V.A. Benefit Question

It has occured to me because of sybull that it may be an isolated case
of being threatened for writing my senators over lost records.

The person that threatened me worked for DAV or the American Legion. I
don't know about any other State but in Washington they seem to have
some special status to represent vets for claims. I am wondering, do
they do this out of the kindness of their heart, or do they get
commission or some other compensation. I mean they have offices,
staff, make you sign a power of attorney and such but they are not
lawyers for instance.

The one that threatened me was named Sherri and some folks in town and
at least one that used to hang out on this newsgroup spoke very highly
of her and when I called the V.A. back when this first started they
suggested I go to their offices here in town. They specifically
called it, "The Vets Center" so I assumed at the time they were the
lead player in the system. She is now in Seattle and no longer
associated with Bellingham.

I now know that is a false assumption because I dealt with it myself
but back then I made assumptions they were actually a part of the
process. Now I just call Team II in Seattle and they tell me what I
am supposed to do and when to do it. So that part is solved anyway.

It is at least worth a few other opinions in any case.

"Patrick t." wrote in message
newsj6smv8r7kvpggdur315k2446cd4n5todi@4ax.com...
> It has occured to me because of sybull that it may be an isolated case
> of being threatened for writing my senators over lost records.
>
> The person that threatened me worked for DAV or the American Legion. I
> don't know about any other State but in Washington they seem to have
> some special status to represent vets for claims. I am wondering, do
> they do this out of the kindness of their heart, or do they get
> commission or some other compensation. I mean they have offices,
> staff, make you sign a power of attorney and such but they are not
> lawyers for instance.
>
> The one that threatened me was named Sherri and some folks in town and
> at least one that used to hang out on this newsgroup spoke very highly
> of her and when I called the V.A. back when this first started they
> suggested I go to their offices here in town. They specifically
> called it, "The Vets Center" so I assumed at the time they were the
> lead player in the system. She is now in Seattle and no longer
> associated with Bellingham.
>
> I now know that is a false assumption because I dealt with it myself
> but back then I made assumptions they were actually a part of the
> process. Now I just call Team II in Seattle and they tell me what I
> am supposed to do and when to do it. So that part is solved anyway.
>
> It is at least worth a few other opinions in any case.

The various veteran's representative groups such as the VFW, American
Legion, Military Order of the Purple Heart, VVAW and so forth usually have
either paid or volunteer folks who assist veterans in the claims and appeals
process. The various states have veterans' officers who are paid state
civil service employees and some volunteers.

All of these folks are supposed to be first and foremost advocates for the
veteran. No matter how wacky, how drugged up or out, no matter how bizarre
the claim, the veteran's representative is supposed to do their very best to
help that vet get at least 100 percent and everything else that he or she is
legally entitled to. It is not supposed to be an adversarial relationship.
The adversarial relationship is between the Department of Veterans Affairs
and the individual Veteran. This has always been the case since the
beginning of the VA. The VA represents the US Government, and -- as a well
entrenched plutocracy with considerable political clout in the smoke filled
back rooms -- works overtime to make sure you the veteran do not receive a
single cent. The veteran's representatives both with the service
organizations and with the state veterans' department work as a kind of
middle man to negotiate a happy medium -- say, fifty percent for the loss of
your legs and arms as opposed to the VA's position that the small wheeled
cart your buddies made gives you full mobility and versus your position that
since you don't have any arms or legs you should get one hundred percent and
a special allowance to pay someone to wipe your ass.

Now, where the conflict seems to come in is from former VA employees
retiring and getting a nice sinecure with the state vets office or a vets
organization. This is like the congressman who gets tired of having to show
up to vote and retires, going right to work for a lobby firm. It is an
incestuous relationship in many cases.

Now any veterans representative in a state office or a veteran's group who
is not a veteran ought to not be there. Understanding the process of
paperwork is one thing but understanding the NEED for compensation is
another thing altogether. Too many people in the VA claims business think
that Vets are looking for a handout just like that Eldorado Driving, Color
TV Stealing Crack Baby Producing Welfare Momma over in the Project. In a
few words, they just don't understand.

