Obama

Veterans Not Better Off Under Obama Says Majority Surveyed

Obama

Eighty percent of veterans surveyed about whether we are better off because of President Obama’s policies responded “no”.

With the inauguration and recent shake-up at the Department of Veterans Affairs, it seemed like good timing to post the responses to the survey we ran here two days ago.

Many of the veterans on both sides provided thoughtful responses worth highlighting here. Rather than edit out what individuals wrote, I decided to provide the raw answers for both sides unedited.

These are posted first with those who believe they are better off followed by those who believe veterans are not better off.

Personally, there is no question veterans were benefited in some ways. More veterans get benefits for Agent Orange from the Vietnam War 40 years ago. Veterans dying from Camp Lejeune toxic exposure will finally get compensation as last Friday after waiting 30-60 years.

Nice, those veterans still alive will get some benefits and recognition for their plight due to military failures to protect troops from toxic exposures. Gulf War veterans are still fighting for greater recognition of toxic exposures from 25 years ago.

However, despite some improvements, Obama maintained the status quo without addressing, head on, the wait time scandal that killed many veterans due to fraud. Secretary Robert McDonald told Congress he fired thousands of employees while the real number was 4. The union was never reformed. The backlog still exists for disability claims.

Despite the positive momentum on some issues, Obama’s legacy as it relates to veterans should be tarnished for not addressing ongoing fraud and related criminality that killed and continues to harm veterans nationwide.

Veterans Who Believe Obama Made Them Better Off

In my area (Birmingham, AL) the VA seems to be doing a better job of reducing the number of homeless vets. Also, I personally believe that the VA hospital here is doing a great job. Thanks
Many of my claims were granted, also received a great deal of assistance from vocational rehabilitation.
I believe that the last eight years the Obama administration tried to correct problems that have been identified in the VA were Republicans in congress are always trying to eliminate essential veteran’s benefits.
Appointed Shinseki as Sec. of VA. who then expanded AO presumptives.
increased speed of benefit processing for one, quite a feat given the VA – sadly bias and inconsistent standards still exists.
Developed the choice program
better options
I hate to put yes of all the bureaucracy still in existence. I have an appeal in that is over 4 years old now. Even though I am not happy and bitter about many things, the President has made some really good improvements!
Collectively and personally outcomes from the VBA although flawed are marginally improved, outcomes from the VHA are being subjected to intensive scrutiny and marginally improved too.
His leadership and compassion
He brought soldiers home
The fixes put in place are superficial, at best.     I speak only for the VBA (not VHA).   VBMS has been in place now for more than four years. With nearly everything that we do, there is more administrative burden and time-consuming tasks and a lot of duplicate work.
Scaling back of wars started under Bush regime.
He finally appointed a director who wasn’t a political hack.
Well it didn’t make things any worse nd you have only two options available. We will see with the Don.
Reduced the claims backlogs.
Sec. McDonald was a good pick and he’s worked on the transformation of VA and helping it move into this century.
Initial claims reduced dramatically and cleared
Started reforming the good old boy network and began getting the needed manpower and funding to handle the Republican wars
Women’s health care has dramatically improved for me both in terms of care and dedicated women’s facilities.
As a former worker within the VA beauracracy, I can unequivocally state that PBO’s policy changes led to a reduction in the Vietnam veterans backlog in claims.
The automation improvements have made direct contacts with staff less neccessary.
As a veteran I saw my medical care in the San Juan VA MC, PR be a top notch care in every aspect and with the new civilian care program. Overall awesome!
Because I am a veteran and I was successfully “awarded” a PTSD disability rating.
The automation improvements have made direct contacts with staff less neccessary.
Personal experiences with VA from 1995-present: Quicker response & more personal., but staff retention for long-term care remains a problem in some places.
The wait time for appointments are less.
The increase was lacking
Yes – almost no. I’m relatively new to the VA Healthcare system. However, I discern an attempt of improvement.   It’s big-ass boat, and it turns very slowly. However well Veterans Choice was intended, it still failed due to implementation by the same Beltway-Centric system.
Camp LeJeune water contamination benefits (some of them) were finally approved ; on his way out of office. Other than that, I would have answered NO. It only took the VA 28 years to finally do something for us Marines. How many more former service members will die before they take care of us?
It took me 40 years to get the ball rolling with the VA, especially, since I had put in a claim in 1975, after my attempted murder on me in 1974.

I received my PTSD in 2010, what a shame.   Remember, back then in the 70’s, they cared even less for veterans, many were just thrown in the streets, SAD!

The wait time for my “Service Connected” hearing aides dropped from 24 months to six. I spent more than $7.000 for hearing aids from 1968 when I was awarded a 10% disability. At that time I was told I was only entitled to1 pair in my lifetime and should wait for my hearing to worsen.
TBI reevaluations
Post 9/11 GI Bill 2.0 helped me go to Law School, and VocRehab helped me finish Law School. We are better off, but things could have been better on the whole.
He reopened the VA to all Veterans and that resulted in me and the Veterans I now assist with initiating claims in navigating both the VHA and BVA.
Increased funding
I have no problem with the VA. And to straighten out so large an organization will take a long time.
HE attempted to put an end to the endless combat in Afghanistan and Iraq and therefore created less veterans with problems that the VA will ignore
I was Null. Democrats fighting a union…tough situation. GET A NEW UNION.
I can see it by the lower back log percent
While I said yes (for me), the items are minimal often unbalanced negatively–shortened the adjudication line but increased denials and suicides–Choice but enriched a couple fee based insurance companies and their executives, etc. (better for vets but worse for taxpayers).
Obama inherited the problems at the VA and did the best he could to fix them during his time in the White House.

 

Veterans Who Believe Obama Did Not Make Them Better Off

It still takes 90 to see my provider.
Your kidding me,what did he do for us other than the choice card program. Which has backwards policies. Eventually you get to a Dr. Non VA. Let’s fix what we got first.
We are not
Corruption has become endemic with the Obama administration and the veterans suffered
Managers and unions took over the Department and the veteran out the door!
Absolutely nothing has changed, the fed unions run everything.
He ignored requests to help veterans obtain their basic benefits.
Fire the upper management team and bring back Allison Hickey
Public scrutiny forced some minor change.
I’m an African American who voted for Obama for both terms, however, unless the VA treats our veterans with dignity and better medical care by draining the swamps at the VA, our American society is doomed!
Still manipulating records

Still cant get appointments under 30 day. Been trying since August 2016 to get outside doctor for my feet and prosthetic.

He hired the wrong director
The va system was broken when he started, and the va system is broken when he ended.
He is a muslim.
Veterans continue to wait months for medical treatment and years for disability compensation.
In the last two years, I have seen positive changes at the VA. It is the result of all the negative stories that have come out in the press against them. It had NOTHING to do with any policies that the Obama administration had in place at the time.
It is still as difficult to get into and through the system.
I continue to see corruption and delays that demonstrates that what the President said was for show and was not willing to apply the change needed.
I have been on appeals for 12 years and am one of the 24,000 caught up in the TBI scandal and am 90% disabled.
Overall, the answer is no. Money was allocated to HUD/VASH, hiring more mental health workers, and claims were digitally fast-tracked. More money does not fix the problem(s).
Since 2014, WLA VA, California I’ve watched the personnel in Claims and Pension change-out. (Shifting the shit) Long Beach, CA VA, C&P denied my CO & VA Phychiatric claim of PTSD. Fucking Joke! Car Salesman!
The Va is for the VA only, The Veterans don’t matter
The suicide rate of veterans did not decrease nor did homelessness under his presidency. The Dept. of Veterans Affairs should have fired all senior management and non-performing staff and eliminate all union members.
I can’t explain why in one sentence or even a paragraph.
Lack of transparency in dealing with unlawful/ethical employee treatment of veterans as well as unresponsive leadership
The status quo of poor, overpriced service was allowed to continue; poor leadership had time to shift around and find protection for their jobs and salaries. There were many failures, the scandals uncovered can stand alone as testimony that Obama is a loser who cared about Vets for press clippings
Mr. Obama can only do so much. Congress holds the purse strings and they are not invested in funding or helping vets.
The was no legitimate push from the Administration to resolve anything – just words. The only real push seemed to come from Congress in getting the Veterans Choice Program started. Unfortunately, the resources weren’t there to match
Our vets are not being cared for and should get priority treatment….Including being able to seek medical care(physical, emotional and psychological) anywhere and have the govt pay for it.   They have earned it more than anyone else has in this country!
he loves the hell out of muslim terrorists and snowflakes, and hates veterans.
communists dont like veterans!
since when did politations care about veterans?
he allows quack Drs like linda borgtuno and ricardo pena to still work there and lets be honest,the politations want us dead so they dont have to spend money on us,but theyll throw money at people that have never done anything for this country!
15 years in the system; Agent Orange Prostate Cancer, VA has fought me every step of the way, no improvement in last 8 years.
Either Obama has done no good to the system or I see this due to the fact that I keep having more things happen mostly all related to my Vietnam service & heavy Agent Orange exposure while i was a “Ground Pounder” with the 82nd Airborne.
Military retired and especially those disabled are no better off now than before.
Obama stole money earmarked for veterans’ care and used it to take care of “Syrian refugees” that are un-vetted, impossible to vet, and almost universally subscribe to a political ideology that demands non-moslems convert, be enslaved or killed.
Because both my husband and myself have been proposed to lose some of our previous SC and we have both been waiting more than a year. My husbands physical for a heart condition was done by a   psychiatrist
Because both my husband and myself have been proposed to lose some of our previous SC and we have both been waiting more than a year. My husbands physical for a heart condition was done by a psychiatrist
I went to college on for two years, then I got a new vocational rehab counselor she disqualified me from Voc rehab and told me if I didn’t get a re-evaluation by a va doctor I couldn’t continue to pursuit my education.
Gaps in accountability, inconsistency and/or outright ignorance in adjudicating compensation claims, a growing backlog despite significantly more staffing, longer waiting times from claim to adjudication, and an increasing gap in veterans benefits being administered to veterans.
He continued to allow the corrupt activities especially among directorship of the VA’s and many of these Criminal   directors have gone unpunished such as Sharon Helman is not tried to clean up the VA he’s just made ingenuous lip service
no accountability of leaders in va or firing any leaders in va for doing wrong actions or not changing va.   entrenchments of bigness
Choice is a joke but worse, because of paperwork, my doctors are limited to 10 min appointments.
Nothing changed for the good at our VA.
Created division among veterans pre-911/post-911 in regards to caregiver program and 3 years after removed post-911 Ill veterans after caregiver program implemented.
No noticeable change in policies. Veterans may get their first mental health appointments sooner but thereafter it could take 6-7 weeks for follow up appointments. In the civilian community one can make an appointment in two weeks with a psychiatrist.
The system is still broke! The VA still has employees that work with a broken system on a daily basis that are to afraid to say anything out of fear that they will not be a protected whistle blower. The rural veteran is still being ignored with no fix even in sight. The choice system is broken…
It’s a great question and straight to the point.
The VA became remarkably worse under his administration.
I am worst off know then when I first went to the VA in 1978.
Poor quality C&P exams and poor quality diagnostics are caused by medical professionals that cannot do the job right because they have too many people that they must deal with, and I am a victim of that failure.
There are no change and Obama never held the top management to do things right. They even stop the va from enforcing the demand that Obama put into effect. Till the VA cleans house. I know my case the va never wanted my rate to get raised but the applet court got involved and them it jumped 40% to70
aiding illegal aliens, terrorist, transgender   was his concerns .
The core problem of the VA has always been accountability. And this is not as much of a VA problem as it is an Administration problem. Leadership starts at the top and no one has held the VA accountable for the crimes, yes crimes , they have committed.
Much worse bureaucratic hurdles, more corruption, and…….
The House Veterans Affairs Committee is in possession of emails that prove VA Dep Sec Sloan Gibson, the VA OIG (now retired), and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Nabor colluded to cover up the VAMC Phoenix waitlist scandal and the deaths of 293 veterans there.
Obama loathes the military and is only concerned with his legacy and Marxist agenda.
The VA employees lots of HACK doctors, also, it is there way or the highway cause there are never wrong(and thats a lie) also claims are denied at the drop of a hat. Dayton, ohio VA clinic is getting away with so much.
Decisions on pending cases take forever (mine 5 yrs) and the online web site (EBenefits) is worthless for finding up to date information concerning your submitted case i.e. whats happening!
I can’t get any help in medicine after 45 years any more of today do to his adding more problems of getting quality medicine instead of generic and lower cost medicine
Claims processing time has not decreased and there has been no improvement in health care.
vets station in Thailand are not getting the right help on their cancer claims from agent orange.
I am a victim
I’m still suffering from prostate cancer treatment SIDE EFFECTS associated with Hormonal Therapy/ZOLADEX, because it’s too easy for the VA to hide the harm done to veterans by their DRUGS & TREATMENT!!!
We did not know 8 years ago that the reason the REDpublicans were obstructing every possible improvement to any thing that Obama could make was nothing short of their desire for power had reached the point of willingness to destroy America to get it.   Now we know…
Lot of corruption and/or neglect in the higher levels of the VA Administration. The VA Medical Foster Care Homes providers are NOT given VA Veterans to fill their homes with 3 veterans in each home. This needs to be mandated from top down.

