Gimpy

[Andy]

OK, I give up, Gimp I?ve come over to your side. Today I got a phone call from a back water source telling me to call the VA and demand to know what I will be receiving in my VA check on July 1st. I called, I?m taking an $1,100 cut, while my case is still on appeal. They told me before that until a final decision is made I wouldn?t be cut. The VA civilians have decided my cancer is ok, even though I?m currently taking treatment. (Treatments like chemotherapy, but VA doctors haven?t discovered this stuff yet.) Apparently I was supposed to be officially notified in August that my appeal was denied.

June 1, a guy I went to high school with, a man who was in Vietnam in ?68 as a grunt, a guy who came down with cancer 6 months after I did was informed he was being dropped from 100% to 10% for cancer and 30% because they had to cut out his left lung.

June 1, a guy who was in our 3rd platoon (I was in 2nd) was reduced from 100% for cancer, lymphoma like me, to 40%. Does any of this seem like a trend?

All three of us have doctors who are saying, ?This boy?s got cancer which can?t be cured.? each of us are getting ?downsized?. As a result, I?ve called the offices of both of my senators. Never thought anyone would hear me say I called the office of Ted (I don?t drive well) Kennedy, but I did. Also called a democrat candidate for governor whom I know.

The VA and DAV both told me how busy they were. Made contact with my MOPH representative, contacted the State Treasurer saying I?m no longer eligible for a $1,500 check the state gives all vets who are 100% once per year. Every person I spoke to, and followed up with an e-mail, is a democrat. I?m ashamed of me, feel like a whore. But I am getting screwed as are a number of us.

Gimp, I know you have done well fighting the VA. Share your wisdom with a dumb Yankee who is going to change his voter preference tomorrow.

Stay healthy, we better,
Andy

[Arrow]

I am just sick. Griz and I are both sick. No use me cussin' . Andy are the guys from your area? Is this a regional thing or are they from other parts of the country?

[phuloi]

I`m donning my investigator`s hat at the onset of the work day tomorrow.I won`t mention any names(to protect the innocent)but a few people will hear from a real grouchy ole bear.I have never heard of anything so absurd in all my life!..GRRRRRRRR

[Arrow]

What about a petition to your reps Andy? I'll type the letter and send it out to some of the guys to sign. If we sent it express to one another we could get it to you pretty fast. I think they are more impressed with real signatures. What ever you think is best. We just want to help..

[Andy]

Sis: Eddie, the man who I went to high school with lives in my little town. Ron, the guy from our 3rd platoon lives in California.
Ron is also taking some serious meds for PTSD which makes be even more concerned for him.

Griz: I make a lot of calls yesterday and want everyone to know. Getting cut is not a good thing, getting lied to is unacceptable. I spoke to a reporter yesterday. Wednesday the guy from a local news paper will be writing a story after he reads the letters I've thus far received from the VA and my doctors. You can mention all the names you want.

I've never been shy about getting into a fight. They started this by slyly lying to me. Hence, all bets are off.

Stay healthy, don't get mad get even,
Andy

[SEATJERKER]

...GET EVEN WORSE"...
...not back tracking, but did you receive any prior notices of the proposed cut, and now that it's going "into effect", is this situation limited to your case, or others lumped into ones such as yours...
...can we write to the powers at be knowing of your plight to local media, and cause a ruckus, we all know we can write fast, and hard...
...squeekey "wheels" will get more attention...
...I found out the only way to get them to listen is raise your voice, loud, not enough to yell, or scream, but LOUD, LOUD like the saying goes
"I'M SICK, AND TIRED OF IT, AND I'M NOT GONNA TAKE ANYMORE" LOUD....
...EMBARRESS THEM into having anyone in earshot know that they are not doing their job, with ethical, and moral responsabilites
...FACTS, weather medical, or verbal should prevail...
...is it a paper snafu?

...go get um' pesky...(PS don't wear the dress)

[Keith_Hixson]

Bureaucrats live in a world of black and white pages. They try to enforce the "law" as those little numbers and letters reveal it to them. Having been a law maker and supervisor of Bureaucrats I was often surprised how they interpret the laws we made. Often they missed the entire intentions of the law. This should have been expected because they live in that tight little world of black and white letters and numbers. It is not the real world.

I believe that one the big mistakes is that the hearing boards should not be comprised of "professionals" but of regular Joe citizens. People who have common sense like a jury. They would do a much better job of looking at the common sense issues than bureaucrats.

I don't know if it is feasable but sometimes it is easier to just start over from scratch and not confuse them with new paper work.

It happens all the time everywhere. I have found it extremely helpful. To write logical sensible letters to every Public elected official in the Frederal Government from the President on Down. They often respond much faster when your Senators or Congressmens intervene. Also, if you have friends in the local media that will air your story on the local news and in the local paper: now that really works.

Been through it with many other agencies not the VA - yet.

Keith

[Arrow]

Good for you Andy. Man you have been a lot more patient than I could have been but now it's time to take off the gloves. If you need back up put up the name of your paper. I'll write a letter of support for you and a plea in general for all vets. Maybe what you are doing will inspire some others. I pray for your friends also. And God knows how many others are out there going through the same thing. Maybe alone. Keep us posted. sis

[Gimpy]

Sorry I haven't been able ta answer yo REE-quest fer assistance. Me an mah sweet-thang (JJ) has been down yonder tha Florida Keys spendin sum uv thet thare $$$ I dun got frum them thare VA rascally, scalawags! Ya knoes whut, it shore does fell gud spendin them SOB's muny! Anyways, we been outa town fer near-bout a week now and I jest got around ta checkin all this stuff.

Now lookee heanh, mah deah frand. I dun't X-speck y'all ta think I b'lieve ALL them ol democrats ere a WHOLE lot betta than them thare DEE-spicable republican types. But, I kin say fer SHORE thet yer prolaby gonna git more frum sum uv ol "Teddy's boys" than y'all will frum tha likes uv ol "Jessies' boys"----Ya knoe??

THa "trick" is in YOUR PERSISTENCE---and YOUR TENACITY!!

You GOTTA---WRITE---CALL--E-MAIL--PICKETT---EVERY damn newspaper, TV station (local & national), Congressman's office (every damn one of them in your state---not JUST yours), Senators offices, AND MAKE sure you TELL the MEDIA that you've contacted them PERSONALLY and use their name EVERY DAMN chance you get! Try and find OTHER vets that they've helped and USE their experiences in your assault on the media.

It's hard, totally exhausting and very, very depressing to keep up the pressure old friend. But, YA GOTTA DO IT!

Give me your local TV and newspapers names and address along with your congressman's and I'll start giving them sumthing to think about from a mad-ass (bad-ass) butt-kickin REBEL that they'll DAMN sure remember!

God bless ya old friend----fight the good fight!

[PHO127]

Andy, I have just got into this thing but Doc gave me a little history. I will write Max Cleland, Senator from Ga. Maybe if all of us just take a few minutes to Write a letter to Max the volume will be pretty sizeable. For those of you who do not know him Max lost both legs and an arm in RVN. has been a VA advocate.