Why Not The President?

[Fosk]

Just for that extra boost to get it out of ratings I wrote to the White House, I tried a congressional inquire but its still taking forever even with a hardship. Hey I have nothing to lose and all to gain.

[Testvet]

It's too bad that you didn't have a pocket recorder, and the ability to send a transcript and audio copy to the same offices that you had written to about the problem.

"I had the DRO scream at my wife and I for an hour"

they search you and all your bags and the wifes purse and confiscate recording devices at the door and they are returned when you leave

[Testvet]

I got the former VA Secretary's email address off hadit a few years ago and wrote him. It seemed to help. I don't think they new guys posts his email address. Writing politicians never seemed to help me. They just vomit up what the VA tells them as if that is why you are writing your congressman to get boilerplate answer.

yup Principi would answer his e mail or his assistant Debi Bevins would, I had the privilege of writing him once on a snow day in DC no one was able to get to work he personally answered my e mail within 45 minutes none of the Secretary's since him have made themselves available to veterans I still correspond with Ms Bevins though she still works in the secretary's office lol she really is a nice helpful lady

[Testvet]

I wrote Santa also, and he said he only deals with toys not Veterans claims. Although if Santa was working a claim it just might get done before Christmas. As far as writing the White House if all the vets on this website wrote in and took the time to write the President in general (counting on the thousands of members) instead of writing negative "it'll never work" blogs, then this will get the wheels turning once again. I am not taking it personally, just don't like to quit and I am not articulate enough to look up case law and write as well as some of you do. Please send or write the White House in lieu of gifts by Santa....lol.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

not writng it will never work just telling you what the results will be many of us have done what you are doing and all it did was delay our claims but help yourself write Joe Biden, nancy pelosi, Bob Filner, Senator Chairman Daniel K Akaka, HI Ranking Member Richard Burr, NC write them all it doesn't help all it does is delay the VARO from processing your claim been there done that and have the T shirt

[Fosk]

Maybe a march on washington as well...lol. Waiting years and being patient is wearing thin on the old bones here.

[timetowinarace]

I got quick results using my senator in a hardship situation. However I had used congresscritter in the past with no results. It was only after I informed the senator that my house was close to forclosure and the three year old claim was the problem.These facts alone did not do it. It was my statement that when I had bought my house I intended to own it untill I died in it and that those plans did not change. I made it clear that I would turn over my VA paperwork to the media when law enforcement tried to forcibly remove me from my home. That I would die in it whether I was evicted or not.

Veterans have been contacting their elected officials for decades. What has changed?

Veterans Service Orgs have been representing veterans for decades in government. What has changed?

Media has run stories about VA problems for decades. For the veterans that the stories are about, the VA fixes THEIR problem, then announces "We're sorry 'this' veteran fell through the cracks, we have fixed it". So, what has changed?

A widely used phrase- The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. The definition fits.

Consider this.

During the great depression, veterans marched on washington. It got national media attention for a GROUP of veterans as a group. The demands of the veterans were met. Are we not in another depression? Inflation has gone backwords, we see this in our COLA. I think depression is the correct word for our economy.

Groups such as green peace often not only write the elected officials and get media stories, they show up in large physical numbers at the G20 Summit. Are they making progress? You bet. Not only are they making progress, they are doing it with oppisition. Meaning a good portion of the population does not believe in their mission.

Veterans have very little puplic opposition right now. Read comments left by the public on stories about veterans and the VA. Almost 100% express a concern veterans are not treated well enough by the VA. This means nothing unless veterans do something to help themselves.

Show up in huge numbers in washinton. Not for your claim. For ALL claims. Who is going to oppose veterans getting timely and fair claims adjucation? Nobody. Who will support us as a group? Everybody.

Or, veterans can continue to meet the definition of insanity above.

[Fosk]

Called my Congressional office and asked them to stop with the inquisition, the man on the other end asked why? I explained that many others have gone this way and all it did was delay claims processing and that it is pulled out of a stack and put last again. He promised me he will send a liason to check and see where it is in processing and if they can expidite my claim, and he said he will call me back by Tuesday the 10th. I told him I have a ssa hearing on the 24th and whatever decision is made I may need the information for an alltogether different claim.