Veterans For Change Demands Accountability for Those Who Served
Salem-News.com
They want Congress to amend the “The Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008” to speed up the update of the Disability Rating Schedule and several other sections of the law, as it is apparent that the VA has stalled these updates for years
American soldiers in patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan
Salem-News.com photo by Tim King
(GARDEN GROVE) - The small but vocal group Veterans-for-Change released a letter today calling for new legislation in the 111th Congress. The group's Jim Davis, says their request is based on what he calls the obvious fact, that while billions may be spent on war, on bailouts, and economic stimuli, the U.S. Government cannot appropriate sufficient funding to care for Veterans and Widows of Veterans disabled by their President.
The group hits on recent events horrendously dismissed by the Department of Veteran Affairs such as admitting they didn’t check their computer programs and change them to comply with legislation, thus causing monies to be erroneously collected from the widows of Veterans at the worst possible time, the moment of their deaths.
"The question hits on why, when claims for disability compensation and death and indemnity claims are delayed for months if not years, doesn’t the Department of Veteran Affairs pay interest and penalties to the claimant, when they CHARGE interest and penalties when overpayment, etc. is charged to the Veteran or widow?" Davis said.
The group also calls on the Congress and more particularly the Congressional Budget Office, to explain why an Active Duty family would have to pay for their health care, at a time when the majority of Defense budgets go to the Iraq and Afghanistan war efforts and major weapons systems. They want to know why sufficient funds to pay for the costs of retiree health care shortfalls can’t be appropriated.
If sleeping on the muddy ground and putting one’s life on the line for their country is not enough to garner a reduced cost for health insurance, the group maintains that active duty members should have the option to resign for service honorably.
With the opening of eligibility to Category 8 veterans, the group asks the Congress to ensure adequate funding is given to the Department of Veteran Affairs to fund these added persons and if the Department fails to make adequate request, or blame their failings on these added costs, that the Congress shall make the needed funds available, but also ask that the President hold those responsible accountable by requiring they resign.
One of the more important requests of the group Davis says, is for Congress to amend the “The Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008” to speed up the update of the Disability Rating Schedule and several other sections of the law, as it is apparent that the Department of Veteran Affairs has stalled these updates for years, thus denying disability compensation and adequate quality of life payments for catastrophic disabilities suffered by Veterans.
Finally, the group calls for the support of changes to the Agent Orange Act of 1991, adding locations and cancers, and requesting the inclusion of all related health care costs for the children of AO Veterans who suffer from spina bifida.
Veterans For Change Demands Accountability for Those Who Served
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Like so many groups to say they represent veterans, it is easy to claim it, but I just did a Google search for this group and I could find nothing about them, why? Is this a new group created in someone's living room last week? What is their mission, their goals, how many members do they have, and are they going to attempt to become a full fledged member of the veterans advocacy mission as many groups are, are they attaching themslelves to an existing group as did the Veterans of Modern Warfare did when they joined with the Vietnam Veterans of America? I encourage all veterans advocates but really help veterans and not just create a group to raise money and pay yourselves nice salaries and transportation and hotel and rental cars while you are on "veteran business" get down and dirty and help, please.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Veterans For Change Demands Accountability for Those Who Served
