Reading the account of the journalistic "lynching" of Veteran Services Officer Bob Nelson reported in the Feb. 11, 2015, edition of the Brainerd Dispatch made my blood boil. Rarely have I ever been subjected to such bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo in the public sector. The case presented to the Crow Wing County Board by Mrs. Laska of Human Resources and Mrs. Terry and Skogen of Community Services was just that.
I am a disabled veteran and am also honored and privileged to be a volunteer driver for the Disabled American Veterans van at the Brainerd Community Based Outpatient Veterans Clinic. In such capacity, I transport veterans needing this service both to the Brainerd Clinic and the Veterans Administration Hospital in St. Cloud.
This puts me in contact with a large number of veterans on a regular bases and I have never once heard a negative remark about the services provided by Mr. Nelson and the VSO office. In fact, quite the opposite - comments are always positive and appreciative.
It looks to me like the bureaucratic aristocracies of our county are far more concerned with the "process" than they are with the "product." Comments like "alignment with our organizational goals," "result-oriented metrics," "leadership paradigm" and "innovative solutions" are no more than perfect examples of the mumbo-jumbo referenced above.
Just because Mr. Nelson may not conform to the "management mold" expected by the bureaucratic administrative hierarchy, it does not detract from the job he was hired to do over seven years ago - service the veterans of this county. He is "delivering the best possible service for the lowest possible cost." God help us if we all become regimented management robots that march to a single drum beat. Let's hope the County Board sees through this charade for what it really is.
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Bob Burns
Nisswa