A Whistle Blower

Whistle Blower Protection Act.

Still the same problems in Benefits and Health side.
More veterans died under obama than in any other administration.
far too many claims are denied, the appeal process backlog is simply ridiculously long & the process can take up to 5 years or more. The VA clinics & Hospitals in my area have improved but still need a lot of work. The wait times are 40+ days, the knowledge of some of our VA clinc Doctors are substa
He has no respect for military.
Failure to prosecute administrators engaged in malfeasance. Problems with wait times swept under the carpet.
Fuck him
VA has gotten worse top tier admin needs to go
lim a veteran
Tricare went up, and deductibles, prescription deductibles and no cola pay raises 4 times and lame pay raises the other years. The above went up more then what the entire cola raises added together under Obama where.
Replace the VHA with Medicare-type insurance, real insurance…..
There is no consequence for VA employees or leadership when they fail in their mission, it’s not about serving vets but is instead about administrators keeping their jobs.
Absolutely nothing has changed in the base levels of care since 1993.
The disingenuous influence of non-Veteran, non-profit and for-profit special interests throughout the entire system, facilitated by the senior level DVA bureaucracy (the NAC funding trough being one example) under the guise of “public-private partnerships”.
He didnt fix wait times or the private practice.
Wounded warriors and soldiers are just props for him.
No accountability, PR spin on every issues instead of recognizing the problems and take action. He was a follower never showed any true leadership skills or ability.
It will take more than one administration to fix what has been for a long time.
Not much has changed.
Because the VA Administration continued to ‘REWARD’ themselves and did little to speed up services, correct past/present mistakes in VA Cases and pushed services to the outside medical world to look good but the delays still existed!
I believe that it was the scandals and whistle-blowers that forced the Govt. to make a few meaningful changes.
When it came to veterans he was all talk no action.
Employees of VA allowed to promote racial and partisan behavior as culture turned towards entitlements of the select, and punishment for the many. Lost too many friends during the last 8 years to drugs, alcohol, and suicides. All preventable with real sustainable treatments if not shamed for at VA.
Times are as bad as ever, it took from April 2016, to November 2016, to see my primary care Doc for the first time after moving here to Jacksonville, Florida!
He lacked the knowledge and leadership to help veterans the VA is as bad as it was 8 years ago
I’m still waiting 30 days just to see a regular doctor because Veterans Choice is actually a longer wait then that.
Has anything changed?
He ain’t done shit, Ben!!! U know it & I know it, so does the rest of the Veteran Community!!!
He did not care about veterans. Ben your blogs have done more than Obama.
He had a policy of not holding any VA employee accountable.
One thing is, the VSO’S have turned to supporting themselves and the Veterans and their families are more alone in this fight than I can remember.
Veteran care by employees at a record low at VA hospitals. I know I was a patient at Dallas CLC from 11/18/16 thru 1/09/17 and experienced the lack of respect for veterans medical needs!!!
Still have backlog
my husband has been part of the VA health care system since 2007. started out very bad then, not much better now in 2017.
The VA still does what it wants and ignores directives.
Refusal to pay ER bills putting vets in debt and allowing the VA to cripple me via ongoing poisoning.
O’Bama just hasn’t been forceful in holding the VA to accountability.
because none of the delay issues have been fixed nor is any noticeable progress/improvements been made. Veteran job programs are a joke with no real opportunity or assistance through existing programs.
The VA is in shambles and there is no fix in site, the Dem’s seem to not care at all about Veterans or active duty, continuously diminishing benefits and forgoing any financial support increases to alleviate the strain on military families both active and veteran.
No improvement in quality of medical services or in the quality of VA doctors and staff.
Scandals developed that were not resolved, and his attempts to fix problems often made them worse.
Because he knew veterans would not support him and only did things for groups that would support his agenda and vote for him and his cronies
The alternative, “Veterans Choice Program” is too complicated and “EXTREMELY” slow to get outside medical treatment approval…. “Veterans Suicide Rates” are not acceptable…..”Bad Actors” (employees) in the VA System are not being punished for misdeeds……Veteran Homelessness is just shameful..
They did not fix the Primary issue with the VA; a inept and criminal Administration and the Union.
Misguided priorities.
not really a term to think about , any American should use common sense and determine through Obama’s presidential actions, scandals and lies that he left veterans well beings to the personnel that enslave a system of false promises.
Finally McDonald helped Camp Lejeune victims
The current establishment, showed outwardly on camera to be concerned, but the reality, we got shoved in the corner and forgotten. Lets hope Trump has the entestinal fortitude to actually change the VA.
The current establishment, showed outwardly on camera to be concerned, but the reality, we got shoved in the corner and forgotten.
Obama ignored problems at va and the crimes at va continued to get worse.
Just for the simple fact that my brother’s medical care under the VA is nothing more than ongoing medical malpractice and just getting worse since he came back from Viet Nam.
The quality of care under Obama was much much worse then bush. I have been treated in multiple va facilities across the state of CA. Bakersfield is the only one I would give a sat rating to. They have very few specialists and most appointments are in LA or LB over 100 mile drive and pts are treated
Absolutely not! He had blinders on and denied that there were ongoing issues that were never addressed!
Besides the “Race division” he caused, he did the bare minimum in everything he did.
Just review the drafting committe you listed below!
Cause none of the many health issue’s that I’d suffer from still hasn’t been address for over forty five years or more now and my teeth are rotting in my mouth as I type….
For instance, if you write www.whitehouse.gov for VA help. They send it to the VA and they ignore it. No one follows up with you.
He’s A Muslim Here To “DESTROY” America !!!!
The list of press seeking DVA FOIA disclosure at the House VA Committee keeps getting longer; no access to VA info means no accountability at the grassroots level.
No interest in veterans with cursory attention after the Phoenix massacre.
The choice program is a joke
Barry’s mindset is pro Marxist-Muslim. Accordingly his priorities are not veteran oriented but attempt to implement future change toward his leftist agendas.
After 40 years of using the VA, I can tell you for certain, every aspect of my care has gone down in quality, cost’s have gone up substatially, and claims are denied by unqualified examiners.
We were seen but not took care of
I have been fighting with the va for benefit since 2014 and because of it there have been times that I have went days not being able to eat I can’t even afford my own place
Policies were more for Illegals than Americans!!!
Quality of care is still not good. Not enough well trained doctors.

I applied for additional disability and they lost my info. Can’t get anyone to respond to my claim.

Lots of talk and bluster. No real changes seen. I’m a service connected diabeti(x13 years) no glucose monitor or insulin pump.
PRES. Obama does not have good judgment (discernment) concerning veterans no insight.
I am 62 r old veteran with a 4 yr ptsd claim
The problem is still ongoing.
He did not provide treatments for brain-injured veterans — real healing of the underlying wound to the brain.
Policies are great but if there is little action to enforce them, they are not worth the paper they were written on.
Still in a mess, I was married over 8 months ago still no word on my wife’s (dependent) compensation…
Just in the area of economic opportunity alone, the Obama administration has repeatedly lied regarding employment numbers and “official” job growth – there are nearly 95 million Americans without work, and veterans have been hit by this bus extremely hard.
Still failed to change concurrent receipt laws for vets medically retired with less than 20 years of service.
My 30 year claim before the Court still pending, my 9 year old claim before the Board still pending!
no changes long waits
Just speaking for myself I was poison from a medication the VA put me on. They claim no responsibility. Only medication I took for an extended.period of time in my entire life. Destroyed kidney function down to 50% function on each side. Disputing things at this time
Benign neglectl
I have been fighting with the va for benefit since 2014 and because of it there have been times that I have went days not being able to eat I can’t even afford my own place
It’s hard to get proper medical care from the Marion va system. The doctors are aloud to treat veterans harshly.nothing is being done about it this has been going on for years and will not stop unless the system is redone
From my experience, here in Southern California, unemployment and homelessness of veterans have increased, while mentsl health of veterans were not taken seriously.
There is still no accountability to VA workers poor performance!
Made worst no increased and some disable veterans are not entittle to get mortgage loan unless perfect credit. Befits denied or holding some veterans for re-evaluation even though already declare disable100%.
The Obama Administration ignored and hunted whistleblowers throughout the country who reported wrong doing, this is not a funding issue as much as it is a bad management issue throught the VA! Bye Felicia!
Veterans are not fully aware of their benefit for which they qualify
There was no fundamental change at the VA; only updates around the margins. Same issues, different year.
DID,NT CLEANUP     THE SYSTEM   OR     FIRE THE CROOKED   V.A.   LEADER,S
This really got of hand,,
promise, promise, deny, deny and forget !
Appointments are still hard to get and some types of special treatments are still almost impossible to get.
still waiting from 2009 for disability approval?
still waiting from 2009 for disability approval?
because obomber works for the invaders of America who want to eliminate as many true americans as possible, therefore he has no incentive to improve vets care; indeed, he is just a puppet, dancing as his israeli masters say to dance.
All combat era veteran’s should be treated the same benefits.

Not specialized on one era only. Discriminating the older vets in services

My NOD has been sitting there for 6 months.
I have had nothing but problems trying to get care for both my service-connected and non-service connected medical conditions.
There is still a shortage of access to VA benefits and the wait time it takes to get said benefits, and to get seen by medical VA clinics.
The AfGE Union is still allowed to fester their anti-veteran care in the VA.
they made it very difficult to receive chronic pain medication inclusive of medical marijuana
When there is a mismatch between one’s words and deeds, you have extinguished any chance for accountability.
He failed to establish a strong legal policy of accountability at all levels…………
NOBAMA A     PUUSY   PUNK TO     THE AFGE UNION     @   FAT   PIG       DAVID   COX !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Obama, like his predecessor and successor, has to deal with an entrenched bureaucracy that exhibits more interest in the power structure of the department rather then the focus of the mission: take care of veterans who fought the country’s fights.
Nothing but lip service
VA suffers from a Bloated headquarters bureaucracy; non-veterans leading VA hospitals; no accountability when a veteran is mistreated; and hatred of whistleblowers by VA managers at all levels except at the very front lines (such as the squad leaders and the platoon leader in an infantry context).
Veterans Suicide is still abhorrent.
Corruption still runs rampant!
The lack of transparency,accountability, and a genuine true concern for veterans in all past wars and conflicts. Professional procrastination..Currently the V.A. uses a system of “Death” in stalling veterans claims. This is “”MALUM IN SE”. New “laws”for those that violate the public trust of veteran
The lack of transparency,accountability, and a genuine true concern for veterans in all past wars and conflicts. Professional procrastination..Currently the V.A. uses a system of “Death” in stalling veterans claims. This is “”MALUM IN SE”.
I don’t think I can put that much rage in one sentence.
Nothing was done on the frontline.
Obama’s “Change you can believe in”, became the reality sham of a “legacy” it is when Obama and his DOJ *refused* to prosecute VA fraudsters caught red-handed in the cookie jar.
Obama’s “Change you can believe in”, became the reality sham of a “legacy” it is when Obama and his DOJ *refused* to prosecute VA fraudsters caught red-handed in the cookie jar.
Appeals r 2/2 years out and waiting.
Pres. Obama sent the DOJ after a known thug was killed to try and make it just; however, he decided veterans mistreatment and deaths caused by the VA did not warrant or justify any action.
He was hands off in his approach, so that the blame could be shifted to his cabinet members. Look how he ignored Brandon Coleman publicly when he tried to ask him a question. Parading injured veterans around in his speeches another bs dog and pony show. Saluting with a cup of latte in your hand.
no change
The Executive Branch of Government is out of touch of Veteran’s needs.
Obama’s VA policies have seriously raised the level of corruption at the Veterans Administration while substantially lowering all levels of accountability.
Any policy or new program initiated by Washington became so twisted and corrupted by the medical centers administrators that there was little left of those good intentions that went into the medical care for the majority of Veterans, the va system is too corrupted and will remain so.
He is just another part of the problem we have in America today, politics, corruption, divisions, hate, greed, Feudalism, Hate for White people, Draconian laws and regulations, racial instigation, useless bureaucracy, malevolent activism, total dis-concern, golf, and much
nothing changed but got worst and many dead vets more money for doing nothing and we still have no one to take to jail for killing the vets
He lied

 

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268 Comments

  1. 91Veteran, If I understand correctly, all Linx models are Bluetooth and can be operated from both an iPhone, or an Android. For an iPhone download the ReSound Smart app, and the ReSound Releife app. If you have an iPhone go to settings-general-accessibility-hearing devices. Pair them by opening and closing both battery compartments to put them into pairing mode. Hope this opens a whole new way to use your hearing aids.

