Con. Bob Filner

[Berta]

"Faster OK sought for Agent Orange claims

By Rick Maze - Staff writer

Posted : Friday Nov 9, 2007 8:16:08 EST

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/11/mili...ervets_071108w/

The chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee has a radical idea to cut the huge and seemingly intractable backlog of veterans’ benefits claims.

To focus on handling new claims from Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., says the Department of Veterans Affairs should approve — with minimal questioning — claims filed by Vietnam veterans, especially those whose claims deal with exposure to the toxic herbicide Agent Orange.

In an interview Thursday, Filner said he sees no way for VA to make headway in reducing the backlog of more than 400,000 claims without “radical” reforms that must include eliminating an adversarial process that puts veterans in a defensive position.

“We know Agent Orange is a carcinogen, and that people could be exposed directly or indirectly in Vietnam,” he said. “We don’t need to be demanding scientific proof any longer.”

Expanded compensation would include paying the disputed claims of Navy veterans who served in the waters off Vietnam and never came ashore but think they still have herbicide-related health problems.

Filner’s idea would require an act of Congress. He envisions linking it with other disability legislation.

Filner, a longtime advocate of improved Agent Orange benefits, has another motive in pushing for VA approval of Vietnam-era claims. He thinks it will be easier to pass disability benefits reforms aimed at helping Iraq and Afghanistan veterans — including a controversial plan that would consider income loss, quality of life and a veterans’ continued participation in rehabilitation when setting monthly benefits payments — if older veterans think the government is also doing something to help them.

“We have to do something for both groups,” Filner said.

To cut the backlog, Filner thinks VA needs a system that quickly approves relatively simple claims and provides partial benefits — maybe 30 percent or 40 percent of full payment — for veterans while they are waiting for their claims to be verified and approved.

VA and some veterans groups oppose such a system out of concern that automatically approving claims with no prior verification could encourage fraud."

Although Nicholson proposed something similiar regarding approval prior to full verifications-

this idea could actually get somewhere-

Lets face it -a lot of the time spent (and wasted)on claims at the VA involves getting evidence either against the claim or ignoring the evidence that supports it-

Then again- who decides whose claim is "relatively simple"?

[john999]

We need to get rid of the group that has voted against mandatory funding. These are the people who block more spending on vets. They know who they are.

[Capt.]

Congressman Filner is extremly Veteran minded....unfortunately there are only a few who are Veteran Friends like Mr. Filner. Certainly it is individuals who will take the time to write their Congressmen and Senators that will position a voice in the fight for Veterans rights especially with MANDATORY FUNDING ISSUES. I have written letters to Senator Akaka and phone calls to his office, no real response of any kind. I have written Senator John Cornyn and talked to his VA office rep. No response especially when he double talked me on my second request on this MANDATORY FUNDING issue and I pressed him for a direct answer. I have talked to and written to Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who is on the Senate VA committee. She is very Veteran Friendly ....one of the few. Still waiting for her response also. I have called the White House comment line and left several recommendations on Mandatory Funding. FOLKS, I am only one voice , but I am trying....please join in doing the same with your elected officials. Writing letters is the best way ,,,,phone calls are fair at best and do not count as much weight as a letter, so it does take some amount of time. The time is now ....NOW.....election time is less than a year....THIS ISSUE MUST BECOME LAW BEFORE NOV....or it will get lost in the worthlessness of politics and promises made and never kept. Unfortunately most veterans groups are too busy fighting with or disagreeing with each other so we as veterans have to play advocate for all. But each group can and should press for this to happen this year.....THE KEY DEMAND IS ....MANDATORY FUNDING ....Alright everyone all together now......lets practice saying M A N D A T O R Y F U N D I N G. When you go to bed instead of counting sheep, count mandatory funding over and over.....Oh yes get your local talk radio shows and say MANDATORY FUNDING FOR VA. Even your newspapers could raise awareness. Oh yes,,,, I will say that I use the very polite , civil but sincere way of communication. I plead and am precise of what and why this Nation must have MANDATORY FUNDING. It is OUR responsibility , noone elses. THANKS ALL and GOD BLESS ON THIS WONDERFUL VETERANS DAY........Capital letters do not mean I am yelling either....lol. C.C.

[john999]

Capt

I agree. If congressmen does not support mandatory funding he should be kicked out. How can the government support the troops when funding is a political football?

[Capt.]

Hello John, It seems only right that the public vote should demand those "traitors" in office to be kicked out, but it has been going on with this mistreatment of the VA for over 40 years. It would be nice if there was a T.V. program that was nothing but VA problems and the public could see what the REAL VA is like. If "WE" as Vets do not do something such as massive letter writing and communication with these officials and the media then it will die out again and the Vets wait another 40 years. God Bless, C.C.

[Berta]

Capt. Contaminate is RIGHT!!!!!

My Senators and my Congressman fully support mandatory funding.

Senator Clinton even took the time to send me a long letter regarding her support for veterans issues-

your Senators and Congressmen and women all have web site with their records on Veterans Issues-

and their addresses are right there-

Emails in my opinion are OK- such as in the S 2026 crapola-

to overwhelm a Senator's office with lots of emails on the same current situation- BUT a letter -in this case is much better-

if your Senators or Congressman/woman are not supporting Mandatory Funding-they have to hear from you -as veterans-

telling them why this is important to our nations veterans as well as to the men and women in Harm's way today.

Phone calls can help too- I called my former Congressman about his vote on a Vets issue years ago-and caught him just as he was going into the House to vote on it- and he assured me he would vote the way veterans wanted him too-

If you call their local offices , their secretary's or veterans liason person takes a tally of how the calls are going on numerous veteran's issues,too.

[john999]

What gets me is that politicians say we are at war, but everyone is still at the mall and having a good, old time on the home front. There is no sacrifice here at home. Active duty make up only 1% of population and these are mostly expendable young men and women. Active duty is being run into the ground and vets are put on the shelf. I read and hear constant talk about supporting the troops and vets, but I don't see it. Even minorities are avoiding the military now. Who wants a 15 month deployment to a combat zone and then another deployment 6 months later. How can the Army and Marines retain combat troops under these conditions?