RE: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,146937,00.html
Somebody explain this part where they stop help at soc. sec. age. I'm missing something. The DAV has ben against lump sum payments because they screw the vet for a long time. What is this I don't understand it but if its good for the Gov it's usualy bad for us.

And he wants it done FAST, and he likens Iraq to Vietnam now in another speech. How many times on this blog have I been told to basicly get my head out of my butt because Iraq is not Vietnam, that "This will not be another Vietnam," And yesterday I was told Cheney didn't take bribes. Now the CinC is quoting ME in his speeches to the VFW. That's because I've been right. And if it looks like a turd and smells like a turd it's a BRIBE. If it's involving money for anything from DC it's a payoff or a bribe, or just plain stealing. Now the Iraqi Pres we have been supporting sys he'll go to SYRIA for support? I just changed my mind again. Let him. Let the Iranians get even with the Iraqi's for 8 yr's of murdering them and get us out of there. Let them die in their own allah loving urine soaked crappy pants. F--k Allah.

If this happens, and becomes law...nobody will be getting their va compensation past age 65....

Give with one hand, and take away with the other is the name of the game. The next step will be to do away with any reasonable Tricare benefits by sending those covered by Tricare to Medacare.

While I am not opposed to Combat wounded veterans receiving greater benefits for the award of the Purple Heart paid by the Military Dept., I think it would be a travesty of justice to treat injured veterans differently within the Department of Veterans Affairs system because of combat, and non-combat injury.

Also concerning loss of benefits when a veteran receives Social Security benefits:

I hope you will contact the President and Congress and let them know that it
is unconscionable that veterans would loss any part of earned VA disability
compensation benefits at the time they receive earned Social Security
Benefits.

Your Congressman can be found at:
http://www.house.gov/ and http://www.senate.gov/
and the president can be written to at:
comments@whitehouse.gov

Sincerely,
Ray B. Davis, jr
http://www.valaw.org

The problems are: Combat screws up not only bodies, but minds. There are more non-combat disabled Vets than those shot at and missed, or hit. The human brain doesn't mature until the body is, give or take, 25 years old. Since organised armies have fought over land or politics, warriors have suffered from PTSD. No government can afford to pay a disability compensation to those who have been in battle and are unable to live a "normal" life afterwards. The DAV fights hard, but most of the members of the DAV have never seen combat. VFW and MOPH fight hard, but the wounded combat vet, is happy just to celebrate every day he is alive. I would like to be appointed to one of these commissions, just to hear the BS, and then put in place a program which helps combat veterans. This Individual Unemployability, PTSD rating of 100% isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Service members disability benefits and bringing Social Security into the mix when SSA was never taken out when I served in the military, . . . or are they going to start taking SSA/FICA out of servicemembers pay? i.e. if I'm disabled, how much will I make in SSA benefits because I can't find a job? Not everyone gets the same SSA retirement check when they reach 65. Your civilian salary after you're out of the service,(that is if you can find a decent paying job) will determine your monthly SSA benefit amount when your . . ., well, now, most will get their full SSA benefits at age 68 or 72. If a service member combat or not can't find/perform work in civilian life, what/how will SSA help them if they have a low SSA monthly check?

If I were a betting person, some politician has a hidden agenda to save/boost the failing Social Security program by entering/billing service members pay with SSA or FICA and calling it part of disability reform when it is actually Social Security Reform.

I think I see where it's headed.

My 15 years of service did not count toward Social Security Administration retirement benefit. Those 15 years are not in their calculations.

I agree with Daliel Oscar. Read the fine print and do the math. Once again the administration is trying to pull a fast one under the title of helping the vets. I don't trust them as far as I can throw them.

