This is an open letter to Gov. John Carney and the Delaware Commission of Veteran Affairs.
The first statement of this letter is to establish facts. The Delaware Commission of Veteran Affairs is made up of 15 members who are appointed to a four-year term by the governor. There are three counties in Delaware. As of right now, there is only one member of the commission from Sussex County. Recently, three positions were filled on the commission, with none coming from Sussex County. Sussex County is the largest county in the state by area, it is the fastest-growing county in the state by population, and it has the second-largest veteran population in the state.
That takes us to our first of several questions. Why is Sussex County so underrepresented on the commission? Were there any applicants from Sussex County? What are the qualifications required from applicants? And what are the criteria used to select finalists? I know of two from our county who applied, one of them being me.
The question I am leading to is, was I considered a viable candidate? If not, why wasn’t I? What were the criteria used and what qualifications were expected? I never received any communication from the staff in the governor’s office after I sent my application. The communication was initiated by phone calls from me. I was never notified as to when the applicant reviews were done, when the interviews were conducted, who made the final selections and who was selected as new commissioners. Never a call. Never a letter. What does all this lead me to believe? I have my beliefs, but I will let the readers render their outcomes and decisions.