Editorials

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   HAVE YOUR SAY Feel strongly about something? Share it with the community by writing a letter to the editor. You’ll need to include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) We reserve the right to edit letters, but if you keep yours to 250 words or less, we won’t ask you to shorten it. If your letter is published, please wait 30 days before submitting another. Send it to: E-mail: letters@heraldnet.com Mail: Letters section The Herald P.O. Box 930 Everett, WA 98206 Fax: 425-339-3458 Have a question about letters? Contact Carol MacPherson (cmacpherson@heraldnet.com or 425-339-3472).   Published: Monday, July 30, 2007 Care of injured troops shouldn't be political Despite - or perhaps because of - the fact that two large federal organizations have a say in their fate, wounded soldiers often don't get the quality care they're owed. A bipartisan commission, led by former Sen. Bob Dole and former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, issued a report last week on the treatment of soldiers during and after their tours of duty. It made six recommendations on how the Veterans Administration and Department of Defense can improve care for veterans. The timely, effective care of injured U.S. troops wasn't considered thoroughly enough before the invasion of Iraq. People - medical staff and patients among them - are now making the case that the VA wasn't doing an adequate job even before the Iraq War started. The backlog of roughly 500,000 compensation payments to veterans is clear evidence of that. The Dole/Shalala commission's first recommendation is probably the most ambitious, but it meets the common-sense test: replace inefficient groups of administrative staff that currently handle parts of cases with a single caseworker dedicated to coordinating the recovery process of a recuperating soldier. Other major recommendations call for the VA to handle disability payments for soldiers whom the Department of Defense declares unfit for duty, for it to be more proactive in preventing and treating brain injuries, and for improved communication between the Defense Department and the VA. It also recommends amending the federal Family and Medical Leave Act to better assist military parents and spouses. The plan suggests a major operations overhaul at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the hospital that provided much of the impetus for the current uproar in Congress. Sen. Patty Murray has been a leading voice for reform in the VA and a sharp critic of outgoing Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson, calling him an apologist for the Bush administration. Nicholson's resignation, effective Oct. 1, was a step in the right direction for reform. While Nicholson did serve in Vietnam, his status as former chairman of the Republican National Committee was likely the more pertinent reason for this appointment. The next secretary must put the needs of veterans ahead of political concerns. The care that veterans deserve requires commitment and coordination. It mustn't be a political issue. Troops shouldn't have to worry about becoming a bureaucratic casualty after they've returned from duty.

1. Lake Stevens neighbors protest loss of left turn off Highway 9 2. Police look into fire at Emory's restaurant in Everett 3. Man who died from fall identified 4. Mural memorializing fallen soldier lost in effort to fix Silvana building 5. Marysville-Pilchuck comes up short in battle of unbeatens 6. 'Twilight' tourism 7. Accident near Poulsbo kills Marysville man, injures five 8. In Forks, it's always Twilight 9. Expect wintry roads at passes, dusting of snow on Snohomish County hills 10. Icy conditions lead to numerous wrecks on county roads 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Memorial for Peggy Pritchard Olson set • Bazaar Fever • Hawks proud of historic season • Olson always put Edmonds first • Honoring student veterans • ‘Wheedle' author comes to Lynnwood bookshop • Mavs build early lead en route to easy win • Prep football games of the week (state playoffs) • Tears of laughter, tears of grief • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million