So where can one find the Dole-Shalala Commission Report? I'd like to see the recommendations, particularly those concerning (someone previously posted) on SS which would come on at age 65. Is this in the Commission’s recommendations or is it an Administration push for the proposed legislation? I believe there are many older disabled veterans who, as I, worked for the Fed Gov (30 yrs plus) and are receive a CSRS annuity that will receive hardly anything from the SS because there was no pay deduction for it. Plus if Fed ret’d you can’t receive mil ret’d benefits to boot! So as I read what little has been written about this topic, anyone with a substantial(?) VA compensation will lose it when 65 and receive SS. So those in the above category of CSRS Fed ret’d may be looking at a large loss of income. I’m also interested in any information about the retroactive date proposed for the new legislation. Tom Philpott (8/24/07) indicated this legislation was meant(?) for those veterans after 9/11. Can anyone state for sure which groups of vets this will affect?

Posted new.

We've got to call and email our Senators and Representatives and ask them to explain this and maby to block. Let your budies know about this and ask them to do the same. In order to win we must be heard. There are 6 million veterans (I've heard). Ask each one you email to email as many veterans as they know - etc,etc. It's amazing to me that President Bush and many congressmen on both sides do not mind giving away free benefits to illegals but are not upset at taking away benefits earned by Americans in defending their country, when they start collecting social security - which by the way Americans paid into and now is used as an excuse to take away unrelated benefits.

I sure appears to me that the Bush administration wants to increase the poverty roles of this nation with its veterans that were hurt or made disabled by combat injuries. This really unfair and the VA disability income should not be stopped. This is just another Bush scam to hurt our veterans. The veteran community has been put on alert and so have or advocates and activist. I will vote for no congressperson or Senator that supports this plan of this President. He needs to return to reality.

Beyond this, SSDI (social security disability) and UI (individual unemployability) are NOT connected.

Try proving your case to the SSA with VA records.

If you had worked for the Railroad, it would be automatic, go figure!

Another thing, CHAMPVA for spouses and dependents of the DAV vet is supposed to be equivalent to TRICARE. It isn't even close.

No dental, no options of any kind and a $3000.00/yr layout.

If you are living as a couple on a VA 100% pension, that is a lot of money! You can travel to a CITI site for medical care, but don't count on collecting the travel expenses written into the law.

SSA = welfare for those out of employment or years.

Discontinuing any portion of a VA benefit is criminal, but it happens every day.

I have spoken to Governors and politicos until I'm red in the face and even though I produce the laws, they STILL don't get it.

Beyond this, SSDI (social security disability) and UI (individual unemployability) are NOT connected.

Try proving your case to the SSA with VA records.

If you had worked for the Railroad, it would be automatic, go figure!

Another thing, CHAMPVA for spouses and dependents of the DAV vet is supposed to be equivalent to TRICARE. It isn't even close.

No dental, no options of any kind and a $3000.00/yr layout.

If you are living as a couple on a VA 100% pension, that is a lot of money! You can travel to a CITI site for medical care, but don't count on collecting the travel expenses written into the law.

SSA = welfare for those out of employment or years.

Discontinuing any portion of a VA benefit is criminal, but it happens every day.

I have spoken to Governors and politicos until I'm red in the face and even though I produce the laws, they STILL don't get it.

How about someone, ANYONE, looking at CHAMPVA?

what about vietnam vets,will we get more money for our va disability.

reply from post of wyocowboy1 : I totally agree with you the fact that war does not just do bodily injury but it really screws up some vets minds. My husband served 6 months in Kuwait and I've been with him for 12 years ... and he never even told me he served time over there. You know why? Because things happened over there that are unthinkable and unspeakable. My husband could write a book like many of our vets and soldiers who have fought for our country. It's time we get a President in office who is concerned for the people of our country instead of the almighty $$$. It's time that "we the people speak up!" I'm writing to my Senator and I'm also thinking about writing a Biography of what happened to my husband in Kuwait. If only he would break the silence ! God bless you all !

quote:

Originally posted by chopped12:
reply from post of wyocowboy1 : I totally agree with you the fact that war does not just do bodily injury but it really screws up some vets minds. My husband served 6 months in Kuwait and I've been with him for 12 years ... and he never even told me he served time over there. You know why? Because things happened over there that are unthinkable and unspeakable. My husband could write a book like many of our vets and soldiers who have fought for our country. It's time we get a President in office who is concerned for the people of our country instead of the almighty $$$. It's time that "we the people speak up!" I'm writing to my Senator and I'm also thinking about writing a Biography of what happened to my husband in Kuwait. If only he would break the silence ! God bless you all !

