If a tree falls in a forest and lands on a politician, even if you can't hear the tree or the screams, I'll bet you'd at least hear the applause. Paul Tindale
Unfortunately, this comes under the header of "News". This is not an opinion, or ad, so as it is reported like a new subject, it is news, even though it should be under the headline of, "Well, duh!!! What an understatement!!"
And could it just be that this is the reason why he is stepping down? Have a good day!~!
Well to the best of my knowledge i don't see anything new here as news. After all i'm a viet nam vet still waiting on the v.a.'s baclkog for disability compensation.Its been close to a year now and still waiting, its mind boggling that the v.a. takes this much time, after all they hired 1100 more compensation clerks to handle the load, most of them have no idea whats going on just like the v.a.!!!!!!
Disability Claims havw ALWAYS strained the VA. Since 2001, since I started with the VA, it takes an average MINIMUM of 9 moths to get any changes approved. Not one single time as my illnesses/injuries were becoming more severe, has it taken less. Never.
To say they are now "over strained" just can't be new or a shock to anyone. The addition of CRSC, a benefit that was a Godsend to many like me, also bogs down (because of in-fighting or lack of coordination) between your former Service Branch & the VA.
Delay in benefits and/or breakdown in communications only hurt one person at a time: the injured individual veteran (and of course, his or her family).
A point of information in all this confusion and delay, is that these glitches, Catch 22's, SNAFU's and the like really do take their toll on the sick & dying vet's. These "veterans" are not given anything. They have paid over & over again for these "benefits" after fighting for them too.
"Bogged down", is baloney. Let's have the politicians legislate a "plunger" to unplug these "bogdowns" like their own benefits are.
As long as we (Americans, that is) are going to keep having wars, there will never be any shortages of veterans to care and provide for.
"I will trust in my God and in the United States of America" are words that I learned when I was seventeen years old, back in 1963. They have goverened my adult life ever since, and I will believe in them forever.
We really need to make an effort to fix things for the Veterans and do it right.
Just wanted to let everyone know we have been trying for 4 yrs now with debt management due to error in there records that we have proven several times to no avail. They continue taken funds from my husbands Va checks. We have been trying to add me as a Dependant for over a year know with no luck so far. We have furnished all there requirements still nothing. It is ridiculous what a veteran has to go through for there benefits as if one fight in the Army is not enough you have to fight for your rights as a veteran rights you are suppose to already have. As far as I'm concerned VA is a joke. And a dirty one at that. Our country treats there veterans awful. Va says support your service men when they don't even do that.
We warned these jerks of the disparity looking at us in the future. NO ONE listened. Why do you think Nicholson gave himself all those rewards and "Pulled Chocks". The epitome of sanctamonious political patronization...political appointees, nepotism, croneism, and backroom party back patting. With respects and compliments, Sergeant Major
HOw many recieved there clothing allowance? I never got mine yet it was approved on Aug23rd this year and everyone else received it but not here. Like one person states, 1100 more idiots to help shoot down your claim....unf*****real
well let me tell you I have been working on my claim for Unemployablity for 14 months. I have even contacted congressman and senators from texas. but do I hear anybody doing anything hell no. every time I call the VA in houston I get the same old blurb "they are working on it, or it is at the rating board. Oh yes then I get preached at that because I am at 30% I do not even qualify for 100% IU. Well I cannot work anymore because of my back, sinus, asthma, right ankle, congective bronchitis. oh yes now I have been diagnose with firbrmylgia. U do not know how much money I have spent on xeroxing my medical records from the navy and retired. all I can say is that dealing with the VA is now in it's 14th month. I also have an appeal in that is going on 18 months. I have sent a large amout of records so that the STUPID will realize that I still have the same disabilities in 1996 that were denied in 2005. Some Idiot quack doctor from nam said that my ankel was fine, bronchitius, was fine,sinus etc. I do not know what schol he graduated from but I still have the same disabilities I did in 2005 as I did whent the va designated me at 50%. well just stand by to take a long time.
