Letters

VBA Progress Overrated

Claims of improved management of veterans benefits ("Benefits Balancing Act," March) would be believable if those making the claims weren't tearing down the Veterans Benefits Administration's internal controls.

For instance in December 1997, Joseph Thompson called for honesty in the handling of claims data. Yet VBA's Compensation and Pension (C&P) Service had made the same call, as well as for a return to quality service in 1996. But while C&P Service was threatening dishonest managers with IG action, a movement lead by Thompson was attenuating the authority of C&P Service, while strengthening the hand of regional office directors to replace claims managers with individuals more likely to resist time-consuming quality controls.

Generally, VBA managers resent employees who carry the burden of implementing Court of Veterans Appeals decisions in claims adjudication. Thus, regional office personnel have often been viewed as obstacles to claims processing. A 1998 IG report shows, once again, that poorly done claims have to be done again, thus increasing timeliness problems the shortcuts were designed to avoid.

VBA will remain besieged with complaints as long as it continues to act as though it alone knows what's best for the veteran, that benefits can be bargained for, and that it consequently cannot explain its decisions on cases in terms of fairness, equal treatment and due process.

Michael D. Thorpe
Former Hearing Officer
Veterans Affairs Department

Keep the Coast Guard Afloat

Anne Laurent's article "The Curse of Can-Do" (March) was right on target. She did an outstanding job outlining the U.S. Coast Guard's readiness woes and high management marks.

The Coast Guard may be the fifth and smallest branch of our armed forces, but it plays a vital role in our nation's affairs. In the 21st century, the Coast Guard will be on the front lines with old cutters and aircraft against many threats such as illegal narcotics trafficking and environmental terrorism.

I hope the neglect of our Coast Guard comes to an end. The Deepwater Mission Project Sounds like the perfect remedy since it will provide the right tools to improve the Coast Guard's operational efficiency.

Jim Dolbow

Prejudice Against Careerists

I found Steven Kelman's article, "Management Courses Go a Long Way" (April) to be interesting and informative, but I did not appreciate his prejudice against the federal career workforce. Whether in government, industry or academia (yes, perhaps even Harvard), Kelman may find examples of ineffective managers who could benefit from an introductory public management course. I expect an academician, particularly one who considers himself to be a good leader, to be more balanced in his treatment of the subject.

James L. Raney
Defense Department

Down on the Farm

After reading your Case Study "Double Vision" by David Hornestay (April), I am reminded of the World War I song with the verse: "How are you gonna keep them down on the farm, after they have been to Gay Paris (Pair-ee)?"

Ken Woodward
WWII baby boomer

No Glass Ceiling

I was disappointed in your article about women in government ("Kicking Glass," February). It carried the same tone as many articles about women in the private sector, and I am sure you misused employment and salary information. If you really compare women with men doing the same jobs, they make exactly the same or in some cases more money.

Women don't have comparable jobs to men because they choose positions that allow them to have more time off to be with their families.

So if you skew the data by comparing all women and men, you will almost always get a biased answer. There really isn't a glass ceiling anymore-only one that is maintained as a political form of misinformation.

Jim Blasko
Bonita, Calif.