Get The 'Vaseline" ready folks---The VDBC is gettin ready to 'screw' us!

[Arrow]

David Gorman is brilliant in his response. He's dotted every i and crossed every t.I'm in agreement that this commission was created to farther the political agenda of the executive branch and at the same time do a CYA for those higher up in the VA.The VA complains about all the claims they have to process. The executive branch complains about the money put out for those claims. There's a way around both problems. Stop sending men and women off to defend the cause of freedom around the world. That should be cost effective; at least until our cities go up in flames.

Arrow>>>>>

[Gimpy]

is another way...................make SURE that sufficient FUNDING is outlayed to the VA to properly DO THEIR JOB!

David Gorman says this:

"Another part of the Undersecretary?s statement presents a clue as to the real reason VA cannot achieve timely, consistent, and quality decisions. The reasons are internal within the executive branch, not the fault of Congress or veterans."

"We (DAV) believe the VA needs to ensure that pressure to make speedy decisions to reduce the claims backlog does not result in an increase in errors and an increase in appeals, and even more of a workload."

"The President?s budget submission for VA clearly does not remain fixed on the objective of strengthening VBA to make it better able to fulfill its responsibilities to veterans . Due to the war in Iraq and the many hostilities in which our Armed Forces are engaged today, we can only expect an influx of new veterans needing VA benefits and services." end quote.


While VA represents a lifeline to veterans it is an ideological anchor to this administration which has gone out of its way to portray veterans' benefits as something akin to welfare . This current assault on VA and veterans' benefits will not stop.


The major service organizations know it, yet all they can do is go before a committee and testify that veterans are good citizens, honorable former members of our armed forces and deserve their benefits, while their dues-paying members are waiting months for treatment at a VA facility or getting no treatment at all.


It's time for veterans to realize that the current administration has failed them. Smaller government and lower taxes are wonderful phrases and paint a glowing picture. But the reality is much different than the painted picture.


VA's chronic under-funding has led to hiring freezes, layoffs and the closing of healthcare facilities. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of veterans are forced to go without healthcare, or wait for months and months to receive it.


Those in Congress who realize this are shouted down and voted down along party lines. Smaller government and lower taxes are obviously more important than veterans' lives. I continually pray for a change and urge (and sometimes DEMAND) my elected representatives to work for a change.


I don't look forward to a dismantled VA that puts veterans out on the street instead of in a hospital room. But if this administration is successful with their attempts to "re-write" the 'book' on Veterans Benefits, this may very well be our future.


Sorry if that ruffles anyones feathers..............but that is just how I (and apparently the Service Organizations as well) see it.

Arrow I like your idea to.

[Arrow]

Thanks Robert, I support our troops and their missionbut would rather see them home taking care of their own thanhave this nationfail to honor their sacrifices by getting by on the cheap when it comes to "caring for him that has borne the battle and his widow and his orphan"

My own personal opinion of giving more money to the VA is first turn the spot light on the VA rather than the Veteran or the laws Congress has passed in his support. Doc Fred noted oneexample of a VA employee out of the regional office in Atlanta that managed to buy a $5,000,000 million dollar submarine out of his civil service salary.

My bro spoke of buildingprojects that were going onin the Milwaukee VA before he died while the administrationexcused the poor care of a WWII Veteranlaying in his own waste for hourssaying they didn't have enough staff. Well hellstop building and start hiring.

Mybro's wife last position at the VArequired her to do nothing for hours.Shefelt so badabout wasting her time and our tax dollars shecashed out, took her retirement and left. Before she leftshe was asked if she had any suggestions in regard to the position.She bluntlytold them "Don't fill it." "There'snot enough work to justify the job."

There's morebutit's just a repeat of the same.

I'm all for the VAhaving everything they needto take care of the Vet and his family.Buthow about some accountability? How aboutsome serious house cleaning and get rid of some of the dead wood at the top of the totem pole.

Thoseat the top of that pole turn my stomach pointing at the Veteran and blaming him because he's filed a claim for benefits that have been put in place for himby Congress.

Time tolog out and calm down...

Peace Out....

Arrow>>>>>

[Packo]

Gimpy et al,

Sure doesn't ruffle my feathers except to piss me off further. I've been on Parris Island all week with no access to P-files or my work email so don't know if I've gotten a response from the VVA yet. Won't be able to check until Monday....back to PI to do Psyc evals on recruits today.....Veterans Day tomorrow. Tomorrow we hear all the speeches about what great people we are and how "nothing" is too good for our Veterans. All the time people are plotting to do what they can to take "nothing" away from us. Not recieving any feed back from my Congress people so I think everyone's trying to duck and cover on this issue. I feel all of y'alls anger as I see recruits this week, many enlisting for Infantry, who don't have a clue that the very government that askes them to fight will say "tuff shit" after they come home disabled. What did the WHO say....."here comes the new boss...same as the old boss." My dissapointment equals only my anger. I will be playing golf tomorrow morning. I refuse to listen to any speeches about how deserving we are. I also refuse to stop fighting this shit and am going to do what I can to bring an awareness out. Time for letters to the editors of local papers and anything else I can do. Gonna work on this march thing....but not optimistic I can do this without an awful lot of help. I fear it would end up with just some of us from the P-files and, of course, the media would just ignore or say...."a few disgruntled vets were in Washington today...big deal."

Well, off to the Island. Everybody have a great Veterans Day.....they may take this away from us next year.

Pack

[Gimpy]

Originally posted by Paco Gimpy et al,

Sure doesn't ruffle my feathers except to piss me off further. I've been on Parris Island all week with no access to P-files or my work email so don't know if I've gotten a response from the VVA yet. Won't be able to check until Monday....back to PI to do Psyc evals on recruits today.....Veterans Day tomorrow. Tomorrow we hear all the speeches about what great people we are and how "nothing" is too good for our Veterans. All the time people are plotting to do what they can to take "nothing" away from us. Not recieving any feed back from my Congress people so I think everyone's trying to duck and cover on this issue. I feel all of y'alls anger as I see recruits this week, many enlisting for Infantry, who don't have a clue that the very government that askes them to fight will say "tuff shit" after they come home disabled. What did the WHO say....."here comes the new boss...same as the old boss." My dissapointment equals only my anger. I will be playing golf tomorrow morning. I refuse to listen to any speeches about how deserving we are. I also refuse to stop fighting this shit and am going to do what I can to bring an awareness out. Time for letters to the editors of local papers and anything else I can do. Gonna work on this march thing....but not optimistic I can do this without an awful lot of help. I fear it would end up with just some of us from the P-files and, of course, the media would just ignore or say...."a few disgruntled vets were in Washington today...big deal."

Well, off to the Island. Everybody have a great Veterans Day.....they may take this away from us next year.

Pack

Packo,

What ever I can do from this end to help you get this thing rolling, let me know.

God bless you brother,

[catman]

Tom, Steve...standing in line waiting to see what I can do. Have sent the letters to all concern and guess what, not one response, big shock there huh?

Trav

[Gimpy]

Me neither Trav.......................Not a word from one of my Senators (Mel Martinez R-FL) or my Congressman (Mike Bilirakis R-FL)..........But I DID here from Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) and he wrote that he will monitor the VDBC and get back to me with his investigation into their mission.