Cnn To Do Expose On

[Berta]

I also saw this advertised last night and believe they said this will be a two part show this coming Saturday and Sunday night at 8 PM-on CNN-

If anyone can confirm- please do-

email from Jere Berry at ALLVETS

"CNN will be airing a blistering report on the Department of Veterans Affairs and their total failure to meet their commitment to our disabled veterans. I urge everyone to tune-in to see how CNN handles this very sensitive subject. Also, tonight at 8PM on CNN is a Special on Homeless Veterans.

Jere Beery

National Public Relations Director

Operation Firing For Effect

www.offe2008.org "

[jbasser]

I bet right now the sweat pumps are on high and the cover uppers are brainstorming how to weasel out of this one. This show has hit them hard. It brings to the public eye what we have been preaching for years.

[Guest rickb054]

Like most you guys and gals, I've been dealing with the va for more years than I care to remember. I found the cnn broadcast did not rock my world, that is.. it just confirmed some of the information we have all know years before this new war. I was somewhat disappointed that the broadcast hinged on a very few veterans and their problems. I was expecially sorry that Tammy Duckworth was again part of another news story. I respect and admire her service no doubt she has paid a great price in servicing our country, and no doubt she is now a very good veteran advocate, but we have all heard her story more than once. Cnn I think Should have listened to other veterans with the time they spent on her.

The acting VA indicated that the rating system is 60 years old. I have said that for the last 8 years. I have said many times that instead of veterans orginazations fighting for concurrent receipt and CRSP they should have been fighting to get the system fixed and brought up to date. Just think of all the time that has been spent on Concurrent receipt, and CRSC wouldn't it have been nice if the same time was used to fix the present rating system so that not just a handful of veterans would benefit but all veterans would benefit. Hey I am glad those with concurrent receipt or CRSC got theirs but the system sucks when one group of veterans is held to be more deserving than another group.( and they ae still spending time on these issues for chapter 61 retirees) I have also stated for years that the compensation system should be overhauled. It doesnt take a genus to know this. The only changes in the amount of compensation over the last 60 years has been the sorry ass joke called cost of living raises. Let me tell you, not 2.3 or 3.5 or whatever cola is going to be this year will compensted me or any veteran for our 4 and 5 trips to the va each month because they never schedule all the appointments in one day.

Now On the other hand when I see veterans who on the surface deserve a 100% rating and had to fight the system to get it, I am sicked to the point of tears. It is hard for me to watch this kind of stuff. I feel very lucky that while I did fight to get my benefits, my case was not as eye awaking as someone who has shrapnel which was considered not service connected. I mean what dunce at the va had the balls to tell a veteran this? Like this same veteran who found out he had a TBI, by looking at his medical records when his doctor left the room, I too have learned about some of my medical conditions in much the same way, and it would not surprise me that some of you guys and gals learned of some of your problems the same way.

Some one said we should march on washington, why? All that is likey to happen is another three year study trying to understand why we wanted to march on washington. I mean look wasn't a three year study just finished by Bob Dole and others. Now we have another comission trying to decifer what the first comission recommend. We are not likely to see any changes soon. Hell it would be nice to be conpensation (before I die) for my lost quality of life. BUt I would be happy at this point if all my claims were properly adjudicated.

Some Veterans say well we should not get down on the va because they are doing the best they can, it is not the va employees fault that congress does not fully fund the needs of veterans, or that congress hasn't kept the laws current. I say bull put the blame where it belongs it does not take more money to properly rate a veterans claim right the first time, and changing the laws arn't going to make the va raters do their job better either. What needs to be done is to hire only those people that show a true concern for veterans and only those that show enougnt smarts to do the job right. Hell a good many of us on this board seem so much more qualified that some of the idiots at the va.

Ok so I have gone on long enought. But before I go. I know that there are a lot of va employees that do care, it just seems that most don't care. I know the system is over burdened, and costly, but damn it why didn't Congress, and Bush think about this added cost of war before starting this one. I don't like to get politically but Bush, the republications, and the democrats all have failed the veterans not just of this war but past wars, the congress has had the time to fix the messes, and right the wrongs, and still here were are fighting the same damn battles we have been fighting since the nam. So vets instead of crying about what congress needs to do, or insteand of another march on washingtion how about doing the easy thing and vote all the useless scum out of office, how about we make it so that to be in congress you have to be a veteran. Of course being a veteran might not help (Dole wasn't much help, nor has McCain been ) but it sure can't hurt.

Ok so now I am done, untill tomorrow's CNN broadcase... or is that going to just be a repete?

[Pete53]

I am afraid that the VA has decided to just hold the fort till a new President arrives in 2009. Meanwhile thousands of Veterans will suffer.I learned something new about Tammy Dickworth tonight she does have a good sense of humor.

In a way it was refreshing to see the good Doctor sort of hack at the VA. The last Veteran in the story was more typical to what Veterans are facing in dealing with the VA. I don't know if its a repeat tomorrow or another segment

Gordon Mansfield is a weasel. Pure and simple.

[cowgirl]

Thank you media for giving veterans a chocie to be heard and seen.

I believe that this media presentation to the public requires answers. First, who is really the head of the Veterans Administration 'funding' in congress and is money what its all about? Are they doing their job? Who is the Head of the VA and to what local level are they 'responsible' for services to the veterans? veterans families? Each state, each city has veterans that need 'true' assistance in simply getting their personal due from the government they served. Why can't we know, hear and 'see' a veteran? At the risk of media and family exposure, some brave veterans step forward. Some veterans cannot because of the very issues they live with and work with daily.

My question

Why does a veteran of any service, regardless of age or era, have to suffer the indignity of begging whats due them by law?

My answer; I just don't know why.....someone tell me.

cg

*edited my earlier post due to heartbreak

Edited November 19, 2007 by cowgirl

[Pete53]

After a little sleep I have decided that Tammy Duckworth was just the person who needed to be on that show. Since all were from Illonis I suspect that hse helped select the other Veterans and they were powerful.

Only an hour long and the show was powerful demonstrating what many Veterans have had to endure but also Ms Duckworth is a go to type of Veterans advocate. I will bet that this publicity with her showcased will point to other Vets that they can get help and why not call her?

This report also showed to anyone who watched how callous and uncaring the VA is and that when pushed by a reporter that it falls back on defending itself using that they want to change also.

Dr Sanjay Goupta did a better job than most reporters and hopefully it will encourage ABC to get Bob Woodruft out to take another run at exposing the VA.

With this in mind I am going to email all the News Networks and ask them to investigate the relationship of VA and the Service Officer Industry.

[Philip Rogers]

The blacking out or cutting out of the raters name is a fairly recent change (couple of years max). Their logic is that it's protection for VA employees from retaliation by angry veterans who are denied benefits. Earlier record requests resulted in all signatures being present.

pr

I agree with Pete. For a rater to cut his name out of the denial and send it to the claimant means several things.

• The Rater knew that it was a higher rating and did not want to be responsible for his own written decision.
  
• That the decision was forced on the rater due to VA policy.
  
• That a superior of the Rater was complicit.
  
• That there is no over-site or prosecution for these individuals in upper positions of the VA.
  
• That the DoD can no longer be complicit in these claims problems by hiding records of actual injuries.
  
• That the VA and DoD is actually injuring former and future sailors, soldiers, and airmen when they are complicit in these claims problems.