More Veterans Refuse to Surrender to Politicians

The trend is reporters blame the VA. Hey it is a lot easier than actually reporting on the history behind what they are reporting on today as if any of it is new. Veterans don't blame the VA since it is about their lives, they paid attention enough to know that Congress is responsible for what the VA does and does not do. Simple as that is, reporters just don't seem to get it.

The Congress has had jurisdiction over the care of veterans since 1946.

Chronological History of the Department of Veterans Affairs

The Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives was authorized by enactment of Public Law 601, 79th Congress, which was entitled "Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946."

1930
The Veterans Administration was created by Executive Order S.398, signed by President Herbert Hoover on July 21, 1930. At that time, there were 54 hospitals, 4.7 million living veterans, and 31,600 employees.
1933
The Board of Veterans Appeals was established.
1944
On June 22, President Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944. (Public Law 346, was passed unanimously by the 78th Congress). This law offered home loan and education benefits to veterans.
1946
The Department of Medicine and Surgery was established, succeeded in 1989 by the Veterans Health Services and Research Administration, renamed the Veterans Health Administration in 1991.
1953
The Department of Veterans Benefits was established, succeeded in 1989 by the Veterans Benefit Administration.
1973
The National Cemetery System (except for Arlington National Cemetery) was transferred to the VA.
1988
Legislation to elevate VA to Cabinet status was signed by President Reagan.
1989
March 15. VA became the 14th Department in the President's Cabinet.

In other words, it has been up to them to make sure veterans received the care they were promised.

Covering reports has been like living on a rollercoaster ride. Members of Congress wanting to come off as fighting for veterans scream the loudest about absolutely nothing. None of them have the courage to admit that they have continually failed leaving veterans to suffer from neglect.

Why fix the VA if they get so much attention for the problems? Imagine what it would be like if there were few homeless veterans, few suicides, few veterans waiting for claims to be approved and everything was working fine. What would they have to talk about to get the attention of the press?

None of them have admitted this keeps going on and on because they benefit from failing veterans.

It used to be politicians were ashamed to admit their intentions were to kill the VA but now it seems as if they are proud of it. After all, it makes sense to them to turn veterans over to profiteers.

Think about life as a civilian. Ever call a doctor's office for the first time and hear "We're not taking new patients" which happens all the time? We understand that because it is simple common sense that time is limited and if they go over the number of patients they have the time and staff for, they wouldn't be able to serve the patients they already had.

Oh but when the VA says a veteran has to wait for a first appointment everyone is outraged. Did it ever once dawn on them that the VA can't wave a magic wand, make doctors and staff popup at will when more veterans show up and the make them vanish when less veterans need the VA?

It happened when Afghanistan and Iraq veterans were making headlines for their long waits at the VA. Older veterans were sent to the back of the line as a quick answer to the neglect of what Congress failed to do at the same time they were making more veterans with 2 wars.

Vice Adm. Daniel L. Cooper, undersecretary for benefits in the Department of Veterans Affairs -- in a memo obtained by the El Paso Times -- instructs the department's employees to put Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans at the head of the line when processing claims for medical treatment, vocational rehabilitation, employment and education benefits...

That happened because at the same time more OEF and OIF veterans were heading to the VA, Congress had not planned on Vietnam veterans finally seeking help for PTSD and that was back in 2007.

In the past 18 months, 148,000 Vietnam veterans have gone to VA centers reporting symptoms of PTSD "30 years after the war," said Brig. Gen. Michael S. Tucker, deputy commanding general of the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Did Congress act? Nope. They complained a lot but that was just about it.

VBA's pending compensation and claims backlog stood at 816,211 as of January 2008, up 188,781 since 2004, said Kerry Baker, associate legislative director of the Disabled Veterans of America, during a Wednesday hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

Oh, sorry forgot that they ended up increasing the VA budget because there was a billion dollar shortfall.

Guess planning wasn't on their agenda that year either.

The Senate version also includes an amendment that offers $50 million to speed up the processing of disability claims. It would pay for pilot programs to reduce the average waiting time -- which currently is six months -- for rulings on claims.

As of March, the VA reported 879,291 claims were in backlog from the same time last year.

Cullinan says, “This is just the first step in the VA funding process. It gives broad outlines of spending for the Department which the Appropriations Subcommittees will use to find specific amounts and tasks within the VA. The process is not complete until the president signs the Appropriations Bill.” The Federal government’s 2009 fiscal year begins Oct. 1, 2008.

Now, with all that said there is a huge difference between a civilian doctor and the VA. The difference is Congress has the numbers for all the wounded service members along with the number of discharges. They know how many veterans will be entering into the title of "veteran" with how many are able to seek free care for 5 years after service. They know how many veterans they have within the older population and they know where they live. Or, they should know all that but year after year no one has fixed anything to make sure no veteran is left behind.
It happened during decades of neglect committed by Democrats and Republicans but while the press has managed to retain amnesia,

Impaired ability to learn new information following the onset of amnesia (anterograde amnesia) Impaired ability to recall past events and previously familiar information (retrograde amnesia)

veterans have been victimized over and over again.

In 1989 there was a movie, the Legend of Billy Jean and Pat Benatar sang Invincible. It is about an "Average Texas teen, Billie Jean Davy, is caught up in an odd fight for justice. She is usually followed and harrased around by local boys, who, one day, decide to trash her brother's scooter for fun. The boys' father refuses to pay them back the price of the scooter. The fight for "fair is fair" takes the teens around the state and produces an unlikely hero."

"Fair is fair" and the fight for justice is all over this country and more and more veterans refuse to surrender to politicians. Pat Benatar - Invincible

This bloody road remains a mystery.
This sudden darkness fills the air.
What are we waiting for?
Won't anybody help us?
What are we waiting for?
We can't afford to be innocent stand up and face the enemy.
It's a do or die situation - we will be invincible.
This shattered dream you cannot justify.
We're gonna scream until we're satisfied.
What are we running for? We've got the right to be angry.
What are we running for when there's nowhere we can run to anymore?
We can't afford to be innocent
stand up and face the enemy.
It's a do or die situation - we will be invincible.
And with the power of conviction there is no sacrifice.
It's a do or die situation - we will be invincible.