Lottery

[Moe]

I will be stoned for what I am about to say but I have never won a popularity contest.

It leaves a bad taste in my mouth when people act like they have won the lottery when granted a disability award. This is evident at all vet forums not just here. I know it is a long and torturous process from personal experience and everyone should feel relief and joy at finally getting the "Envelope." But when folks say "now I can go buy this and that toy" it doesn't sound right. Almost like they beat the system out of something...

I am rated 70% and feel like it is simply compensation for the loss of physical ability to perform meaningful employment. It defrays the cost of having things done that I can no longer do myself. I will not seek IU because in my case 70% is adequate compensation. This not meant to suggest that others do or feel the same, I encourage everyone that feels he/she deserves IU to pursue it. I will even assist if I can.

Guess being retired military gives me a different slant.

Also, I am not painting with a broad brush. Not all, not even most fit the description I have drawn. But when I see it I get a bad feeling..

This is just MHO and I probably will regret saying it, but had to get it off my chest..

[Testvet]

I didn't have a roof to fix, I used most of my back pay to buy my family the home they deserved, nice neighborhood, safe, one story ranch due to my power chair, some people that get P&T are for PTSD they do not have a problem riding a motorcycle, to make judgements on how others spend money that is theirs is wrong, no one on this board will tell you how you should spend what you receive, some vets breeze thru the claim process with minimal waiting times, no real notice in a change of their lifestyles, but many of the vets on these boards have lost everything waiting the years it took for the appeals to work their way thru to a good outcome, that is one of the reason the check is like a lottery win, many of the checks are large enough for house down payments, or major repairs, and buy one or two vehicles but the checks never include interest for the years they held your money

strange how that works, when they keep your money because of a failure to properly do their job you get just the calculated amount, owe the government money for 4-7 years and they will add the interest so the vet still gets screwed,

when you go down the road judging others and what they do,it's a mistake you are not in their shoes, you have not walked those miles let them enjoy theirs and you enjoy yours and life will be a lot simpler

[Guest rickb54]

Moe,

I have to say that your post is perhaps the most inconsiderate post I have ever read on Hadit. However as a veteran you have earned the right to voice your opinion, and be inconsiderate but that still doesn't make it right.

I am elated for you that you do not need TDIU and feel 70% is adaquate compensation for your disability. I draw TDIU and that is not enought for me. You indicated that because you were retired military gives you a different slant. Being retired military should give you broader view of the disabled veteran and the sacrifices that have been made, not the narrow view you express.

Let me tell you and those like you that think some disabled veterans have won the lottery just how wrong you are.

I am retired military, I was 17 when I joined the Army, I was medically retired at 33 with just over 15 years service. Unlike you I am not entitled to any concurrent receipt even thought I am retired and draw TDIU (rated 90%). My injuries include a Back injury due to a combat jeep accident, Asthma and COPD due to enviroments not fit for animals. I was medically retired from my civil service job at 45, because of my service connected back injury, (no such thing as veteran preference in retaining disabled veterans). When I finally received my back pay for my disabilities, I bought and paid for things that everyone needs. Lets see a new roof, new heat/air system, new windows, and new carpet. On and my truck was 17 years old, so I replaced it. Now if that seems like I won the lottery then you have you head in a place that the sun doesn't shine.

Since I have become totally disabled I have lost most of my friends, and have no contact with the outside world except for medical appointments, and an ocassional meeting at the local PVA or DAV. My daily excitement is just having the will to get up in the mornings, and that is only so I can take my 15 different medications so that I can breath, and stand the pain enought to sit in my wheel chair. I spend on average 16-18 hours a day watching tv, or on the computer. I wish I could go back to my GS11 job, earn a living wage, and be a productive citizen but reality really hurts. Most in my situtation are candidates for early death attributed as a direct result to service connected disabilities.

Now does this sound like the life you or anyone would want to lead? I would sooner trade the life I have now for the life of a minimun wage earner just starting out at least I might have a brighter future.

You said your not painting with a broad brush, no perhaps not but it sure is brush full of ingorance. Stoning would be to good for you!

Just MHO that I had to get off my chest and I will not regret saying it.

[timetowinarace]

Well, my username here, timetowinarace, is the name of one of our horses. The horses would be considered my 'toys'. Oddly enough, I can no longer ride.

But, I don't have to do away with my toys. My wife also enjoys them and rides daily. I'm able to help and enjoy being around them.

To insinuate that because I get compensation for my SC disabilities that I should not use that compensation in order to make my life and that of those around me as enjoyable as possible is absurd. I would give my compensation back double in order to be normal. I would give up my horses in order to be normal. That is not a possibility for me.

Any healthy person that would like to trade me places healthwize is not only welcome to any 'toys' that I now have, but to my future toys as well.

I do realize how people see this. However, when they have to live in daily pain and permanantly restricted in their activities we'll see how fast their opinions change. Those toys are no longer just something to have fun with. They are the activities that keep us somewhat sane.

That Harley or boat can get us away from the people that irritate and we can forget for awhile that what our problems are.

No, I have no guilt over toys. These people said nothing while I was losing everything. No-one offered to save my house.

The simple way to look at this is, Take any income you have for the next several years and put it under your bed. Find another way to pay bills, feed yourself or just plain don't pay the bills or eat. Then after 4 to 5 years take it all out and do what you want with it. This proccess is available to EVERYONE. The difference is, we Vets are forced into it. It's not a decision we make. That 4 to 5 years is miserable. I'd like to see a healthy person do it.

Time

[RockyA1911]

I know one thing for sure. Don't be talkin about my Harley, that is where I draw the line. Don't force me to open a can of whoop ass and I will on those that have somehting smart to say about a disabled vet and his/her Harley. The Harley is one of the most beneficial therapies for PTSD as far as I am concerned.

I disagree with the Lottery statement and find it to be appalling. I have been waiting for over 30 years for my due compensation because of a VA mistake in rating and even when I get it I will feel I have been short changed. How many lottery winners feel they have been short changed of their winnings?

What a vet does with their disability compensation is their business and no one elses, just the same as those that have income.........it is no one's business what they do with their income but them.

Of course there are those who love to trample others when they are the one's that are one up on everyone else and I believe that is the case here.

[Guest HolliGreen]

My, my, my, Moe certainly has an interesting perspective. Who exactly is behaving as if they have won the lottery? Why would Moe even be concerned with anything anyway? Judgements of veterans by fellow veterans is offensive, IMO. H.G.

[Stretch]

Moe, welcome to Hadit.

One of my buddies spent years for a PTSD claim. He told me that the award letter said "Congratulations". Just the word award, in and of itself, is away of minimizing a VA loss to the Veteran. It is like, the hell that the VA puts the Veteran through, is warranted.

This is more disgusting, to me, than any veteran could ever be, but in spite of this, there are those who will denigrate the Veteran, giving the VA the benefit of the doubt.

Yes! different, but Quite Contrary.

The aloof heads of Congress have this same remote view, and these leaders are going to get more bang out-of-thier-bucks next Tuesday when they get a permanent Vacation.