I would never try to work together with a vet's representative unless he or
she had at least been in the military -- wounded or a combat related nutcase
all the better. The guy who helped me, finally after nine years, was a
recovered addict, 100 percent PTSD former Marine with one arm and a
colostomy bag, which he threatened to throw at some of the human filth who
worked for the VA claims office in Nashville.

If you can find one person who is on your side for better or for worse and
who is willing to go the full run with you, you have found your angel.

Good Luck,

Cheers,
Dave

In article , Dave Mann says...
>
>
>"Patrick t." wrote in message
>newsj6smv8r7kvpggdur315k2446cd4n5todi@4ax.com...
>> It has occured to me because of sybull that it may be an isolated case
>> of being threatened for writing my senators over lost records.
>>
>> The person that threatened me worked for DAV or the American Legion. I
>> don't know about any other State but in Washington they seem to have
>> some special status to represent vets for claims. I am wondering, do
>> they do this out of the kindness of their heart, or do they get
>> commission or some other compensation. I mean they have offices,
>> staff, make you sign a power of attorney and such but they are not
>> lawyers for instance.
>>
>> The one that threatened me was named Sherri and some folks in town and
>> at least one that used to hang out on this newsgroup spoke very highly
>> of her and when I called the V.A. back when this first started they
>> suggested I go to their offices here in town. They specifically
>> called it, "The Vets Center" so I assumed at the time they were the
>> lead player in the system. She is now in Seattle and no longer
>> associated with Bellingham.
>>
>> I now know that is a false assumption because I dealt with it myself
>> but back then I made assumptions they were actually a part of the
>> process. Now I just call Team II in Seattle and they tell me what I
>> am supposed to do and when to do it. So that part is solved anyway.
>>
>> It is at least worth a few other opinions in any case.
>
>The various veteran's representative groups such as the VFW, American
>Legion, Military Order of the Purple Heart, VVAW and so forth usually have
>either paid or volunteer folks who assist veterans in the claims and appeals
>process. The various states have veterans' officers who are paid state
>civil service employees and some volunteers.
>
>All of these folks are supposed to be first and foremost advocates for the
>veteran. No matter how wacky, how drugged up or out, no matter how bizarre
>the claim, the veteran's representative is supposed to do their very best to
>help that vet get at least 100 percent and everything else that he or she is
>legally entitled to. It is not supposed to be an adversarial relationship.
>The adversarial relationship is between the Department of Veterans Affairs
>and the individual Veteran. This has always been the case since the
>beginning of the VA. The VA represents the US Government, and -- as a well
>entrenched plutocracy with considerable political clout in the smoke filled
>back rooms -- works overtime to make sure you the veteran do not receive a
>single cent. The veteran's representatives both with the service
>organizations and with the state veterans' department work as a kind of
>middle man to negotiate a happy medium -- say, fifty percent for the loss of
>your legs and arms as opposed to the VA's position that the small wheeled
>cart your buddies made gives you full mobility and versus your position that
>since you don't have any arms or legs you should get one hundred percent and
>a special allowance to pay someone to wipe your ass.
>
>Now, where the conflict seems to come in is from former VA employees
>retiring and getting a nice sinecure with the state vets office or a vets
>organization. This is like the congressman who gets tired of having to show
>up to vote and retires, going right to work for a lobby firm. It is an
>incestuous relationship in many cases.
>
>Now any veterans representative in a state office or a veteran's group who
>is not a veteran ought to not be there. Understanding the process of
>paperwork is one thing but understanding the NEED for compensation is
>another thing altogether. Too many people in the VA claims business think
>that Vets are looking for a handout just like that Eldorado Driving, Color
>TV Stealing Crack Baby Producing Welfare Momma over in the Project. In a
>few words, they just don't understand.
>
>I would never try to work together with a vet's representative unless he or
>she had at least been in the military -- wounded or a combat related nutcase
>all the better. The guy who helped me, finally after nine years, was a
>recovered addict, 100 percent PTSD former Marine with one arm and a
>colostomy bag, which he threatened to throw at some of the human filth who
>worked for the VA claims office in Nashville.
>
>If you can find one person who is on your side for better or for worse and
>who is willing to go the full run with you, you have found your angel.
>
>Good Luck,
>
>Cheers,
>Dave

