Comments on: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder http://donklephant.com/2005/12/27/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:33:07 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Sopoq http://donklephant.com/2005/12/27/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/comment-page-1/#comment-58857 Sopoq Mon, 07 Aug 2006 09:31:55 +0000 /2005/12/27/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/#comment-58857 Good job. Good job.

]]> By: Mike http://donklephant.com/2005/12/27/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/comment-page-1/#comment-56259 Mike Wed, 26 Jul 2006 17:00:25 +0000 /2005/12/27/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/#comment-56259 Here is a copy of the letter I recieved from West Virginia Senator John D. Rockefeller on the issue of backlogs of VA claims. I had written to him advising him of my disgust in the VA claims processing. I thought I might pass this on to fellow veterans. United States Senate Washington , DC 20510-4802 July 14, 2006 Dear Michael, Thank you for contacting me in regard to the backlog for veterans’ disability appeals. It is always good to hear from a fellow West Virginian, and I commend you on your service of our country. I understand your frustration and concern in regard to this matter. Despite the Bush Administration’s goal of reducing the backlog in handling of Department of Veterans Affairs(VA) disability claims to 250,000, the VA projects that this backlog will most likely exceed 400,000 by the end of 2007. Indeed, with an aging veterans’ population and ongoing hostilities in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is no reason to believe the number of claims will decrease in the near future. However, contrary to the Administration’s public vows to work on this backlog, President Bush called to decrease the staff that directly handles these cases by 149 workers in his budget request for Fiscal Year 2007. In response to this fact, the VA stated that it is more appropriate to look at the overall number of staffers, including those that handle pensions and burial cases. However, even taking into account these staffers, the number of workers is reduced by 48 next year. I am disappointed in the lack of any real commitment to reduce this claims’ backlog that the President’s budget request clearly exemplifies. In addition, I am concerned that the emphasis on productivity as the primary goal may actually be harmful to veterans. While the timeliness of these decisions certainly affects our veterans, the accuracy of veterans’ disability claims decisions is of equal importance. One useful measure of accuracy is the increase in veterans’ claims pending at the Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA). As of August 14, 2004, there were 149,222 appeals pending with the BVA compared to the 87,291 pending appeals when President Bush assumed office. Many of these appeals are being sent back by the BVA for evidence which should have been gathered before the claim was decided. I am also pushing hard to secure the appointment of new judges to the BVA to help handle the claims. Unfortunately, it will be very difficult to secure the necessary funding required to handle the VA disability claims backlog given the enormous budget deficits created during the Bush Administration, which exceeded $300 billion last year. I think it would have been more prudent to invest in Veterans Affairs rather than signing into law trillions of dollars in tax cuts, the vast majority of which only benefit the wealthiest Americans. As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, I am committed to support veterans and work to protect the benefits and services they have earned through service to our country. Over the years, I have worked to extend the range of veterans’ benefits. Recently, I have been particularly focused on fighting to secure additional funding for VA health care and protecting existing VA facilities in West Virginia. I will continue to fight hard for benefits for West Virginia veterans, but it is a struggle. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts and your vigilance in defending our nation’s veterans. I am deeply honored to represent a state in which so many have served with such selflessness and valor over the years. I wish you all the best. Sincerely, John D. Rockefeller IV Here is a copy of the letter I recieved from West Virginia Senator John D. Rockefeller on the issue of backlogs of VA claims. I had written to him advising him of my disgust in the VA claims processing. I thought I might pass this on to fellow veterans.

United States Senate
Washington , DC 20510-4802
July 14, 2006

Dear Michael,

Thank you for contacting me in regard to the backlog for veterans’ disability appeals. It is always good to hear from a fellow West Virginian, and I commend you on your service of our country.

I understand your frustration and concern in regard to this matter. Despite the Bush Administration’s goal of reducing the backlog in handling of Department of Veterans Affairs(VA) disability claims to 250,000, the VA projects that this backlog will most likely exceed 400,000 by the end of 2007. Indeed, with an aging veterans’ population and ongoing hostilities
in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is no reason to believe the number of claims will decrease in the near future. However, contrary to the Administration’s public vows to work on this backlog, President Bush called to decrease the staff that directly handles these cases by 149 workers in his budget request for Fiscal Year 2007. In response to this fact, the VA stated that it is more appropriate to look at the overall number of staffers, including those that handle pensions and burial cases. However, even taking into account these staffers, the number of workers is reduced by 48 next year. I am disappointed in the lack of any real commitment to reduce this claims’ backlog that the President’s budget request clearly exemplifies.

