Cutting veteran care not patriotic

Spread throughout the country are 15.8 million military veterans, according to a 2024 United States Census report.

Of those nearly 16 million, 1.8 million veterans live in California with about 206,000 residing in San Diego County. Meanwhile, the county is home to almost 10,000 unsheltered people with about 1,000 of them calling themselves veterans.

While the majority of the county’s veteran population is presumably housed and not suffering from debilitating mental health or substance abuse issues, the reality is there are men and women who served their country but are experiencing hardships that are perhaps the most challenging they have faced in their civilian lives.

Sadly the safety nets that were meant to support them appear to be deteriorating despite our often vocal and all-too-often manufactured cries of patriotism.

In its effort to cut waste, promote efficiency and streamline operations—in other words run government like the private sector and businesses—the Trump administration and the Republican party have championed massive cuts to federal agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The inherent problem, however, is that government is not a business and running agencies that are designed to promote and protect the public good should not be run to turn a profit or enrich the private sector by contracting its responsibilities outside public control.

Periodic reviews and evaluations of operations can be valuable in improving the VA’s effectiveness but ham-fisted approaches such as cutting 80,000 jobs without examining the impact on veterans is, at best, short-sighted and irresponsible.

From case workers and administrators to counselors and receptionists, the people employed by the VA are integral to helping veterans navigate the red tape mazes that hinder former service members from accessing the services and care they need and are owed.

Taxpayers and voters need to decide if the planned cuts to VA services and personnel are worth making if they harm the men and women that we so often point to as the ultimate symbols of patriotism and freedom.