    1. 91Veteran, I am not sure how they paired them to my phone, if it was like any other Bluetooth, or through the settings. My memmory is really messed up, correction: my brain is really messed up.

      1. No worries cj. I went to the Resound web site and found the applications for Android are limited to mostly Samsung Galaxy phones.

        They have some great features in the application, but my phone is not compatible.

    2. You may have the switch set for old land lines. Or getting clicks from other devices. Take it to the audiologist.

    3. Thanks cj, I will have to check those out. I don’t recall being told mine were Bluetooth capable. I’ll have to check.

  2. Thank you 91Veteran, those are the same ones they provided for me, I guess it will just take a little getting use to. Right now everything is so loud, dogs walking accross the floor, papers rumbling. My wife dropped a piece of chopped nut, and when it hit her plate, it sounded like a church bell. Certainly will take some getting use to. Lot of clicking, and sounding like they are disconnecting, and reconnecting to the phone. Will have the V.A. check them in a couple of weeks. Again, thank you guys for your input, much appreaciated.

    1. Cj, if they are the same as mine, I don’t understand what you mean by connecting to the phone. Mine are stand-alone hearing aides that do not connect to another device.

      I also don’t understand the clicking. Is it possible they are picking up other clicking sounds that you may have missed before?

      Did yours come with a remote? If they did, you can change the mode that I mentioned before. On mine, setting 1 is for everyday use. Setting 2 is for music, and Setting 3 is labeled TSG, which I believe is Tinnitus Sound Generator.

      If you have that remote, try the different settings and see if that makes a difference. There is also a way to use that remote to change the volume level. Yours may be set too high, or you just may be noticing many more sounds that you would have missed before.

      You might also find that once you get used to them, you might have to turn the volume up. Best to start at a lower volume though.

      1. 91Veteran, Mine is also a RESound, hearing aid, has Bluetooth, all the bells and whistles. I can control them with my iPhone. There is an app for tinnitus that plays sounds in the background, another app for controlling the hearing aids, along with a built-in app on the iPhone itself that not only controls the hearing aids but also shows battery levels for each side, and for the phone to be used as a remote mic. Being Bluetooth, when I receive a call I can auto answer right through the hearing aids. In the app store is apps from resound. If I were to lose a hearing aid, the app can also locate where it is at, even if I lost it in another state, it will show me on a map, exactly where it is. These are the first I have ever had, so I am not familiar with how things are supposed to sound, etc. It could be that I have been so deaf that these sounds I am hearing I haven’t heard in over 40 years. Looking at the model type, they are ReSound-Linx2 RIC’s

      2. Mine have a small switch to switch to telephone mode. Doesn’t work well so I just take the aid out of my best (right) ear and turn up the phone volume. Take you aid out and the book that came with it and learn about all of its buttons. Or go back to the audiologist. Probably gave you to short a demo for a first time user.

  3. Go President Trump, it’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life, and I’m feeling gooooooooooood…….

    Okay guys and gals, anyone here have any experience with V.A. provided hearing aids? I just received my first pair, so I am not sure how they are expected to sound, if they are the best ones to have, etc. Any input would be greatly appreciated. My hearing loss is in the higher registers, mod/severe. Thank you in advance.

    One more thing, I have been wanting to say to all of you. Although we have never met, and chances are we never will, I feel we are all part of the same family. Sure we fight each other at times, just as families do. Also, just as families should, I love each and every one of you dearly, in spite of our differences.

    I have been reading this blog for a very long time, and only recently decided to actually say something. I am not anywhere near as bright as the rest of you, or as well-informed. Thank you all for the knowledge you share, and for keeping it real, and being yourselves. Do not change………please do not ever change.

    1. cj, Same frequency loss. I’ve had hearing aids since 1965 for noise induced loss first from the Navy and then the VA. Newer ones are much better. If you don’t have a hearing aid for a while or have never had one the first day or so you hear the sound is like listening to a sea shell. It goes away eventually as the brains filter adjusts. The sound is always there but the brain filters it out. The newest ones I’ve gotten they don’t fix the volume adjustment to increase enough for many situations but I think that is to prevent further hearing loss from loud noise. Your hearing aid acts like an ear plug for extremely lout sounds like a gun shot or thunder clap.

      I have inner ear aids that fall out easily so I had the audiologist put an eye screw in them and give me a jeweler’s attachment so I could hook them to my glasses to keep from losing them. I had trouble for a long time with losing hearing aids but lost only one pair of glasses in 40 years. At least 12 hearing aids during the same period. My ears spit out the in ear piece and then they easily fall off on bending for even the over the ear ones. You can get replacements for lost aids and for pet eaten ones. Even one accidentally flushed down the toilet which fell of during the process of flushing.

      VA audiologists are much better matching you to the correct aid than civilians who just try to sell you (or the VA in my case) the most expensive aid. The newest models are set at the factory for your hearing loss with some adjustments available to the Audiologist. If the aids are working good for you by the end of the first week or if you develop a raspberry from the ear piece make an appointment with the audiologist to get it fixed.

    2. Cj, I received hearing aides from the VA about a year and a half ago.

      They are the Resound Linx9 model, and it was quite shocking to me how much better any sound was after I started using them. It sounded like super hi definition stereo, particularly when speaking. If you search on Resound, you can find their web site.
      Wind or exterior noises are not a problem.
      They are computer programmed to enhance the frequencies that I have trouble hearing in.
      They have 3 settings that you can change by pushing a button on either hearing aide, one seems normal, one is set for like music, and the 3rd setting induces some white noise that is supposed to help with tinnitus.
      They have a little filter to keep them clean, and are rather tiny that fit behind your ear, with a small whisker wire and speaker that goes in your ear. It also has a plastic whisker off that wire that they call sport locks, which is supposed to help keep them seated in your ear.
      Batteries last about a week. I call the VARO in Denver and they mail me filters, sport locks or batteries as needed.

      It is one of the better experiences I have had with the VA since the clinic really seems to care about the veterans they see.

      Be sure they are programmed correctly though. My brother has the same kind, but he can’t wear them. The programming is wrong, so whenever he is in a vehicle, the road noise is so loud he can’t hear anything.

      1. Sounds like a big improvement over the ones I have that are 5 years old. May consider asking for new ones next year

      2. They really do make a difference in the detail you can hear.
        I forgot to mention though, the sport locks need to be adjusted just right or they make your ears sore.
        The sport lock is like a little plastic spring in your ear that helps hold them in. If they are not curled right, it puts too much upward pressure from the speaker on your ear canal.

  4. Here’s some great news out from;
    “MLordandGod.com”.
    I want to first say, the spelling is correct in the title.

    “President Donald Trump Plans to Sign TIHS ‘Executive Order’ This Weekend”

    Published 22 Jan. 2017

    It’s going to stop all federal monies being given to NON-GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. How they will operate without government aid is a mystery. I guess they’ll to use donations from now on.

    This also means Planned Parenthood is being de-funded!
    Planned Parenthood is, in reality, a ‘for’ profit’ agency, geared directly at aborting mostly African American babies. Then selling the baby parts. Project Veritas proved that.

    The founder of Planned Parenthood was Margaret Sanger. She admitted the plan behind her organization was to help African Americans to stop births. She was a complete “RACIST”! Don’t believe me!?
    Here’s a quote directly from her;

    “Colored people are like human weeds, and are to be exterminated!”

    This is what we would call “…an attempted genocide of a race…”!

    OK, folks, does this not sound like what the VA has tried to accomplish against veterans!? I leave it up to y’all on this issue!

    1. Hey Elf,

      In closing out the weekend.

      “https://static.infowars.com/politicalsidebarimage/crazy-protester.jpg”

      1. Also lets not forget.

        America’s Finest News Source

        “https://www.theonion.com/”

        Way more creditable then the major networks.

      2. From the Onion.

        “Biden Making Plans To Go Completely Legit After Vice Presidency”, The Onion, January 20, 2017

        “https://www.theonion.com/article/biden-making-plans-go-completely-legit-after-vice–55107”

        “WASHINGTON—Saying he needed to turn his life around before “ending up in deep shit,” outgoing Vice President Joe Biden was reportedly hatching plans Friday to go completely legit now that his term in office has concluded.

        Biden, who longtime aides confirmed had made numerous phone calls inquiring about good, honest minimum-wage jobs, vowed to cease taking part in a variety of scams and petty crimes and move far away from the nation’s capital, where he believed he could finally make something of himself and become a productive member of society.”

      3. Alex Jones is a plant, thats why he gets away with all that he says, not worth a grain of salt.

  5. Has anyone else been getting calls from AFSCME Reps?

    Can’t write much today, was out practicing my old man noises while working on one of my trucks. So discomfort level high.

    Oh and Elf, great vid on Trey Gowdy.

    1. @Seymore Klearly – Did you get any calls? Why would they like to speak to us? How do they know who to call, unless we’ve been bad Veterans and they put us on their DRB or EPER List. I’m ready for a call from them. I’ll play stupid and comply, then I’ll go off on them. SK, you’ve got me fired up now. Less pain, more anxiety. Bastards.

    2. No calls here, however, I am only repeatedly abducted and probed by aliens. Really wish it would stop already. I mean, I can just give them a list of what I ate, they do not need to go through all that trouble of probing for that info. Not fun at all.
      Starting to think it’s the VA doing this because notice even if you are seeing a VA Hack for an ear infection…they insist on a purple glove probing? Cannot ignore the pattern here. 🙂

      1. @Namnibor, @Ex va, @91Veteran, @Seymore Klearly, @Crazy elf – In trouble. They are on my trail. My K9 bit one, hand severed easily, then it regenerated. Was able to break into The Global Surveillance Office for Non-Human Lifeforms. Found the R&D Organic-Inorganic Laboratory for Cataclysmic Studies and The R&D for Extraterrestrial Beings. Located the secret aerosol spray formula to make yourself invisible to aliens and humans.

        Only $49.95 [FREE S&H]. One 12 oz. can good for applying spray on a family of 4. Completely organic, non-GMO, no testing on animals but on Veterans at specified VA Medical Centers. Formula is inert to skin. One application lasts 24 hrs. Send me a post with payment to @ANutterVet. One minute guaranteed delivery. Lifetime guarantee! Send payment fast. Need funds due to being on the run.
        While I was in the building, I found a active REAL WEBSITE on an investigators desk in the Global Surveillance Office. Contains a wealth of International Criminal Activity information:

        “www.internationalcrimesdatabase.org”

        Have fun while checking it out. It could add extra conversational information, and a good addition to your library of resources.

        sssssssssssssssssssss . . . the spray goes on a little greasy. I got to slip on outta here.

      2. @ANutterVet, put me on order. A family of four, we will be covered! LOL! Glad the k-9 friend of yours gave you the heads up! You got in the global surveillance office! That is great, keep reporting back your finds, we are in the need to know! Otherwise, we may be experiencing those probes again!! You are cracking me up! Don’t know how to respond except with laughter. Thanks!!

    3. Turns out it was one of those type of calls we hate to get.

      A friend and a Veteran that I have been helping out. Has me down as his emergency contact for all his medical. They were not sure if he was going to make it but he is hanging in there.

      I was outside when the call came and no one left a message. So I searched the number and it came up that the number was the work phone number for a AFSCME Rep. Apparently she works at the hospital also but the number she dialed from was the hospital.

      Spent the mourning with him today. We had just gotten some good news earlier this month about his cancer not progressing but now he is slowly dying from the cure.

  6. First, I’ve never heard of the “RT” News Network. That being said, I just received something newsworthy for y’all.
    The first video is from “Real News” via “RT” out of New York.
    Titled;
    “Charity work is just a front. Your not fooling us Clinton.”

