PHOENIX — Republican candidate for Arizona Governor Mayor
Scott Smith today called on President Barack Obama to appoint new leadership
atop the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, saying that "the present VA
leadership has lost all trust and credibility when it comes to taking care of
America's wounded soldiers."
Smith, the recent past president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, called the VA Ofice of the Inspector General's report on wrongdoing in Phoenix, released this morning, "the last straw - and absolutely unconscionable treatment of America's veterans."
The administrative regime put in place by the Obama Administration, including Secretary Eric Shinseki, has lost the trust and confidence of veterans and the American public, said Mayor Smith.
Said Smith: "It's unacceptable to see this Administration first deny that this scandal existed, and only now - a full eight weeks after a Congressional hearing broke this news to the world - begin to take seriously its investigation into how wounded soldiers in need of care have been neglected by the VA system. We need new leadership from the top down, because clearly we have a broken organization - one that has broken faith with the soldiers in their care.
"This issue is far too serious for the Administration to delay," said Smith. "The report released today shows 1,700 veterans in need of care who never made it on to the VA's waiting list in Phoenix. We cannot condone such neglect."
A successful private sector CEO who brought the same problem-solving approach to elected leadership, Mayor Smith believes that any solution to the VA scandal must be founded on full public disclosure, accountability for all involved and innovative, efficient problem-solving. As an example of one possible solution, said Smith, he supports Sen. John McCain's suggestion of vouchers that would allow veterans to go to hospitals outside the VA system for necessary medical care.
"We need new ideas and we need them right now," said Smith. "Last week, the President basically told Arizona and America, 'I'm sending a guy out to Phoenix and he's going to figure out what happened.' Now we see that, indeed, where there has been smoke, there is fire. Waiting is not good enough. We're beyond 'wait and see' mode, and we're beyond having faith that Secretary Shinseki and his team can adequately investigate a problem created on their watch.
"I have enormous respect for the Secretary's long service to this country," said Mayor Smith. "But as a CEO, the buck has to stop with you. The VA current leadership has failed America's veterans too deeply and too often. This Department needs to start over and solve this systemic failure so it never, ever happens again. You can't do that with same leadership team that caused the problem still in place."
To learn more about Mayor Smith and to follow his campaign, visit his campaign website, www.votescottsmith.com.
Smith, the recent past president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, called the VA Ofice of the Inspector General's report on wrongdoing in Phoenix, released this morning, "the last straw - and absolutely unconscionable treatment of America's veterans."
The administrative regime put in place by the Obama Administration, including Secretary Eric Shinseki, has lost the trust and confidence of veterans and the American public, said Mayor Smith.
Said Smith: "It's unacceptable to see this Administration first deny that this scandal existed, and only now - a full eight weeks after a Congressional hearing broke this news to the world - begin to take seriously its investigation into how wounded soldiers in need of care have been neglected by the VA system. We need new leadership from the top down, because clearly we have a broken organization - one that has broken faith with the soldiers in their care.
"This issue is far too serious for the Administration to delay," said Smith. "The report released today shows 1,700 veterans in need of care who never made it on to the VA's waiting list in Phoenix. We cannot condone such neglect."
A successful private sector CEO who brought the same problem-solving approach to elected leadership, Mayor Smith believes that any solution to the VA scandal must be founded on full public disclosure, accountability for all involved and innovative, efficient problem-solving. As an example of one possible solution, said Smith, he supports Sen. John McCain's suggestion of vouchers that would allow veterans to go to hospitals outside the VA system for necessary medical care.
"We need new ideas and we need them right now," said Smith. "Last week, the President basically told Arizona and America, 'I'm sending a guy out to Phoenix and he's going to figure out what happened.' Now we see that, indeed, where there has been smoke, there is fire. Waiting is not good enough. We're beyond 'wait and see' mode, and we're beyond having faith that Secretary Shinseki and his team can adequately investigate a problem created on their watch.
"I have enormous respect for the Secretary's long service to this country," said Mayor Smith. "But as a CEO, the buck has to stop with you. The VA current leadership has failed America's veterans too deeply and too often. This Department needs to start over and solve this systemic failure so it never, ever happens again. You can't do that with same leadership team that caused the problem still in place."
To learn more about Mayor Smith and to follow his campaign, visit his campaign website, www.votescottsmith.com.
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