience firsthand what our veterans have put up with.
Credit unions that serve the armed forces take great pride in what they do, and they should. Their commitment to our troops is unwavering and they must now use their influence and strength to demand competent leadership at the VA to ensure their members get the health care they earned and deserve.
Michael Fryzel is a former NCUA Board chairman and is currently an attorney in Chicago