    Jan 22, 2017

    I think y’all might want to read the next article from “GOP THE DAILY DOSE”.
    Titled:
    “Wasting No Time, Obama Starts ‘New Venture’ to Scam Americans”
    Jan. 22, 2017 by Dylan.
    What’s he up to? It’s called,
    “The Obama Foundation”!
    Will it be like the “Clinton Foundation”? Will it be like the “Clinton Global Initiative”? If so, he might want to have lots of attorneys attached to it!
    I think it’s nothing more than a “Saul Alinski” type scam. If your unaware of Alinski, Google him.

    1. @Crazy elf – I’m taking a deserved time out. Watching US Figure Skating Championships. Wish I still had the dexterity and flexibility like I did when I was younger. The mind says yes, the body says no you dam dumb shit, you can’t do the foolish extreme moves like you use to do when you were a young buck.

      Mind whispers, go sit down, be still, shut up. Take your suppository, then wait for movement after you start reading a good book. Oh, just in case there is any question, I’m not into Johnny Weir. Another one with freaky rainbow behavior. What color is your parachute? Razzing ya. LMAO

    2. Crazy Elf, I’m not surprised Obama is setting up a foundation. Many leftists do that to shield the wealth they have obtained during their “public service” from the taxes they demand the rest of us pay.
      The Clintons, Jawn eFing Cary and his wife Teraisin, the Kennedys, Soros. I think even Michael Moore and many in Hollywood have foundations, or make tax deductible contributions to them to lower their own tax bill.
      They then can use those tax free funds to further their agenda. Travel, conferences, food, staff, contributions to other groups, etc.
      Soros uses that to the extreme by finding a large number of organizations that further his socialist ideas.
      Some act as money laundering conduits that accept money for the tax deduction, then grant it to other organizations that are clearly political.
      They are almost the same as a money printing machine.

      As for the Clintons, I believe there are other reasons they are shutting down other than “donations” to them drying up. These are crooks that were taking in hundreds of millions from all over the world. Their balance sheet should have shown $500 million or more in the bank. They couldn’t have gone through all that cash since November 8th.
      Were they lying about the millions they were brining in? Were they counting money pledged as money in their account? Are they shutting down to make any criminal investigation that much harder? I have read there is at least 1 and as many as 4 investigations into their foundation.

      Now, for any leftist reading my comment. I don’t have any problem with anyone using any legal means they can to lower their taxes. For those that can, great. Just don’t run your piehole about me not paying my fair share in taxes when you shield your money in a foundation.

  7. To All AFGE Big Shits, Corrupted VA Administrators-Executives, and their Crony Cohorts;

    Your time of violating Veteran’s patient rights, making Veteran’s loved ones to suffer as well, not upholding the Hippocratic Oath, and using taxpayers monies to line your own pockets, in soon coming to an end. Why?

    It only takes one person, only one, that has been blessed to present sound arguments that won’t give you any wiggle room to escape the wrath because of your willing and premeditated wrong doings. This process may not happen tomorrow. But I can assure you that one day, someone or a group of individuals are going to put you on notice, and all hell fire is going to come raining down on your smug parade. So start looking for cover, your real reward is coming right at you.

    Wait for it!

    1. @ANutterVet, been praying for that for years. God Bless you. I will keep praying for justice for Veterans. I hope that one person, or group of people can change the wrongdoings that have been going on for too many long years. The erosion of a Veterans civil and human rights has got to stop. People are getting wiser and i believe your crimes against Veterans is limited. Stop your harm and your lies, you are killing Veterans and their families suffer the consequences.

  8. From: “Real News” on Utube.
    Titled:
    “This is genius. Well done Trey Gowdy. You just gained a huge fan.”

    Jan. 18, 2017

    He asks a few questions. Where the answer is the same. Your going to love it.
    I’ve been a “fan” of Rep. Gowdy, (R-S.C.), for some time. Especially after watching him tear into the “Butcher of Benghazi” during all the hearings.
    ____________

    I guess y’all have heard that Madonna had threatened to blow up the White House.
    Well, the Secret Service just got done interviewing her. Now, the FBI is having their turn.

      1. ANutterVet,
        I agree. I believe she’s trying to capture the young people’s adoration. Why? because she’s no longer the supreme icon in the music business as she once was.
        Like the article I read said, she’s using her “shock” method, to stir up trouble.

        BTW, did you watch the video of Rep. Trey Gowdy?

      2. @Crazy elf – Didn’t review vid yet, but I will in a bit. I had to rant out again on the VA’s crony asinine leadership. Tired of getting raped by their corruption. Sometimes I get so pissed off, I’m not nice to be around. I figure that most Veterans have to try to keep things in perspective in order to keep their sanity. Earlier, I shared with my wife that I don’t like the fired up feelings that I get. Especially after reading about another Brother or Sister getting raked over, then evaluating my own situation. I know that you know, like many others, what I’m referring too.

    1. @Crazy elf – I finally watched the video. An excellent speech on executing the law. What a tactical slap on the face of ex-President Obama by Trey Gowdy, via quoting Obama’s own statements. Process Matters!

  9. @91Veteran – You stated what I’m concerned about, “they become mindless sheep that are easily manipulated and led.” This is what ex-President Obama relied on, but it back fired on ex-Secretary of State Queen Hillary.

    1. Even mindless sheep gotta eat.

      Hillary thought those 95 million no longer in the work force would vote for her because VAGINA!

      1. I grew-up on an Indiana farm and have spent my fair time around various animals, including sheep. There’s a very good reason going back to Biblical Times sheep are always in need of a shepherd. Beyond the Biblical-use metaphor, on the farm, my grandfather told me a few times, and one time by accompanying him to the physical evidence of what he had been drilling into my head about being observant of the flock of sheep (my bedroom window looked-out to barnyard), and that is fact that sheep are always need of someone to follow because if the grass looks really tasty on the other side of the barbed wire fence but the sheep can get it’s head through and kneel on it’s knees to graze the lush grass…well, that sheep will allow it’s legs to fall asleep while on it’s knees and will sit there and BAAA then graze on some more tasty grass while still stuck, until wild dogs come and kill the sheep or other elements do it in.
        Thing is, there does not even need to be a fence for a sheep to do this. It the grass is too low the sheep will gladly get on knees and possibly same thing happen and the shepherd has to come and guide them to “better greener pastures…”.

        AFGE are sheep that have their heads inside the VA cookie jar and until the $$$ is taken away the sheep will remain.

        Word for day is Sheeple.

      2. I stay away from network news be it NBC, FOX, or MNBC. I watch public tv and listen to the BBC World News either on the radio or streaming on my PC. I hear the news from a South American view point, EU viewpoint etc. The commercial networks are driven by their sponsors. Fox and MNBC are driven by their political views. And yes I am a Sister!

      3. We need news by subscription without adds. All news we get including internet, is driven by catering to the advertising $$$

        Somebody please hire some honest reporters and get rid of the side bar advertisements, pop ups etc. on a site that can be trusted to give us honest reports.

        I agree, BBC is a best source. Our NPR and TV doesn’t hold a candle to it “because of it having to have contributing sponsors.”

      4. @Lem – Have you noticed over the years, there are less honest investigative reporters on staff nowadays?

  10. To All – I want to apologize for my grammar and spelling errors. Since I hurt my self and now have to deal with chronic pain and spasms, my writing skills have deteriorated somewhat. It erks me because I use to proof read and re-write many research papers, for professors and graduate students, before they were submitted for review to be published in scientific journals, magazines, etc.. Thank you for understanding.

  11. @ANutterVet, sorry about your pain issues today. Yesterday was a horrible pain day for me. This unstable weather gives me a lot of pain. Anxiety can cause me pain too. I look up sites and read off this blog on news. I use to watch 60 minutes a lot, now not so much. News gets me depressed at times so i really do not watch a lot of local television. Fox television, i can’t handle it, same stuff over and over again. Ughhh!

    1. @Ex va – Thanks for your input. I wanted to let you know that I seen your post. Dam pain is still jamming me up. Plus, I’ve got the VA blues over some important dam asinine issues that comes with the VA’s game playing. I never dealt with so much BS in trying to get pain relief because of medically documented conditions. BACKWARDS MEDICAL TREATMENT.

      Pain is jamming me so bad, that I have to lay on my right side, bend my knees towards my chest, and put two pillows between my legs. Fortunately, I lucked out, both pillows are female. LOL No worries, my wife rolls with my joking. It helps to relieve the stress, in which you know, causes your pain level to be higher.

      Plus, to keep peace in the household, mama gets her hair done to look 10 years younger. She looks good. I love my wife more and more each day. She puts up with a lot from me. When I write, that’s one thing, but when it’s a hot debate, talking is another thing. You might think I was talking hand waving Italian when I express myself on issues that I know is scientifically sound. Nothing against my Italian loved ones.

      Funny thing, my wife always shares with me to inform her of issues that I research, so that we don’t get far apart from one another in knowledge. If I go off on a tangent, she will get a little irritated and ask me to speak in scientific terms. When mama gets fired up, she can throw out those flames that begin in her mind, which then kicks into the orifice of the mouth. I’ll admit, I sometimes do the same. It’s a good challenging exchange though. It keeps our love for one another as the center point [sound communication]. I better stop, some may thin that I’m getting a little too mushy.

      I wanted to let you know to Google the amino acid called DL-Phenylalanine. It helps to cut the edge off when my pain flares up to a point where it gets a little unbearable. If you purchase this from a health store, make sure it is the DL form of Phenylalanine. Many stores will try to sell you the L form, but it is the D form of Phenylalanine that helps with pain. Unfortunately, most stores will not carry the 100% D-form of Phenylalanine. To find the 100% form, you’ll most likely have to Google it to find a supplier.

      Well, I need to break off my Brother. I’ll share with you another tonic that I use late a night when the pain is interfering with sleep. Ex va, when posting, check off the first box right below the POST COMMENT box. In this way, when I respond to your post, you’ll get a notification by email to let you know that you have a reply to your post. And, I’ll do the same. Then you won’t have to read the blog to see if someone left you a reply. Peace my Brother.

      1. I happen to like Swanson Vitamins online and here’s just one place to acquire DL-Phenylalanine and many other supplements at better prices than your local retail health food chain.
        “https://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-ultra-ajipure-l-phenylalanine-pharmaceutical-grade-500-mg-60-veg-caps”

      2. I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that some of you read the Russian Times or RT! We engaged in a Cold War for decades with them and some of you are Cold warriors. You spent days in missile silos or guarded B-52s. Why are you reading this commie rag?

      3. Well, as far as RT goes, who ever is behind get’s a thumbs up from me.
        Compared to all the other ” news sources” you’ll get more of broad inclusive coverage of events, and a European perspective where most if not all of the major decision making takes place.
        You need to give up that “Commie” 1950’s Cold War rhetoric. Don’t you want to rid yourself of all that Psy OP’S conditioning that it looks like you’ve been immersed in.
        You need to take stock of the situation as it is. We had Obama and the Russians had Putin. I don’t have any grief with Putin, at least he’s a Russian nationalist.
        You keep buying into the same shit that got you to where your at now.
        I’m no longer a POW to the Neo Con anti Russian propaganda .
        “Free your Mind and Your Ass will Follow”

      4. Your comment is like many on the left complaining of fake news. When the huge amount of fake news is pointed out in the mainstream media, they want to change the subject or ignore what is pointed out as fake news.
        Some might watch it for the same reason CSPAN or our Intel agencies monitor it…to be informed.
        If our own media did an accurate job of reporting facts rather than their childish cheerleading, perhaps people would never see the need to seek out other media.

        If you want to remain ignorant of things going on in the world, that’s your choice. Don’t fault others for wanting to be informed.

        A prime example of our poor media was the suicide at the VA in Albequerque. A full month after it happened and the local news still hasn’t covered it.

        Yet I bet some question why we read Ben’s articles.

        Did you complain when Al Gore sold his worthless CurrentTV to Al Jazeera?

      5. For instance, I have long-watched/listened to BBC because it has much better and truthful coverage of USA and world events.
        Like 91Veteran stated, it’s about ‘Critical Thinking’, viewing all potential sources to arrive at my *own* conclusion, not what the mainstream news wishes to serve to masses.
        George Orwell’s “1984” is a great example of how dangerous a society becomes when the news is homogenized into single servings for all and all controlled by same source. It becomes that thing Orwell was attempting to warn us of he called “Group Think”.
        Snowflakes are Lemmings as far as Group Think goes.

      6. When those snowflakes refuse to get outside their comfort zones, only sticking to Huffington Post, ThinkProgress or CNN that reinforce their beliefs and refuse to look at something that might challenge their preconceived notions, they become mindless sheep that are easily manipulated and led.

