Got An Update On My Claim

[Berta]

Within about 4 days after sending my complaint to Chairman Craig- Senate Committe on Vets Affairs-

regarding what I consider to be a scam( but I called it a growing two fold practice in ROs to deny vets their basic rights as claimants)-

and I laid out my claim situation as evidence to support my charge-

the VARO has gotten notice of this as a Congressional Inquiry and the temp folder has been with either the RO Congressional liason or the Director since July 25th.

This was a very strong letter. I am fed up. Those VCAA remands at the BVA web site are getting me very angry-they mean -in many cases- that fed employees at GS 12 or higher do not do their jobs.

Sure they (59 %)told the IG they are under pressure and dont have time to make proper decisions-(IG Report March 2005) yeah right- vets are under pressure -I dont care about the RO employee problems at all.

What gets me is that why does any claimant have to take these steps-when all the RO has to do is their job?

One of my Buffalo vets recently sure took them on very strongly too- and he is getting his claim worked on finally after years.He got an award but it was only part of what they owe,but they still actively are resolving it.

This will be very interesting.If the same VA liason to Congress who lied to my last Congressman tries some BS in a response- I will whip out all that past crap- that I have documented and saved- and maybe get in touch with Knight Ridder (Washington Post)

[Magoo_Mr.]

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You all have written some super letters.

TestVet aka Mike has written some great & somewhat steamy letters too.

I say ... BRAVO ... to all of you who engage in .. what I call ... "THE PAPERWORK FIREFIGHT".

I had to do .. "THE LETTERS" .. several years ago and am about to do it again with Soc. Sec. .. this time.

Getting your point across in a polite ... but yet very firm matter is always the best policy.

I think that Mike got his published in the newspaper or something like that if I remember and that has to help one's cause also.

The DoD and the DVA ... do NOT want the public and especially the young kids going down to enlist to see this type of stuff.

Because ... if the young kids really knew the truth ... they would never enlist , do ROTC or OCS or even go off to the academy.

And we would have no military ... remember recently when some MOSs were becoming super critical ???

Do you see some of those ... "MEGA BONUS' ... that were being paid ??? .... Big bucks for some MOS' ...

One of the secrets to make the DVA move faster on an issue ... that they know is wrong on their part is ... EXPOSURE TO THE PUBLIC.

That is why ... after Diane Sawyer pops the DVA ... things tend to get changed in those areas exposed .. at least for a while.

Diane Sawyer is very, very ... PRO-VETERAN ... and she really investigates a single case or DVA problems before she takes it on.

Good luck to all of you ...

... Magoo .. aka .. Bill ...

PS ... Walter writes a super letter too ... but his letters probably go over most of their heads ...

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[Ricky]

Berta has any of your letters about the VA's intentional denials to string out the process contained these:

These look like standard practice for VARO Montgomery who currently has about a 57 percent remand rate.

Veteran files a timely appeal to the BVA. On the form 9 they request a hearing via video teleconference. The VARO certifies to BVA that the file is ready for their action. The claim sits around at the VARO for about 18 months waiting on the BVA to call for it. BVA finaly calls for the file. Upon receipt they take about six months to get to the file and go through it. OH MY GOD! what does that little checked box say? The veteran has asked to appear in front of a video teleconference board member but the RO has not scheduled it!!~!!!!! Whoops now the VA will not hear of denying a veteran of his or her due process rights!! So the only thing the past 24 months got you was a remand back to the same damn idiots ( these expert senior rating officials GS-13 DRO's) for another go around. Now you can tack on another 18-24 months waiting for the hearing or you can write a letter saying that you now do not desire a board hearing which will still cause your file to sit around with the idiots at the VARO for over a year. There is no way this can be a mistake with the number of times it happens.

As a matter of fact I contacted Montgomery last week via email about the status of my request to have a video board. Their reply was " Dear Mr. Ricky, we are sorry but due to the large amount of claims this office processes we do not offer or hold informal hearings." Hmmmmm looks like I am in for a 2 year wait and a sure remand on the first go around. As part of a vets due process rights I thought one could ask for a hearing with the DRO (prior to the file being sent to the BVA) or the BVA (prior to a decision being made) at anytime.

Another is the failure to issue a SSOC for new evidence submitted to the RO while the file sits there waiting on the BVA. If the vet contacts the BVA and even mentions new evidence, which I assure you will not be with the file, BVA will remand in a second for issuance of a SSOC. Something that should have been done months to years ago.

I was suprised at the amount of remands back to Montgomery for their failure to scheduled the board hearing prior to sending the file to the BVA. And what can we do? Not a damn thing but sit back and watch the comdey show. Thanks guys for letting me vent but when I read all of the remands for Montgomery RO it made me sick to my stomach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey is that a ratable disability?

[Berta]

Oh-Yeah- I am well aware of VA Video TeleconferenceGate-

the whole thing is a bunch of bull- and the VA at some point will try to discourage a vet to do the video conference-and we all know the travelling board route is crap-

I think right in M21-1 they say to try to discourage the vet from this-

And the lack of preparing an SSOC- when a vet responds with new evidence or evidence they already have, but failed to consider- yep -one more stall tactic-

In over 20 years in the veteran's community I have only seen in the past few months that vets are taking the bull by the horns on this crapola.

But even though the net has made it possible for vets to unite , it still takes individual complaints from vets with their own personal documentation-to show Congress or Senate committees what they are doing-

The remand rate at your VARO proves the point of the IG Survey I mentioned and also proves that GS employees are not doing their jobs.

I thought in the late 1990s that VA had isolated me-to string out my claims-

the reality is that they pick and choose who they do this too-

and I have had company as they have done this to many claimants widows and veterans-(I am a civ) and they continue to do it-

Sometimes I regreted that my daughter made me file the AO DMII claim-in 2003-

But she was right and the evidence is all there-

She made me get the $2000 IMO- I never had one for the other claims but she felt this would stave off a lot of BS this time ---

They wont even read it-

(well - I think they are reading it now- they got a Senate Inquiry last week on it)

yet I expected a decade later that this VARO I dealt with had gotten better.

They are worse than ever and this time I have personal documentation-due to my present claim-

to gripe to any federal entity I can.

I asked the Senate committee to investigate them-

I am focusing on my VARO in my complaint letters yet am also sending proof of remands at other VAROS too- Remands-

due to lack of VCAA Notice and due to many other things that could have been resolved prior to BVA transfer-I get angry when I read them-

One vet had FOUR IMOs to support his claim and his VARO sent him to the BVA-

This is unconscionable!

And these NSOs and vet reps that are idlely standing back and allowing this to occur-

they are next on my list-

The system is broken and I think only veterans can fix it-by complaining

first to their VARO directors and then to anyone in our Gov -at a higher level -that can possibly help. AND to their NSOs and vet reps- orto their National COmmanders of these vet orgs-