Life is a PTSD! you got to move foward or you will cry forever. Thats not going to do anyone anygood.

I'm worried (and I don't need the added stress . . .) I just got back off vacation and read; "the portion of VA compensation now provided, and intended only to cover reduced earnings capacity, would stop at age 65 when social security begins." I have been fearing this for years . . . What will we do? I'm 100% (war related; I can see they are trying to splity us again; They are masters at pitting people against each other (so we don't focus on who is really getting rich on these wars etc.)
I would be taking a 2/3 cut in pay and loose everything; but I will be better off than those poor souls who didn't work at all; went into the service of our great country right out of high school; came out 100% disabled (and therefor have no retirement benefit at 65 yrs old.) I guess those brothers will have 2 hit the streets? When I saw Bush was supporting a bill to help veterans I knew there would be a catch somewhere. I PRAY WE CAN STAND TOGETHER ON THIS ISSUE . . . The longshore union has a great moto that I think we should adopt; " An injury to one, is an injury to all."
Please let me know when we march on Washington . . . I'll write and call my representives but I don't have much hope . . .

Below is a copy of the letter I sent to my State Congressional and Senatorial officials.
I can only hope there iwll be sufficient outcry to put a stake in the heart of this plan.

_______________________________________________
As a US Army veteran who is still trying to reconnoiter though the maze of disability rules and regulations years after my separation from service, I have been watching the proposed changes to the disability system very closely. I applaud the idea that the
VA assume responsibility for establishing a consistent, uniformly applied standard of rating. The brothers and sisters who follow me into service will undoubtedly benefit greatly by a fairer system.

Unfortunately, the Bush Administration proposal terrifies me as a veteran and outrages me as a citizen. Creating separate packages for combat-related and other service-connected disabilities is a recipe for disaster. At best, it is a cynical political maneuver to drive a wedge into the military community - to separate us into squabbling little factions fighting each other over an ever-dwindling pile of crumbs. None will have the power to effectively defend our rights and none will have the legitimacy to advocate for the entire community. I have no doubt that the Administration will exploit images of horrific combat injuries to garner public support for this plan to "provide better for our honorable boys" and deflect attention for the less wholesome parts. What will happen to those of us with less photogenic disabilities? We will be declared a lesser class and the few benefits and entitlements all of us have earned will be whittled with even greater ease.

That the portion of compensation meant to address our lost earnings capability would be revoked upon age 65 is outrageous! Social Security, as we have been so frequency reminded by both the Clinton and Bush Administrations, was never meant to be a retirement plan. As disabled veterans, we have sustained a loss in our health, in our work potential, in our earnings potential, and in our quality of life. To wave a legislative wand and declare that at 65 we are suddenly back on a level playing field is immoral.

Moreover, I see this as a first step to reducing even further the government's obligations to its injured veterans. I have watched legalism ride rough shod over justice too many times not to suspect that the next "quiet, internal legal opinion" would find that only those serving in a combat arms specialty could sustain a combat-related injury. As a female veteran, I see an even more threatening theme in this proposal. The Bush Administration has never respected the uniformed women. I have no doubts that this dual system will be wielded in such a way as to further insult us and to degrade our service. Combat Support? Well certainly, that IED could have only caused a "combat-support" related injury. This dual-tiered system must not be permitted. A soldier is a soldier - whether a female MP in Balad or a male Admin Specialist in Kansas. We have all taken the same oath and promised to do our duty wherever and however this country needs us. Please, do not legalize the current myth that some soldiers are lesser than others.

The current system is gravely broken; it must be fixed. This is a key issue to my family and me. Support for the US Military - during and after active duty - is a major factor in the electability of any official. With all due respect, I believe that failure to strongly oppose a multi-tiered system of compensation or failure to strongly oppose any expiration date to our benefits is of sufficient import as to overshadow any other consideration.

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