      7. @Namnibor – I like Swanson’s prices and their variety of supplements that they offer. One thing though that I have found, is that their GABA supplements don’t work as well for me compared to the ones that I purchase at the Vitamin Shoppe. Their is a price difference, and to me a difference in affects-effects. Swanson does offer a lot of cutting edge compounds as well.

        Between my wife, K9 PTSD-Alerting Service Dog, and myself, our budget runs roughly around $300-350 a month. This of course is due from purchasing online and off. One day I hope to purchase an electric compact capsule filler, and then I will be able to purchase organic compounds to make my own capsules. In this manner, I will really be able to drive the costs down. Thanks for your post Brother.

      8. @Namnobor – I forgot to mention, Swanson’s Ultra Aji Pure Amino Acid products are of very good quality.

      9. @Rosebud – Simmer down now. I never had a Russian citizen or their Government threaten or do any stupid dumb ass this to me. Yet, I had to stand up to my own in order to stop them from wrecking my family. As far as our news goes, take the blinders off my Sister. I hope your a Sister due to being referred to as Rosebud. But nowadays, I could be wrong. No offense.

        And, if I recall, we didn’t get a long with China in the past as well. Now look, our nation is indebted to China to the point that they have us by the . . ., well you know what I mean. Shootz, 40 years ago a majority of their citizens wore the same type and color of clothing. Now, Walmarts is filled with products from China as they clothe us.

        China is more of a threat to us than Russia, since wealth can feed a War Machine. And, China has the second highest GDP in the world. They are right on our heels. Another reason why I’m glad President Trump is our President. I’m tired of the wealth going to other countries, while many in our own country are suffering horribly.

        Thanks for your post. Although, you seem to be sliding in the opposite direction.

      10. @John Cokos – Oh Johnny my Brother, you done it again. May be Rosebud will see the light, in order to follow, before she finds herself waist deep in that smelly psychological swamp, that ex-President Obama was always mumbling, especially after the constitutional method of legally electing a US President by way of the Electoral College.

      11. @91Veteran – I watch RT for a clearer prospective of intra- and inter-national events. To be straight up, my trust in our MSM has been declining for years. Although, I have a very close high school friend that believes that the news can’t lie. I’m trying to get him to watch different news outlets for a better perspective. No offense Rosebud, but I’m concerned about him, as well as you. @91Veteran, thanks for your input.

        @John Cokos, your input as well.

  12. I do watch PBS there is a local channel here where i live. If RT is reality television not a great fan. Not a fan of MSM either. This generation are getting all their news and entertainment off of YouTube. I like YouTube for some DIY’s, but a lot of people don’t know what they are doing. LOL!!

    1. @Ex va – RT is Russia Today. Some say that it is funder by the Russian Government, others say it is a non-profit organization. You’ll have to watch some of the programming in order to get a good feel about the news network. I find quite interesting compared to our MSM news.

  13. @Seymore Klearly , @Namnibor , @Crazy elf , @Disgruntled Veteran , @Ex va – I would like to post some questions;

    [1.] Do you believe there are many Americans that faithfully watch RT Television?

    [2.] If so, why do you think they watch RT? Different approach in delivering the news, tells it like it is, news delivery is fast paced and condensed but gets to the point, reveals both sides of the news, lack of trust or tired of the Main Stream Media (MSM), better reputation and viewers don’t believe that RT is classified as fake news, or other reasons?

    [3.] Of those that faithfully watch RT Television, do you believe they are not shy or feel shame about telling others that they watch RT Television?

    [4.] What are the reasons that you believe that the MSM is concerned about RT Television capturing more market share (more people viewing RT)?

    Today, I watched the Kaiser Report, and boy did the anchors of that show reveal how Mrs. Lefty Queen Clinton missed the mark on pre-election vote polling. They thoroughly described how the Clintons lived in a unrealistic city bubble, and was not in touch with a major base of the American public. The anchors also talked about how Hillary’s main Democratic polling advisor relied on a unreliable calculation method to gather numerical data on who would win the election. I can’t recall what the name of the polling statistical method is called.

    In conclusion, after watching the Kaiser Report, I had a better understanding pertaining to why Hillary REALLY lost the election. And, I feel that I gained more insight to Hillary’s loss compared to listening to all the MSM reporting about why she was out of touch with a lot of the American people.

    This isn’t the first time that I watched an RT program, and I felt that better newsworthy information was being presented by RT. Many times I feel disconnected from ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and MSNBC. I can’t watch it too much. But while growing up, I always watched Nightline. I looked forward to watching this program every night.

    Question, is it strange that I have that same feeling about many RT Television programs and documentaries as I had about watching Nightline? I know that I’m not alone in feeling this way. Do you have any input on why? Help me out here. In the past, ex-President Obama would knock down RT. And, he would do this in a way to try to make you feel less patriotic to our Country if you watched it’s programming. Or, like RT to the Russian Government even though in my understanding RT obtains its funding like our Public Broadcasting System (PBS).

    Anyone feel the same as I do? Give a shout out.

    1. Sorry about the grammar mishaps. Been in severe pain since late afternoon, and I’m still jacked up by feeling uncomfortable. Ever since I got hurt and had to be on pain medication, I have symptoms that makes me very frustrated and irritated. Its hard to concentrate and focus. I always tell my wife, this is not me. Thanks for understanding my situation.

  14. Where are all the snowflakes.

    Oh that’s right it is still the weekend, Guess now with the Clinton foundation and others shutting down no one is going to pay them double time for weekend trolling.

    1. I suppose a few of them are out melting in the demonstrations today.

      With all these non profits that organized the demonstrations today receiving government subsidies. How much is this all costing us taxpayers? With us taxpayers paying for the law enforcement cost, transportation cost to and from for transporting the demonstrators, Hotels, meals and hiring the organizers. Lets also go ahead and include all the legal fees of filing for the permits and required insurance.

      Certainly a big waste of taxpayers money.

      1. Did you catch the Bikers for Trump interview where the protestors admitted that Solos has funded some of the protestors.

      2. I have a gut feeling that the protesting will continue on up until the next election. There is a love-hate in the American public with President Trump. Go news for you snowflakes and trolls, Trump is already planning for his re-election. That’s what successful business people do, they project into the future. Without doing so, there are no goals, therefore there is no vision.

  15. White House President Press Briefing right now. I am really liking the actual DRAINING of THE SWAMP!

    I remain optimistic. Hope is a powerful thing. Words are too. When they become actions and outcomes, you have invigorated hope and reinvigorated patriotism. I at least like the tingling in my toes now. Hope it lasts.

    1. John Spicer, WH Press Secretary was direct and curt and did not take questions. We have a President WITH BALLS!! Finally! The press will be up in arms like a fire ant mound in a rainstorm after this briefing. 🙂

      President Trump showed the media, “It’s My Way, or the highway”, and this song by Lip Bizkit, “My Way” seem fitting:

      My Way

      Limp Bizkit

      Check out my melody
      Check out my melody

      Special, you think you’re special, you do
      I can see it in your eyes
      I can see it when you laugh at me
      Look down on me and walk around on me

      Just one more fight about your leadership
      And I will straight up leave your shit
      ‘Cause I’ve had enough of this
      And now I’m pissed, yeah

      This time I’ma let it all come out
      This time I’ma stand up and shout
      I’ma do things my way, it’s my way
      My way or the highway

      This time I’ma let it all come out
      This time I’ma stand up and shout
      I’ma do things my way, it’s my way
      My way or the highway

      Check out my melody
      Check out my melody
      Check out my melody
      Check out my melody

      Just one more fight about a lot of things
      And I will give up everything
      To be on my own again
      Free again, yeah

      This time I’ma let it all come out
      This time I’ma stand up and shout
      I’ma do things my way, it’s my way
      My way or the highway

      This time I’ma let it all come out
      This time I’ma stand up and shout
      I’ma do things my way, it’s my way
      My way or the highway

      Some day you’ll see things my way
      ‘Cause you never know, no you never know when you’re gonna go
      Some day you’ll see things my way
      ‘Cause you never know, no you never know when you’re gonna go

      Check out my melody
      Check out my melody
      Check out my melody
      Check out my melody

      Just one more fight and I’ll be history
      Yes, I will straight up leave your shit
      And you’ll be the one who’s left
      Missing me, yeah

      This time I’ma let it all come out
      This time I’ma stand up and shout
      I’ma do things my way, it’s my way
      My way or the highway

      This time I’ma let it all come out
      This time I’ma stand up and shout
      I’ma do things my way, it’s my way
      My way or the highway

      Some day you’ll see things my way
      ‘Cause you never know, no you never know when you’re gonna go
      Some day you’ll see things my way
      ‘Cause you never know, no you never know when you’re gonna go

      Check out my melody
      Check out my melody”

      “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ9xhsVV42I”

    2. Namnibor didn’t catch the briefing.

      But have a quick question for you on poop cannon fire.

      Does it sound anything like in this vid?

      “Trainspotting | ‘The Worst Toilet in Scotland’ (HD) – Ewan McGregor”
      “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RoMaS1pzOE”

      Also will be looking for a vid of the press briefing on face book. What did I miss from the briefing.

      1. The Press Briefing should be posted later today at:

        “https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings”

      2. Still floating in swamp, Rosebud? Thought you Butthurt Snowflakes were in melted pools of Hillary Skillary Pixy Dust by now?

      3. Rosebud, the Clintons are billionaires and a number of other Obama appointees such as Robbie McDonald are also Billionaires.

        Which Billionaires did Trump add?

      4. Link to John Spicer, WH Press Secretary press briefing:

        “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtaOww8FpeA”

        Titled: “White House Press Briefings. New White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer Statement”

      5. @Seymore Klearly – “Trainspotting” is such a great movie. Took me a while to appreciate that movie though, as I have lost very close friends to their addictions in past, but can now see past my filter and really appreciate that humor in that movie.

      6. Change that link.

        to “New White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer to Deliver Statement 1/21/17”

        “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svlCj6r7wgA”

        The other link went dead after I posted. Also note the press conference does not start until 1:23:40

        Also note the back ground interference by press reporters com lines.

  16. Hey Elf,

    Here is one from the commander and chief of sniveling at the AFGE David Cox.

    “Our Oath: An Open Letter to President-Elect Trump”, 01/19/2017,
    “https://www.huffingtonpost.com/j-david-cox-sr/our-oath-an-open-letter-t_b_14267926.html”

    Snivel this and snivel that. What a total piece of trash. Only place he could get it posted was on the Huffington Post. One of the biggest in Dem fake news services since it was sold.

    1. I notice the only mention of veterans in that fat bastards sniveling letter is that supposedly half of federal employees are veterans.

      He mentioned the usual heart string pulling jobs these federal employees do such as delivering social security checks, food inspection and the CDC.

      Gee, why not mention those hard-working employees caring for our nation’s wounded veterans?

      He completely ignores the many thousands of those dues paying members at the VA.

      Little Cox is acting like the little schoolyard bully who just found out his three buddies are no longer behind him.

      1. AFGE President David “little” Cox is like the ‘Boss Hogg’ of Union Presidents. All that’s missing is an all white suit and large white hat and the Oregonian Poop Canon raining down on his circus of fools.

        “Approximately 20% are veterans in the VA system that are working in the system” — How many % of those 20% are only rotating out constantly Veterans working as janitors and basic ground entry stocking clerks that the VA is constantly not hiring after 6 months of their working there as a PT or Temporary Employee through community social service Veteran Homeless programs? Quite a few.

        I dare say that if you checked, most VA employees that also happen to be Veterans have a relative working for the VA?! Nepotism is the glue that keeps the lack of accountability in full swing at the VA. Years of nepotism has ensured a systemic mess.

  17. Hey Elf,

    On August 25, 2016, the House Oversight & Reform Committee sent a letter to the State Department requesting information relating to its interactions with the Clinton Foundation. The State …

    Today Representative Jason Chaffetz issued a report on the subject of the Clinton Foundation.
    You can request a copy at: “https://targetednews.com/display_story.php?s_id=1290140”

    The headers for the request page are:

    House Oversight & Government Reform Committee Issues Report on Activities for 114th Congress (Part 7 of 8), 2017-01-21, Targeted News Service

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 — The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 114-909) on the activities for 114th Congress. The report was advanced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah . . .

    Here comes the real investigations for the sad faced Clintons.

      1. Right now all the real important news is coming out through sites like Stars & Stripes, Military dot com and even Google is now listing Targeted News Service notices in there Google news search engine.

        These unreported events are changing the country in a big way but no one is covering it.

        All the while the fake news services are covering protest.