In addition, I am concerned that the emphasis on productivity as the primary goal may actually be harmful to veterans. While the timeliness of these decisions certainly affects our veterans, the accuracy of veterans’ disability claims decisions is of equal importance. One useful
measure of accuracy is the increase in veterans’ claims pending at the Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA). As of August 14, 2004, there were 149,222 appeals pending with the BVA compared to the 87,291 pending appeals when President Bush assumed office. Many of these appeals are
being sent back by the BVA for evidence which should have been gathered before the claim was decided. I am also pushing hard to secure the appointment of new judges to the BVA to help handle the claims.

Unfortunately, it will be very difficult to secure the necessary funding required to handle the VA disability claims backlog given the enormous budget deficits created during the Bush Administration, which exceeded $300 billion last year. I think it would have been more prudent
to invest in Veterans Affairs rather than signing into law trillions of dollars in tax cuts, the vast majority of which only benefit the wealthiest Americans.

As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, I am committed to support veterans and work to protect the benefits and services they have earned through service to our country. Over the years, I have worked to extend the range of veterans’ benefits. Recently, I have been particularly focused on fighting to secure additional funding for VA health care and protecting existing VA facilities in West Virginia. I will continue to fight hard for benefits for West Virginia veterans, but it is a struggle. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts and your vigilance in defending our nation’s veterans. I am deeply honored to represent a state in which so many have served with such selflessness and valor over the years. I wish you all the best.

Sincerely,
John D. Rockefeller IV

]]> By: Ryan http://donklephant.com/2005/12/27/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/comment-page-1/#comment-4831 Ryan Wed, 28 Dec 2005 14:59:56 +0000 /2005/12/27/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/#comment-4831 So we're concerned about spending $4.3 billion to take care of those who are scarred for life due to their service to us? Remind me again how much we spend each year on defense. Oh yeah, enough to make $4.3 billion look like a drop in the bucket. We owe it to them to spend a small percentage of our defense budget on their needs. The fact is we owe our veterans much more. It's too bad we're more interested in spending money on making war than we are in spending money on dealing with the aftermath of war. So we’re concerned about spending $4.3 billion to take care of those who are scarred for life due to their service to us? Remind me again how much we spend each year on defense. Oh yeah, enough to make $4.3 billion look like a drop in the bucket. We owe it to them to spend a small percentage of our defense budget on their needs. The fact is we owe our veterans much more. It’s too bad we’re more interested in spending money on making war than we are in spending money on dealing with the aftermath of war.

]]> By: Justin Gardner http://donklephant.com/2005/12/27/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/comment-page-1/#comment-4811 Justin Gardner Tue, 27 Dec 2005 19:11:32 +0000 /2005/12/27/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/#comment-4811 Exactly Elyas. I think it's shameful that we're going to continue to cut taxes and yet we can't pay for the care that our men and women in uniform need. Ridiculous. Exactly Elyas. I think it’s shameful that we’re going to continue to cut taxes and yet we can’t pay for the care that our men and women in uniform need. Ridiculous.

]]> By: ford4x4 http://donklephant.com/2005/12/27/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/comment-page-1/#comment-4803 ford4x4 Tue, 27 Dec 2005 17:03:43 +0000 /2005/12/27/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/#comment-4803 If the military (IMO) is the number one concern of the Federal govt, then taking care of it's veterans ought to be the number two concern. The number of vet's that are left on their own, with nothing but an Honorable Discharge is appalling. If the military (IMO) is the number one concern of the Federal govt, then taking care of it’s veterans ought to be the number two concern.
The number of vet’s that are left on their own, with nothing but an Honorable Discharge is appalling.

]]> By: Elyas Bakhtiari http://donklephant.com/2005/12/27/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/comment-page-1/#comment-4800 Elyas Bakhtiari Tue, 27 Dec 2005 15:19:57 +0000 /2005/12/27/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/#comment-4800 <i>The costs are certainly daunting, but it doesn’t mean we can’t afford it. </i> See previous post re: Tax cuts. The costs are certainly daunting, but it doesn’t mean we can’t afford it.

See previous post re: Tax cuts.

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