On March 28th Donald Trump announced over Twitter that he was replacing the current Secretary of Veterans Affairs, David Shulkin, with Admiral Ronny L. Jackson, the White Houses physician who you might recognize from a press conference earlier this year that purported President Trump was in “excellent health” and “very sharp and articulate.”
Trump has made a habit out of seemingly spontaneous firings during his term, and as usual, this most recent firing is trailed by a wake of controversy. The Trump administration claims that the firing was a result of the VA inspector general’s report that found while Shulkin was on a business trip to Europe he spent the majority of his time sightseeing, and also accepted Wimbledon tickets as a gift. Obviously, these are unethical ways for a government employee to conduct themselves, but it is hardly enough reason to be fired from office, especially when compared to the ethical bar set by Trump. The real reason many people believe Shulkin was fired, including himself, was to remove opposition to the privatization of the VA. In a New York Times op-ed piece written by Shulkin following his firing he states:
“They saw me as an obstacle to privatization who had to be removed. That is because I am convinced that privatization is a political issue aimed at rewarding select people and companies with profits, even if it undermines care for veterans.”
Not only do I think this firing is a thinly veiled attempt at advancing privatization, I also think it is irresponsible to select Admiral Jackson as Shulkin’s successor. It is no secret the VA is an organization that is inundated by issues, and hiring Admiral Jackson, who has very little managerial experience, is not a step towards fixing the many problems plaguing the VA.
Today, I want to share my colleague's blog article that talks about unreasonable firing event that related to privatizing VA. My colleague Nick wrote the article that our current president Donald Trump is planning to replace the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, David Shulkin with Admiral Ronny L. Firing someone who worked for the country need to be taken seriously.
ReplyDeleteOn the Donald Trump's twitter, he wrote that Shulkin was fired because he abused his authority to take his benefit. At first, I thought it would be serious amusement that can even result in firing the current Secretary of Veterans Affair, but it wasn't that serious as I thought. It was that Shulkin was on a business trip to Europe, and he spent the majority of his time sightseeing. Moreover, he also accepted Wimbledon tickets as a gift. It is true that Shulkin abused his power to take his own benefits, but it is not enough reason for the firing.
My colleague commented on his blog that the real reason for firing Shulkin was the president Donald Trump's intention to remove his opposition to the privatization of the VA. Also, he mentioned that the private healthcare sector already struggles with its attempts at providing for the general public, and privatizing the VA will only bloat the healthcare system more with the complex health care needs of veterans. I firmly agree with Nick's argument that he made. The Donald Trump's plan to privatizing VA would not bring positive effects to society. I also believe that the primary motivation behind the privatization of the VA is increased profits and even better healthcare for veterans