    1. @Seymore Klearly – Do to the possible investigation of the Clinton Foundation, I believe the Clinton’s are being really nice to President Trump, in order to be on his good side so that he doesn’t pursue an extensive audit of the foundation’s inside dealings. One thing that we do know, if your make President Trump look bad, he will definitely retaliate until something gives, breaks, or changes. Did you notice what Prez Trump said at the inaugural luncheon? The President said, and I paraphrase, “these are good people.”

      What do you think President Trump will do if he finds out anything that is going on behind his back, that makes him, his plans, or his staff to look bad? I think he will turn around, and rightfully so, renege what he said about the Clintons, plus have them thoroughly investigated.

      The way the Clintons were acting seemed a bit out of place. Strange to be exact. Something got that noticeable swampy smell to it.

      1. Do should be “Due.” Mind slippage due to unnecessary pain and suffering, and the intentional infliction of emotional stress from the incompetent healthcare that I receive from the VA.

      2. Personally, I don’t think the Clintons or the Bushes were given a choice. President Donald Trump just told them to be there.

        Both families appeared angry and subdued.

      3. @ANutterVet, you are correct intentional infliction of emotional stress and unnecessary pain and suffering, that sums up va medical care.

      4. ANutterVet, Ex va,

        I didn’t see Jeb bush or Mitt Romney anywhere at the event. Before during or after.

        Guess they must be off planning a coup of some small Island somewhere.

        Like the sex slave island of Saipan, of course they would have to fight Obama for that one. Maybe they will go after the pedophile Island named Pitcairn Island now that the folks in United Kingdom found out they are funding it.

      5. @Seymore Klearly – The MSM knows what Rodent Romney, Jump Ship Bush, Long Term Raining [not a misspelling] McCain, the ex-President and his Bromancing Biden are doing. While RT is relying on its Stringers for a realistic updated and breaking news story.

    2. Notice the timing on that report to Congress on the Clinton Foundation. Filed on a Saturday the day after President Trump has been sworn in.

      Also the extraordinary step of Google now listing the reports as accessible to the public upon request by a citizen. The news services either start covering the real news or we can get it ourselves. Pre-regurgitated by the fake news networks.

  18. You have an interesting point with the comparison of the air traffic controllers union. In effect the government employees of the dept. of veterans affairs refuse to work. One example being the scheduling schemes which allows for doctors not to have to work.

    I believe there may be legal grounds that a President could take to fire these doctors and providers and scheduling managers who scheme to deny access for health care to Veterans. Like Reagan told air traffic controllers if they did not return to work they would be fired. In my opinion I say if they cannot work like doctors and providers in the private sector seeing patients every hour or every half an hour visiting a patient, then these said va doctors and providers should be fired period. They are not working.

    If there were no va doctors or providers there would be no need for administrative staffing. They do not have any work to do they are not working.

    1. Ex va,
      The air traffic controllers went on strike. That’s what got them fired and the union in trouble.
      That, in my opinion, would insure VA employees a quick to the unemployment line. And, the union busted.

      Seymore,
      In your opinion, How effective would these “bills” be, once enacted into law, to actually hold VA employees accountable?
      We have heard the union and upper management don’t follow the laws. They basically “interpret” the laws to do what they want. Which usually means veterans get screwed.

      John Cokos,
      I’ve never heard of a “Fourth Branch” of government. Where did it come from?
      What authority does it have over POTUS, Congress and the Judicial Branch?

      1. That was a quote from Harry Truman right after he created the APA in 1947. He was having seconds thoughts about it and said something to the effect that “I fear that I have created a fourth branch of Government…”
        Once you get your mind around what Agency is all about, you can begin to get a grip on the magnitude of the problem

      2. PS: Agencies are under the direct control of the President, they work for him. Or so the story goes.
        They have their own Court system, and The Supreme Court is reluctant to rule on Administrative Law. They now make their own procedures which they magically transform into law…..

  19. P.S.
    How many times have y’all heard those asswipes in VA say;
    Quote: “I can’t be fired!” Or, “I belong to the union. You can’t fire me!”
    Or, some such bull crap as that.

  20. To all,
    This all sounds like it’s heading in the right direction. Only, I’ve got a serious question,
    “What’s going to be done about that fucking AFGE?”
    Remember, they’ve been deemed the “most corrupt organization”!
    The only thing I see to happen to them is a—- “complete fuckin shutdown”!!
    Just as what occurred to the air traffic controllers union.
    How many agree?

    1. The “problem” is just a little more complicated than the “fucking AFGE” It goes to the heart of the Administrative Agencies (the fourth branch of government), that were created after WW11 by HARRY TRUMAN thru the Administrative Procedures Act.
      They are essentially above the law and for the most part unaccountable thru the more traditional means. Congress would have to pass new legislation abolishing them.
      AFGE is just the Pond Scum that you see when you look at the problem head on. These AGENCY folks are dug in, and Trump will need to abolish them ALL (IRS,FBI, CIA ad nauseam and the list goes far into the distance.

      1. Your right John,

        Here is a quote from the article on Miltary.com about what is currently happening.

        “Some movement has already started in this congressional session on one of CVA’s priorities: faster discipline for VA employees. The first piece of legislation to pass the House this session was introduced by Rep. Ryan Costello, R-Pa., to require all reprimands against VA employees remain in their files throughout their employment with the department. Currently, reprimands stay in employee files for two years.

        Tougher changes are included in legislation Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., re-introduced Wednesday, titled “The VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act.”

        Rubio first introduced the bill last year, while Miller introduced a complementary bill in the House.

        In part, it places a 77-day limit on the appeals process when a VA employee is disciplined or fired. It would also remove the Merit Systems Protection Board from the process of disciplinary action against VA executives. The bill would allow the VA to recoup bonuses and other monetary incentives from poor-performing executives.”

        That was from

        From “Military.com” dated today.

        “Trump-Tapped Group Proposes Sweeping VA Reforms”

        “https://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/01/21/trump-tapped-group-presents-plan-sweeping-va-reforms.html”

      2. Also from the article:

        “The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents about 230,000 VA employees, is preparing to argue against these types of bills this session.

        Marilyn Park, who is with the federation, said the measures do away with employees’ due process rights.

        “I think they’re all morale-killers and dangerous to the function of the agency,” Park said. “It makes the federal government less and less attractive for the best and brightest. People don’t want to go and get beat up every day and be told they don’t help the public.”

        Gibson has also fought against Congress limiting bonuses. In a letter to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs in December, he asked lawmakers to repeal restrictions on bonuses put in place earlier in 2016. Gibson said the limitations were a hindrance in hiring and retaining high-quality employees.

        (c)2017 the Stars and Stripes

        ________________________

        I like that statement “It makes the federal government less and less attractive for the best and brightest.’

        I guess that the AFGE sees the most inept, corrupt, immoral, ethically challenged, individuals as the best and brightest as long as they pay their dues.

    2. I suspect if Trump follows through and fires a few of these managers that have been ignoring the union contract, you will find quite few that suddenly become very familiar with that contract, and start holding employees to it.
      With what the AFGE has been getting away with, it’s clear there are many managers that, rather than deal with a problem employee as allowed under the contract, they just throw up their hands and do nothing.

      What will happen is much the same as happened in WI after Walker was elected. One of the biggest changes made, and what was costing school districts so much that they were going bankrupt was health insurance. Every WI school district was required to only purchase health insurance from the WI union. They didn’t have Cadillac insurance. It was Rolls Royce all the way.
      Shortly after the changes made allowing districts to buy insurance competetively, the WI teachers union was trying to offer insurance at half the price they had been charging.

      My point is, all it takes is leadership willing to do the work necessary to get the VA back on track. I cannot recall the last time the VA attempted anything like trying to put the union in their place.

      It certainly did not happen under Obama and would not have happened under Hillary. Obama was the most union friendly President I can recall, and no agency head wanting to keep their job would have taken on the union the way they need to.

      Will that happen? If they want to avoid compete privatization, it might.

  21. Taken from the new White House website:

    Under the Trump Administration, America will meet its commitments to our veterans.

    Let us never forget that our military is comprised of heroic people. We must also ensure that we have the best medical care, education and support for our military service members and their families – both when they serve, and when they return to civilian life.

    We will get our veterans the care they need wherever and whenever they need it. There should be no more long drives. No more wait lists or scheduling backlogs. No more excessive red tape. Just the care and support our veterans have earned through sacrifice and service to our country. The Trump Administration will transform the Department of Veterans Affairs to meet the needs of 21st century service members and of our female veterans. Our reforms will begin with firing the corrupt and incompetent VA executives who let our veterans down, modernizing the bureaucracy, and empowering the doctors and nurses to ensure our veterans receive the best care available in a timely manner.

    VA stopped prescribing me the sleeping pill Temazepam, Tylenol#3 for pain & Flexeril for muscle spasm I’ve come to believe an experiment on a control population to document the outcomes of removing ‘medications’.
    We’re just statistics & data added into a computer program that may or may not be helpful for the future, not the present. I don’t feel helped only pain, constant non stop pain.

    1. @NiteWish, i am sorry about your chronic pain issues. I hope you will be able to get the health treatment you need to remedy your chronic pain. I suffer too from chronic pain a lot of Veterans are in the same situation that you currently are in. Today is a little better than yesterday for me. Yesterday the pain was so bad i came close to throwing up. I say a lot of prayers. I pray that this transformation occurs.

    2. @NiteWish , @Ex va – I know exactly what your going through. These are the strikes against you because you’re being improperly treated for your pain issues at a VA Facility;

      Strike 1- Since the VA is a Federal Agency, it has to follow the strict guidelines set up by the DEA due to the pandemic of addictions, overdoses, deaths, etc.. The DEA has created a pain medication hit list. The DEA’s goal is not to manage your pain [they don’t care], but it established the hit list to reduce the numbers of addictions, overdoses, deaths, etc.. Again, they are trying to look good as a regulating Federal Agency. Good numbers, equals more money in the till for their budget. Make sense?

      Strike 2- The VA Pain Management Treatment Modalities is in dire straights. Hate to say it, but in my opinion, I truly believe that they don’t care. If they did, they would treat your pain per your symptoms that you’re having. Also, some Pain Management Physicians don’t even believe in prescribing pain medications. What a bunch of BS.

      To top that off, some VA facilities are allowing Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Pharmacologists, and Primary Care Providers to treat Veterans for their pain issues, but the VA’s medical provider doesn’t specialize in Pain Management. Makes less sense?

      Strike 3- Most VA Medical Providers believe that pain is all in your head. In other words, there is no such thing as your nerves sending pain signals to your brain and then back to the area where your pain is causing you discomfort.

      Shootz, the VA Medical Providers neglect to remember that it has been scientifically proven, that neurological pain signaling actions that the body naturally uses, is there to tell you that something is wrong. Therefore, giving you pain. Makes even less sense?

      Oh, and no pun intended or disrespect, the VA considers you to be dependent upon pain medications. No dah, you have severe pain right? What a no brainer.

      It’s good to understand how your VA Medical Providers think, but don’t get wrapped in their traps. Their asinine thinking will make your pain worse, and additionally causing anxiety, stress, depression, and other negative thoughts that will then start to break down your immunity. If your immunity gets out of whack, the VA’s options to treat this is even worse than for treating pain issues.

      It is my hope for you NiteWish, that you don’t get stuck in the vicious cycle that I mentioned in the above paragraph. If you haven’t done so, learn all that you can about pain. Google new pain management techniques or therapy. You’ll have to try some of them to determine if they work or not.

      Keep a dairy of all the things that you’ve tried on your own in order to manage your pain [the VA is no help, but you may ask them for a note pad {;-}, yea right]. Make sure that you list the name of exercises or techniques that you’ve tried.

      If the pain management protocols don’t work, this will give you ammunition for your rebuttal to hopefully obtain either some, most, or all of your pain medications. If the techniques don’t work, then your objective must change.

      You may want to look into supplements, nootropics [there are some organic compounds for pain], vitamins, and CBD products like crystal isolates, oils, waxes, dabs, or crumbles. You will have to purchase a vaporizing inhaler to use CBD products.

      Make sure that the CBD is THC Free [no psychoactive compound]. CBD is the compound found in cannabis that many say gives them relieve from pain, spasms, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other ailments. You’ll have to do your research to find out what best suits your needs. Everyone responds differently. It’s no different compared to how everyone responds to pharmaceutical pain medications, albeit safer.

      Lastly, you mentioned that the VA will not prescribe you any more muscle relaxers. I know for a fact that if you were on Carisoprodol [Soma], they will frown upon prescribing this medication. It is a muscle relaxer that is on the DEA’s hit list. The regulating bodies don’t want Carisoprodol to be prescribed because of its POSSIBLE addictive properties, and that some people may get an additional high when taking Carisoprodol with their pain medications. Carisoprodol, with some people, acts an a drug enhancer.