I personally think this stinks... a cover your butt situation. I am a viet nam vet, that has been diagnois with PTSD, Depression, High Blood Preasure, and recently Diabeties. my claim has been in the appeal state for 13 months! I was informed that it would take a year from the time SRO (senior review officer) reviewed and make a decision, he recieved it in june 07. 1100 workers my butt !!!
What I love is that whn you file for a Paragragh 30 after surgery it is supposed to take no more than 90 days for you to receive you money I had my surgery May 30th and I have not seena dime yet I am currently rated at 50% while recovering from Surgery you are supposed to be rated at 100%, That is of course if it is for a service connected dissability let me make that clear. I am about to have another surgery this time on my shoulder the last one was on my left knee. I have not worked in 8 months, my wife is the only one working right now and all of our bills are stacking up like crazy, 1100 extra dont know anything paper pushers is more like it, dont you just love it they hire people who have absolutly no medical back ground to make medical decisions. These guys need to be overhauled from the top down by an independant firm that has no connection to the Government but that is also being heavily monitored by all of the Veteran organizations. But that is just my opinion. Also everyone get inon the Anti-Anthrax Vacination bandwagon please.
Originally posted by namgnat7172: I personally think this stinks... a cover your butt situation. I am a viet nam vet, that has been diagnois with PTSD, Depression, High Blood Preasure, and recently Diabeties. my claim has been in the appeal state for 13 months! I was informed that it would take a year from the time SRO (senior review officer) reviewed and make a decision, he recieved it in june 07. 1100 workers my butt !!!
You're lucky, I was sent to an outside contractor that didn't even look at where the injuries were and when they X-rayed me, they actually shot the X-rays out an open window, into the reakin' parkin' lot for crying out loud. Of course I was denied, so now what do I do? If the V.A. and the government gets it's way, I will just crawl off and die, problem solved... Respectfully, SUNLINER81
The VA Secretary is always trying to CYA. This Secretary isn't the only one to try to bs us. All of them seem to do it. This is not anything new. All the administrations give lip service to veterans. They feel if we aren't putting money in their pockets, then we're not worth them doing anything for us. This includes congress also. The VA has alway been underfunded, and always will be, unless we elect officials that are sensative to us as veterans. The Sec says the VA hired 1100 more claims processors. How long do you think it will take for them to get trained to say CLAIM DENIED?
The Va hired 1,100 new processors to reduce delays ? Well , I guess we, who have to deal with Providence RI, got the bottom of the barrel. I have been dealing with a back claim since I retired from Active Duty in 2000, 7 years. I recently submitted new evidence that clearly showed what the problem is, an old fracture in my spine, that I didn't know I had, from an accident I had while on Active Duty. I submitted copies of my military medical records on treatments and these morons say no. I have had two MRI's and a recent CAT Scan from a Neurologists. The doc wrote it up and stated the fracture is a direct result from the accident. The processor wrote that it wasn't service connected. They didn't use the information from my service records. The processors are making decisions without any Doc's from the VA examining Veterans first. Well, the appeal has once again started but this time a Congressman is getting involved. I guess these union people need job security to keep their jobs and continue to treat Veterans as second class citizens at the VA in RI. Good ridden to Mr.Nicholson.We Veterans deserve better.I agree, this is not news!!!
Sunliner-your not alone! Same thing happened to my husband who is a Vietnam Vet just last week. He was sent to a private DR who spent 30 seconds doing a back exam. He had to drive to another location, 25 miles away, to get an xray. The Xray tech reaked of alcohol.I am a paralegal and thought that injustice was just mis-guilded info and horse hockey, but sadly I am wrong. The worst injustice I have ever witness is what is happening to Vets. Bless you all and thank you for your service and sacrifice. I hold hope that you all will receive what you so dearly deserve.
