Gen. Shinseki is just a scapegoat

As a life member of the Disabled American Veterans, I am very upset and offended that the American Legion is trying to blame Gen. Shinseki for the tragic events that happened at the Phoenix V.A. hospital.

This makes as much sense as trying to blame him for global warming or the sad state of the American economy. It is simply not true. This is an administrative problem within this particular V.A. facility, and those in charge of this facility are the ones to be blamed.

According to an article in D.A.V. magazine, the Veterans Administration is over $20 billion under-funded. Why? Because of our do-nothing Congress. They have refused to fund the V.A. at the level requested by Gen. Shinseki and his office. Many of these politicians who are voting no to funding the V.A. have never served in the military, yet they are the ones responsible for denying the requested funding which would provide the necessary medical care our veterans have earned, deserve and were promised.

The politicians do not care! They have the best health care that taxpayers’ money can buy! They do not deserve free health care. They should have to pay for their own out of their own over-inflated paychecks. Better yet, let’s require all politicians to use the V.A. health-care system. If they had to wait two or three months for a doctor appointment, maybe they would vote to approve future V.A. funding requests.

All I can say is look up the voting records of Congress and you will see who is to blame for the tragedy in Phoenix. The fault falls on the shoulders of those politicians who have refused to fund the V.A. at the necessary requested level. I blame them, not Gen. Shinseki.

James Glazier, Kalispell