      You may want to spring this on your VA Medical Provider; ask if it’s possible to do a trial and error experiment in order to determine what muscle relaxer gives you the best relief. This is a reasonable request by a patient to their physician. But then again, you’re dealing with the VA.

      No matter what, keep complaining about your pain and spasms. I realize that it is hard, but try to challenge them without getting pissed off and in their face. Hopefully not for long, these jerks will be required to get their shit together and treat Veterans with pain issues in a proper way. Dumb shits.

      I hope this information helps. Hopefully, and very soon, the VA will be reformed so that all Veterans can be treated properly so that they can live a normal life as much as possible.

      As a side note, it really ticks me off when hearing how the VA treats Veterans, especially with pain issues. Pain changes your whole life. I know, I experience every dam second of the day. I consider most VA Medical Providers to be frigging wimps for not standing up for Veterans, and then sitting back and watching their lives go nowhere.

      This is what Veterans get for putting their lives on the line for the freedoms that VA employees enjoy on a daily basis. Kiss off, you incompetent snowflake asinine trolling nincompoops [I just had to express myself].

      Disclaimer: The above information is not medical advice. It is for entertainment purposes to evaluate options to consider for a better lifestyle. Something that the VA severely misses the point of. Stay strong my Brothers and Sisters. Sorry I’m out of words.

      1. @ANutterVet, you are correct the majority do not care if a Veteran is suffering. I am changing my diet and hopefully more supplements to get off my current medications. Last year i started on more non inflammatory foods. It seems to help some.

      2. @Ex va – I posted the above information to encourage Veterans that are in another conflict that needs to be declared war on in order to be fixed. Does this bring back any memories especially for Veterans who served in the ’60’s and ’70’s?

        I’m not sure, but may be someone can comment, that there has been set any precedence of filing a lawsuit against the VA for unnecessary pain and suffering, and the intentional infliction of emotional distress [IIED].

        I say this because about 25 years ago, I went to a certain State’s Law Library to compile arguments against that State and a Federal Government Agency, pertaining to the definition of what defines a necessary caretaker of minor children, while I was in a bachelor degree program at a local university.

        I found out that precedence was never set on this issue, and I was the first one to file a lawsuit against this particular State, and I was the 5th person who filled a lawsuit against the Federal Government on the same issue. To my amazement, the State got their butt kicked, and the Federal Government as well.

        The State was very slick. They wanted to bury the decision so that no one else could follow through and file a lawsuit as well. To give notice to others, I gave certified copies of the all the evidence and award ruling to the local newspaper. The newspaper published the information to inform others of the court’s ruling.

        For me, I love to find any available loophole against those who try to hinder a persons livelihood, wellbeing, or the pursuit of moral happiness. There needs to be a weeding out the bad seeds that are in the VA system.

        The above information means no harm to any individual being. It is for informational purposes only. Act accordingly, in order to remove the stanky systemic trash from the VA: the union and its crony cohorts.

    3. Nite, your VA not mine as far as Tylenol 3. I don’t know about the others because I don’t get them. The overdose on Tylenol is worse than codeine and is more physically damaging. So maybe my VA still has a supply to use up on those of us that only use a 10 day supply over a 6 month period. No worry about the OD on Tylenol.

      Tylenol is in so many over the counter meds it is easy to OD on it. Read the instructions on your Tylenol bottle.

  22. We’ve all known the VA and VSO’s have colluded with each other for decades. It’s time for them to be audited. If “graft”, fraud, waste and abuse is found, throw the asswipes in prison.
    It’s about time we see something happen FOR veterans, instead of against veterans.

  23. It sounds great if these are going to be real changes in the va. I just don’t think that the va should be “the core coordinator for veterans medical needs”. That still gives them the authority to deliver the health care. That is the problem. The same doctors/providers that deny access to care determine fee base physicians and who and if a Veteran get to see one or not. If a Veteran chooses he should be given “choice” on any private sector physician he wants to go to. I am with ANutterVet, the whole system needs to be reformed.

  24. “OPINION: Change coming to VA health care system”, Carl J. Asszony 12:05 a.m. ET Jan. 21, 2017

    “https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/opinion/2017/01/21/change-coming-va-health-care-system/96836286/”

    “While the veteran’s service organizations are strongly opposed to the VA being privatized, a Military.com reader survey indicated that of the 11,000 veterans responding, 74 percent backed the use of private health care and having a choice of health care providers. “

    1. Another quote from this opinion piece”

      President-elect Trump has nominated a carryover from the Obama administration, and present Under-Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Dr. David Shulkin to head the Department of Veterans Affairs. He will be responsible for 1,700 medical facilities and 350,000 employees. Although highly respected by many veterans organizations, Dr. Shulkin has stated in past interviews he wants to shift more VA medical appointments to private physicians while keeping the VA health care system as “the core coordinator” for veterans medical needs.”

      “According to USA Today, Dr. Shulkin is in favor of a hybrid model for veterans health care, the VA would provide care that it specializes in, such as PTSD, traumatic brain injury and loss of limbs and consider discontinuing services that the private sector might better provide such as obstetrics and gynecology. It appears that the VA health care system is headed for some kind of transformation.”

      1. Seymore, the VA needs to reform PTSD and TBI modalities as well. The whole dam system needs to be reviewed to better serve Veterans and to lower cost of care.

  25. I love this day one of the Trump presidency and he is hitting the ground running and including Veterans. Working on fulfilling his promises to Veterans.

    From “Military.com” dated today.

    “Trump-Tapped Group Proposes Sweeping VA Reforms”

    “https://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/01/21/trump-tapped-group-presents-plan-sweeping-va-reforms.html”

    Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) is totally pushing reforms that are included in the Commission on Care recommendations.

    One quote from the article. “The president-elect has been incredibly clear this is a priority for him,” Caldwell said.

    1. GAO Issues Report on Military Base Realignments, Closures
      2017-01-21

      Did Tomah make the list?

      “https://targetednews.com/display_story.php?s_id=1289992”

    2. @Seymore Klearly – SK, did you hear that President DJT didn’t want to attend the luncheon after being sworn in? He seems to be more than ready to get to work. I just hope that with his negotiating skills, that he will be able to bring in the left in order to get things done. The lefties are still hurting due to their loss of Queen Hillary being beat, again.

      I think the rioting in DC was totally uncalled for. Police being hurt, Federal limo destroyed by fire, storefront windows broken, etc. Lefties are really tolerant aren’t they. MSM media hardly mentioned the riot word, even though Police were in full riot gear and people were rioting. Mostly young immature brats.

      I shared with my wife that the lefties are so hypocritical about issues when things don’t go their way. Shootz, they are so ignorant, they don’t even understand why the Electoral College was implemented for Presidential Elections.

      The leaders of the Dem Party are purposely keeping quiet and not going on TV in order to call for calm. I believe they want the ill feelings to fester until the next Prez election. What do you think?

  26. Hey Elf,

    Amazing video of a Veteran trying to schedule a medical appointment at the VA from “Militay.com”

    “Vet Tries to Get VA Doctor’s Appointment”,

    “https://www.military.com/video/specialties-and-personnel/veterans/vet-tries-to-get-va-doctors-appointment/4770166074001”

  27. Seymore,
    Check out this video.
    From: “Mark Dice”
    Titled:
    “MSNBC: Trump Inauguration Speech “Sounded Like Hitler”

    This morning.
    I guess it’s time to put all those wacked-out Leftist RADICALIZED Snowflake Dumbass news medias in the back of the room. Whenever PRESIDENT TRUMP holds a news conference. They are unworthy to hold the title of “News Organizations”!

    1. Elf,

      That might be to much like what they have tried, and continue to try, to do to alternative news services.

      It is just better to give the alternative news services a chance to report the full and honest news. People can then judge for themselves. If given a choice people I believe people will choose the more honest reporting over the dishonest.

      Just ask the question do people prefer being lied to about the news or do people prefer being told the truth in their news.

  28. Seymore,
    Here’s an article from;
    “Girls Just Wanna Have Guns”
    20 Jan. 2017
    Titled;
    “EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: We Went To D.C. To Check Out The Inauguration, And Found These Protesters”

    There’s two videos.

    There’s also a video of a “butthurt liberal crybaby punk-assed protester” screaming his head off. The moment it’s announced PRESIDENT Trump is now the 45th President of the United States of America. I guess he now realizes he’s going to have to get a job! No more welfare or food stamps. Ahhh, poor baby!
    That video is about 25-30 seconds long. This is on the same site.
    ________________

    Then, from MANY different sites is this video of “Slick Willie” getting caught by Hillary “…oogling Ivanka”.
    Google,

    “Oh, No, He Didn’t!”

    “The Butcher of Benghazi’ ain’t too happy over this.
    __________________

    Then there’s where an SNL, (Saturday Night Live), star attacked Baron Trump. And, he instantly regrets it.
    A lot of the “Hollywood Elite” have absolutely no freaking shame. Rosie O’DONNELL is, in my opinion, the worst of the bunch.

    1. BTW, that ‘protester’ screaming his head off. It looks like he’s actually “… pulling a TEMPER TANTRUM”! He, according to the article/with video, says he immediately fell to the ground the moment it was announced!
      Someone should have thrown cold water on him!

    2. The SNL person. It was a ‘she’! She wrote a “skit” and put it online.
      Here’s my opinion.
      The children of public officials should be left alone. There’s absolutely no reason to bring them into the spot light.
      Unless, of course, they’re breaking the law.
      For example.
      I didn’t give a rats ass about Obama’s oldest daughter “twerking”!
      I did, on the other hand, see where it was appropriate to report on her smoking pot and drinking alcoholic beverages while under age. While attending a concert a few months ago.
      That, in itself, is news Worthy.

  29. Possible new deputy secretary of Veterans Affairs, 22 year Marine Corps Veteran Al Baldasaro

    “CONCORD – Al Baldasaro says he’s being “vetted” for the number two position at the Veterans Administration.

    The six term Republican state representative from Londonderry, who spent two decades serving in the U.S. Marines, was a big Trump backer during the 2016 presidential campaign. He served as co-chair of the New Hampshire Veterans for Trump Coalition, appeared at just about every Trump rally in the state over the past year and a half, and was a delegate for Trump at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Trump often referred to Baldasaro on the campaign trail as “my favorite vet.”

    Baldasaro told NH1 News on Thursday, while he was down in the nation’s capital for Trump’s presidential inauguration, that he received a call from the Trump transition team just a few days earlier informing him that he was being considered for the job of deputy secretary of Veterans Affairs. That’s the number two spot at the VA.

    Baldasaro told NH1 News that “there are others they are vetting as well.””

    “Baldasaro tells NH1 News he’s being ‘vetted’ for number two spot at VA”, by Paul Steinhauser, WBIN News, 1Hour 2 minutes ago.

    “https://www.nh1.com/news/baldasaro-tells-nh1-news-he-s-being-vetted-for-number-two-spot-at-va/”

    1. Only just starting to look into this guy but like what I am seeing. Here is an article from back in July of 2016.

      “Updated: Secret Service investigates Baldasaro for saying Clinton should face firing squad”,
      Londonderry lawmaker, Trump vets co-chair, doubles down on controversial remarks in WMUR interview
      Updated: 10:35 PM EDT Jul 20, 2016
      “https://www.wmur.com/article/updated-secret-service-investigates-baldasaro-for-saying-clinton-should-face-firing-squad/5213231”

      1. 21 Jan. 2017,
        President Trump JUST signed the paperwork kicking Obamacare “…out the door”!

      2. Yea, I really am starting to like this guy. At a news conference where Trump was being asked about what Baldasaro had said regarding Hillary Clinton and her need to go in front of a firing line for treason. Trump stepped aside and let Baldasaro answer the question.

        During his response he include the statements: “I think the liberal media, you need to get your head out of your butt and focus on the real issue,” “Stop using veterans as political pawns.”

      3. Seymore,
        I remember that.
        He got a lot of heat over his remarks.
        Of course, millions of Americans believe she should have received some sort of punishment for “emailgate”!
        The FBI is still investigating the Clinton Foundation. Maybe, since Obama didn’t pardon her or her cronies, we’ll see justice under President Trump’s administration.

