As a veteran, I am disheartened to see Congressman Mike Michaud’s reaction to the scandalous corruption at the Veterans Affairs hospitals. He has been on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee in Congress for almost 12 years and now is its top Democrat.
He is responsible for oversight, and yet we see now how a perverse system of bonuses inspired bureaucrats in the VA system to cover up wait lists and other deficiencies, with some veterans dying as a result.
When asked whether he accepted any responsibility for this mess, Michaud refused to answer, bobbing and weaving at the question like a seasoned DC politician. And then he had the gall to complain about some using the scandal for political purposes. He has been using us veterans for political purposes for years with photo ops and fluffy speeches.
The Office of the Inspector General warned Michaud directly about the problems at the VA 18 times, and yet he allowed this mess to happen on his watch. Now he wants to be governor? Maine doesn’t need another empty-suit politician to break promises and pass the buck.
Carl Pettengill
Farmingdale
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.