Tonight - Cbs - 60 Minutes

[carlie]

In Florida's Tampa Bay Area it's on Chanel 10 - CBS at 7:00 pm.

carlie

[QueenB]

I watched the 60 Minutes interview and it only touched the surface of what is going on at the VA. It is time out for talking about what is going on at the VA. There need to be some action. Veterans need to flood the President's email and make calls, tie up the lines. I am a member of DAV, American Legion, AMVET and NABVETS. My question to them is why aren't they making a stink about this right now? It is left up to Veterans to get angry, think, come together and speak louder than 60 Minutes! We are the ones that are hurting! Do you know that every time a Veteran get denied, it takes you into a deeper depressive state. It makes you want to hurt someone! But if we do, we go to jail. We need to stop the madness concerning this bonuses or like the Veteran said for Benefits for Denials. That Undersecretary must not be a Veteran that is disabled. I don't know about anyone else but it gets my goat every time my fellow Veteran talk about after waiting forever they are denied. Most things that happen to a person doesn't get documented while you are in the military. You are passed through like cattle, made to feel like a number. But through it all we serve faithfully and most Veterans are proud to have served and is still serving each other and our families. We can not wait for somebody to help us, we must help ourselves! Veterans helping Veterans that is the only way things will change! Thank you for allowing me to vent! QueenB

[fanaticbooks]

I watched the program and what came through for me is the lack of finding the info within the documentation. Also how long the application is.

Is there a way of offering an application that allows the veteran to have the evidence more easily mentioned specifically on the application?

I mean my website is a great tool for veterans but if the evidence side of it could be translated into the application itself where the proofs could be listed and the veteran wouldn't have to try to compose an attachment, then the VA employee could just check the list of proofs against the documentation.

Too bad there isn't a list of disabilities that a veteran could check off in the application and then have the list of proofs mentioned under that rating that the employee could then verify from documentation.

Maybe could be the long and short version like a tax form. For those who have all their evidence they do what I suggest above.

For the short version, still check off the disabilities and then mention doctors/treatment centers for the disability.

I mention a checkoff list because until I started actually researching the list of disabilities I wasn't aware of a lot of pertinent ratings.

Anyway, just a thought.

Makes me glad I created that website. Maybe some veterans will have an easier time of it.

[Philip Rogers]

I read the transcript and it's been edited.

pr

The transcript for the program is here for those that didn't get to see it. I agree with every statement in this post so far. This transcript will probably be dumped pretty soon.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/01/...ain;contentBody

[Berta]

Paul Sullivan and Doug Rosinski-I am pretty sure they were both guests at SVR radio -and some of you here know them via emails or phone too-etc-

Doug won that famous Mega award at the CAVC last year ( maybe the big Mandamus writ case?)and Paul is Exec Director of Veterans for Common Sense.

These guys are superb attorneys.

They should have had more time on the show-and an extra hour or more for other vets with claims problems.But the 6 months decision thing Doug brought up- as we all know- only occurs

1. if a vet gets a legal VCAA letter right away and can manage to send them what they need fast on a clear case of potential award. Such as Vietnam service- claim for DMII- a no brainer.A proper decision might come in 6 months.A big MIGHT.

2. decisions that arrive within 6 months of filing- (I dont think many do get done that fast) are usually denials that force the vet into the claims process for years.

This 6 month mantra even appears during many H VAC hearings- I really wonder how anyone got the idea that claims are being processed and 'decided' within 6 months.

I think usually "denied" in 6 months is more realistic.

The 2 examples with the 2 veterans (one who could not prove service n Vietnam) and the other vet's case were only a brief example of the countless types of claims problems that vets are having.

Michael Walcoff's statements -as we all know- do NOT reflect the system in action at all.He says the same blah blah blah at the hearings-

As QueenB said here-this was only a mere glimpse of the reality of the VA claims process.

No solutions were offered as I recall and the general public might have still been thinking about the Broncos loss and really didnt pay much attention to the show.(How about that last minute interception-I was trying to figure out if the Broncos could somehow get 3 touchdowns and conversion points in 4 minutes and win -it was 44-24 at that point-24 plus 21=45)

To have a show on this serious matter after a football game-possibly didn't get the attention it deserved.

The claims process is a National travesty and an utter disgrace and it will be inherited the active military we have now unless something is done about it.I wish the show had made that point.

Edited January 4, 2010 by Berta

[buickx]

Here's the Video from 60 min last night..

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=605...ainColumnArea.4

[Mcafee]

Hello All Hope All Is Well.

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For a news journalist he did not do his HOMEWORK,never even mentioned SPOLIATION OF RECORDS,and yet they mentioned burden of proof is on the VETERAN? Disappointing to say the least as for the HIGH PRICED BELL HOIPS IN WASHINGTON DC THEY TO HAVE NERVE KNOWING THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN UNQUOTE.