Vaoig Report

[Berta]

http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/nf09/nfsep09/nf092409-3.htm

Larry hasn't posted my comment yet-

but the report seems to put the onus on "entities" outside the VA-

I call that Spin.

[Pete53]

Ask the VA how long it takes them to finish claims and they usually claim about 6 months. Out of the 11,000 or so claims in the audit over 90.5% were delayed over a year. How do they get away with the lies and misdirection?

Thanks Berta

[john999]

Pete

I think they get away with the lies because congress and the Prez are focused on getting bills through and pleasing special interests. Veterans do not speak with one voice. They do not send lobbyist to congress with bags of money. They don't vote as a block. Vets are like hearding cats. The NRA gets what they want because they are focused and have bags of money. Most congressmen are on their payroll. If vets could put the politicians on their payroll we might get something done. The traditional VSO's are useless. We need a PAC that can buy these congressmen. The banks do it. The Drug Companies do it. Wall Street does it. Why can't we?

[Pete53]

I think that COngress thinks that Service Organizations speak for Veterans when the fact is the VA empowered SO's to speak for the VA. Yeah they put on a dog and pony show when the new legislators come to town but how much do they really represent us

[broncovet]

The VAOIG's report IMHO, was SPIN, in that it tried to minimize a much larger problem. The delays of the VA is far bigger than "merely" 11,000 "claims" longer than one year.

First, its not 11,000 claims delayed, it is 11,000 FAMILIES of Veterans who are forced into economic poverty because the VA wont get off their duff.

Next, I dispute the 11,000 number, as that number is not the number of Veterans waiting on benefits longer than a year because that number fails to include Veterans who have been improperly denied and are waiting upon any number of appeals: I doubt that DRO Hearings, BVA, CAVC, or AMC appeals are included in that 11,000 and it is probably MUCH, MUCH higher than 11,000 Vetrans waiting over a year on benefits. In fact, my experience has been that NEARLY ALL Veterans who received benefits had to wait more than a year to get them, often with one or more appeals. It truly is rare when a Veteran applies at the VA and gets his full benefits in less than a year! The VA makes it sound like most Veterans are approved in 6 months, but an unfortunate 11,000 had to wait over a year. This is SPIN, and not true.

[john999]

You know I was told my VARO gets 10,000 pieces of mail a day. Can you believe that? I don't believe any statistics the VA puts out because they cook them first. The VSO's go along with the program and meekly complain. I think the situation is very, very bad. The quality of decisions is just unspeakable. Nobody is sticking up for us. We have been sold. Those of us who get decent ratings are the lucky few. If not for Hadit I would still be at 30%.

[Berta]

Yeah John- I just posted a link at another post as to the VARO Morning Reports-

I think they cook these stats up too.

Not long ago I watched former Sec Peake skirming in his chair at a H VAC meeting when he was asked how many veterans have committed suicide. He didn't have a clue.

Also a personal FOIA situation I have with VA is asking for some numbers-some stats and/or documentation regarding a mandate the VA has-too involved to post about here-

all I get is spin

Also since the VA makes so many errors in claims retro and stuff- it all shows that "as likely as not" they don't know how many claims are even in the system and what the overall status of claims work at every RO really is.

In my opinion there is a pick and choose scenario-at some ROs and this is influenced by vet reps.

Edited September 26, 2009 by Berta