The VA rater knows nothing more about a particular vet than what's slapped on
his/her desk. Too many vets are just plain lazy and let a vet organization do
all the paper work. Then when they get turned down, they cry the blues and
appeal.
Just understand one thing. Gather all your shit and make it easily
understandable. The rater is not medically trained and he/she is not going to
go though piles of paperwork if it has not been logically presented.
It is very easy to get a high rating if you understand what the VA rater is
looking for and produce it in an easy to read (lay terms) format.
This means the vet has to do his homework. Sure, it shouldn't be that way, but
what government agency is different?

On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 19:55:26 -0500, "Dave Mann"
wrote:


>If you can find one person who is on your side for better or for worse and
>who is willing to go the full run with you, you have found your angel.

I don't know if you remember Clete Martin, but I went to his place to
say hello and he is the one who recommended this person in Bellingham.
Because of Clete, it took me a full year to actually get mad at her
and that is some kind of record for me.

In the final analysis, the State guy now and the top guy at the V.A.
are both combat Marines. I don't need them or anything but do say
hello when I run into one of them. It was just paperwork anyway, the
record speaks for itself. In my case, the record was put somewhere
and they showed no respect in trying to find it until one of our State
Senators or their representatives followed up on it.
>Good Luck,
>
>Cheers,
>Dave
>
>

In article , Patrick t. says...
>
>On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 19:55:26 -0500, "Dave Mann"
>wrote:
>
>
>>If you can find one person who is on your side for better or for worse and
>>who is willing to go the full run with you, you have found your angel.
>
>I don't know if you remember Clete Martin, but I went to his place to
>say hello and he is the one who recommended this person in Bellingham.
>Because of Clete, it took me a full year to actually get mad at her
>and that is some kind of record for me.
>
>In the final analysis, the State guy now and the top guy at the V.A.
>are both combat Marines. I don't need them or anything but do say
>hello when I run into one of them. It was just paperwork anyway, the
>record speaks for itself. In my case, the record was put somewhere
>and they showed no respect in trying to find it until one of our State
>Senators or their representatives followed up on it.

Always photo copy everything. It will save you a lot of grief...

"Alligator Al" wrote in message
news:bklkhp02ulo@drn.newsguy.com...
> In article , Patrick t.
says...
> >
> >On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 19:55:26 -0500, "Dave Mann"
> >wrote:
> >
> >
> >>If you can find one person who is on your side for better or for worse
and
> >>who is willing to go the full run with you, you have found your angel.
> >
> >I don't know if you remember Clete Martin, but I went to his place to
> >say hello and he is the one who recommended this person in Bellingham.
> >Because of Clete, it took me a full year to actually get mad at her
> >and that is some kind of record for me.
> >
> >In the final analysis, the State guy now and the top guy at the V.A.
> >are both combat Marines. I don't need them or anything but do say
> >hello when I run into one of them. It was just paperwork anyway, the
> >record speaks for itself. In my case, the record was put somewhere
> >and they showed no respect in trying to find it until one of our State
> >Senators or their representatives followed up on it.
>
> Always photo copy everything. It will save you a lot of grief...
>

Exactly .. remember the case here in Nashville I told you all about a couple
of years ago, with the director of the local office ordering a loyal cabal
to pack over 100,000 files away down in the Alvin York Center's bomb
shelter. Also the supervisor woman who ran around reminding everyone to
delay the cancer cases because according to her "cancer's a ticking time
bomb and the tumors are ticking ..." Meaning delay until the guy died.
Senator Thompson's office finally found out about that and the head guy is
gone to VA Hq in Washington. The woman non-vet supervisor is now a GS14
division chief, but not in Nashville.

Cheers,
Dave