  30. Seymore,
    There’s one thing I noticed, during President Trump’s “acceptance speech”, which concerned me. Actually it got me pissed.
    When he spoke on how the elite in Congress were getting richer, while everyone else was getting poorer, the Bush’s were laughing. So were others sitting there by the stage.
    I have a sneaking suspicion Trump’s going to have an uphill battle with the special interest groups, lobbyists and some elected and appointed officials come monday morning.
    One thing for sure, he can’t ‘cave in’ to these asswipes. Another thing is, he’s going to have to explain to all the reprobate representatives and others in Washington, criminal activities will not continue.
    All he has to read is the part in the Constitution over his “duties and responsibilities”! It’s now time, where everyone in Washington realizes, the POTUS will no longer pick and choose which laws to follow and which ones not to follow.
    Start rounding up anyone who’s in violation of the laws set down by the Constitution.
    I know that sounds harsh.
    Only, it’s the only way to accomplish what needs to be done!

    1. Hey Elf,

      I didn’t notice the Bush’s laughing but I did notice the hateful I am going to kill you type look George W. Gave Trump when he didn’t get his hand shook. Also how Hillary might have gotten her hand shook if she wasn’t so overmedicated and try to divert Bill Clinton’s attention. I thought that was funny.

      I really did enjoy see the bushes and the Clintons hate filled stares as Trump was being sworn in.

      It was like they hated him for saying the usually unsayable in Washington during the Campaign. Also like they knew they were in real trouble.

      1. Seymore,
        Did you notice, afterwards, how President Trump shook hands with Obama and others? He shook hands with his right hand. His left hand went straight to the other person’s right shoulder.
        I’ve spoke to a psychologist, a close friend, he said that ‘gesture’ is basically a “gesture of disrespect!”
        If you think about it. Just about everyone on the stage were his opponents at one time or another!

  31. Snowflakes Butthurt Drones (SBD) need to be released to herd-up these violent domestic terrorists destroying property around the USA. “Peaceful Protest” is not in their blood.
    SBD’s also are indeed Silent But Deadly. All they do is air-drop job applications onto the Snowflakes and they will run back to mommy’s basement and hide in terror under the bed.

    No matter what the media tried to debunk about “Paid Protestors”, my Liberal Snowflake friend (non-Vet) insists they are INDEED receiving $$ to “protest”. He would not bother with it otherwise, he’s that kind of a “freedom fighter”…it’s more along the lines of domestic mercenaries for hire for any cause. He’s even said as much that he’s afraid Pres. Trump will require him to go back to work instead of making babies on the public dime…sad times, and just a snapshot of what I have observed and reasoning for need of the Snowflake Butthurt Drones (SBD). Who knew job applications could be so deadly?

    1. namnibor,
      You got that right. That’s my opinion as well.
      If one listens to the snowflakes, it’s as if they’re afraid to go to work. They’ve been on the government’s dime so long, they’ve forgotten what it’s like to hold their head up.
      Earning a living, saying to yourself; “Look what I did!” or “Look what I accomplished this week!”
      Here’s something else President Trump should do. Get all the people in the prisons put on “work details”! They can pull their own weight, so to speak. Clean roads, dig ditches, work on the rail road fixing the rail. There’s so much needing fixed, there’s a job for everyone.

      1. None of the protesters I have seen look like they have ever put in a hard days work. Not a one of them.

    2. Protesting was one of the fields of study at that, so called, college where they burned the American Flag. Then the school refused to fly our nations colors. All because it might offend some of the people who had protested.

      Of course they must have all been collecting Grants and Aid from our government to go to school there. This is what they teach civil, and criminal, dis-obedience for the sake of the party. When the criminal your party tries to put into office fails.

  32. Dee Snyder, I like the song for Standing Rock. Quite an activist. Some days are tough. Let’s just pray President Trump doesn’t get lost. This day will be remembered. Promises will be remembered. There’s a thin line between love and hate.

  33. @y’all, I ain’t a sister, never have been, never had the thought of being a sister. I have a sister who lives where Dennis lives. Sorry for any confusion or misleading on my behalf. Whew

    1. Twisted Sister – “We aren’t going to take it anymore” would be a good Veteran march song:

      We’re Not Gonna Take It

      Twisted Sister

      Oh we’re not gonna take it
      No, we ain’t gonna take it
      Oh we’re not gonna take it anymore

      We’ve got the right to choose it
      There ain’t no way we’ll lost it
      This is our life, this is our song

      We’ll fight the powers that be just
      Don’t pick our destiny ’cause
      You don’t know us, you don’t belong

      Oh we’re not gonna take it
      No, we ain’t gonna take it
      Oh we’re not gonna take it anymore

      Oh you’re so condescending
      Your gall is never ending
      We don’t want nothin’, not a thing from you

      Your life is trite and jaded
      Boring and confiscated
      If that’s your best, your best won’t do

      Oh Oh

      We’re right (yeah)
      We’re free (yeah)
      We’ll fight (yeah)
      You’ll see (yeah)

      Oh we’re not gonna take it
      No, we ain’t gonna take it
      Oh we’re not gonna take it anymore

      Oh we’re not gonna take it
      No, we ain’t gonna take it
      Oh we’re not gonna take it anymore

      No way

      Oh Oh

      We’re right (yeah)
      We’re free (yeah)
      We’ll fight (yeah)
      You’ll see (yeah)

      Oh we’re not gonna take it
      No, we ain’t gonna take it
      Oh we’re not gonna take it anymore

      Oh we’re not gonna take it
      No, we ain’t gonna take it
      Oh we’re not gonna take it anymore

      Just you try and make us
      We’re not gonna take it
      Come on!

      No, we ain’t gonna take it
      You’re all worthless and weak
      We’re not gonna take it anymore

      Now drop and give me twenty
      We’re not gonna take it
      Oh pledge pin

      No, we ain’t gonna take it
      Oh you and your uniform
      We’re not gonna take it anymore”

    2. @Jo3n – Sorry for the confusion. My fault. Advice though is of good intentions. Hear ye, hear ye, @Jo3n isn’t a Sister, was never a Sister, don’t plan on changing to a Sister, @Jo3n has a Sister though, so I’ll take it your a Brother? Just razzing you Jo3. I really do hope the information that was posted helps you out. Keep your chin up! No shame.

  34. Seymore,
    InfoWars and other sites are showing the snowflakes.
    It’s been reported around 5,000 troubled protesters showed up. They were overshadowed by tens of thousands of PRESIDENT Trump Supporters.
    Keep searching. You’ll find the videos are plenty.
    Yes, your correct, they were dispersed in small groups. The largest group were out in force this morning.

    1. I noticed that, It was like there was a ten to one ratio between the number of reporters to the number of demonstrating snowflakes. Crowds of about 150 reporters for every 15 snowflakes.

  35. This”pain meds” thing is tough. I try to stay quiet on this issue. Sure, I am quite positive I enjoy life much better with them. I hate being labeled as an addict. If I speak out, I am an addict. If I am quiet, I am in more pain than I need be. Damned either way. @Crazy elf, I ain’t figured it out……yet.

    1. @Jo3n – I’m in the same situation. And, from my contacts and research in other forums, we’re not alone. I know by stating this most likely doesn’t comfort you Sister, but I want you to know that there are millions of individuals that are affected-effected by the DEA hit list of medications, the VA following Federal guidelines, and the failing Evidence Based Criteria that the VA uses to treat Veterans that are in many levels of pain. I assure you, the VA’s system is backwards, IT IS NOT YOU.

      One of the best things that I did for myself is multifold; learn from others who post on Ben’s blog, rant out when needed when responding to trolls, perform basic research about how the VA heavily contributed to the opiate problem [they’ll lead you to believe they are innocent of this pandemic], learn pain management techniques above and beyond what your VA Nurse Practitioner, Primary Care Provider, or Pain Management Specialist shares with you, increase your knowledge about supplements, nootropics, and alternative medicine, if you love K9’s or another type of animal, consider rescuing an animal who desperately needs a home.

      The above may seem like a lot of work, and I’ll admit, the beginning learning curve may be strenuous, but in a short period of time, your confidence will overshadow most of the deviant thoughts that you’re trying to overcome. I wish you all the best Sister in conquering all negativity related to your health situation. Don’t give up, there is always hope. Remember, there are Veterans on this blog that have you six even though they may not leave comments to your posts.

      Stay strong, stay positive, and move the jerky trolls out of your life. Trolls will zap your energy quicker than a New York second. They drag you down.

      Sister, you need to fly, while feeling good when your high on your medications. Only joking, I believe you get my point. Don’t tell your medical providers you feel high on your meds. If so, you’ll be labeled as a drug seeker.

      And, if ever get to a point where your pain meds don’t work as well, or you get your med from a different pharmaceutical provider and they don’t work as well as the meds you were prescribed before, be careful what you say. I’d Google, “how to tell my doctor that my medication doesn’t work without getting labeled as a drug seeker,” or something like that. Think ahead, in order to be prepared. Hope this comment helps.

      1. @Crazy elf , @Namnibor , @Disgruntled Veteran [my Hawaiian influenced Buddy] . @Seymore Klearly , @91Veteran , @Ex va . @Dennis , @Lem – Do you folks have anything to add to Jo3n? Thanks you.

      2. One finger slipped. Mind think one way, body goes another. I know that I’m not alone with this problems. Need to carry on, Shark Tank is on. That’s my soap opera for the week.

      3. All cool beans. Great advice. I would add music to that list. Listening to whatever is chill to you and that could be the sound of rain (I love rain) or waves or Pink Floyd. Does not matter; it’s something to focus on to take your mind to a happy place.
        Chill. Cats are very chill and are stress sponges. So are dogs. 🙂

      4. @Jo3n, i do not see the future of not having pain medications available for people in chronic pain. There is physical pain in this world if you are a living creature and doctors and medical staff also experience pain as being part of the human race.

        A lot of people benefit from the pharmaceuticals monetarily, including doctors and i do not see that stopping. Doctors prescribe medicines and pain medications are in the mix. I think the threat of all pain medications being stopped is just a threat and i think it is part of the manipulation of controlling treatment, such as who gets treatment and who does not. I know they can create a shortage for available treatment and to me it is just the same monster they create for control of prescriptions.

        Veterans overall are more disabled and experience pain more than the civilian population because they are victim to injuries, diseases and other etc. I would be honest with my doctor about your chronic pain issues. Don’t suffer needlessly in pain, ask for help. If they refuse to help, go somewhere else.

    2. About Pain Medication Industry – These pharma companies aren’t nobodies fool. Due to pain medications being in the limelight, and until the issue stabilizes where there is an agreed upon standard in prescribing opiates determined by sound research practices [university studies, pain management associations, etc.], that humanely monitors individuals with pain to reduce the probabilities of overdosing, and a standard for those that dispense pain medications in different medical settings [private doctor, medical groups, hospitals, clinics, or on the street which will not have a standard]. Now chill out folks, I live in reality, but by no means do I participate in illegal activities.

      There is a legal market and the black illegal market. Shit happens, and individuals whether a Veteran or not, will do what is called illegal biohacking of pain medications in order to get the proper relief from pain because their physician has become overwhelmed by the authorities. Most don’t want the hassle of being flagged [yes they flag doctors like they flag you].

      Without reserve, I understand that when something is first initiated, everyone is gung ho on making a mark. But they fail miserably at evaluating what is really working for the patient on an individual basis. This is a bigger problem for patients than for doctors. Why? It’s the patient who is in need of pain relief, and the physician has all of the control. Another problem is that pain medications aren’t for everyone.

      For example; I have a two relatives that can’t take opiates for pain due to hallucinating, feeling out of touch, and symptoms of extreme anxiety and insomnia. Strange but true. As for me, I get relief from my pain with the common side effect referred to as Opiate Induced Constipation [OIC]. And, I notice that there is a difference in the efficacy of the pain medications depending on the pharmaceutical manufacturer. The difference is extremely noticeable when a generic is compared to a brand name medication.

      A major point that I’m trying to get across, is that there are many variables to what is the proper dosage per each individual patient. And, this is where I believe that those who have the authority of controlling pain medications are getting hung up on. And, this causes the regulators to implement stringent restrictions that reduces the quality of life of those the need medication for pain relief.

      Now Big Pharma knows all that I mentioned above. These cunning and slick marketing executives know exactly what to do, because they don’t want to be hassled by the restrictions in this country. They lose profit, and are easily liable now because of new laws. So what does Big Pharma do, well they copy what the tobacco industry has been doing for years. Visit this link;

      “https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-me-oxycontin-part3/”

      In my opinion, I believe that it’s going to take awhile for things to POSSIBLY settle down. In the mean time, research continues to focus on discovering ways to block pain by binding to what is called the mu-receptors. And, without the problems of addiction, overdosing, and other side affects-effects that comes along when your only option for pain relief is to take the different forms of the beast. And hopefully, not getting caught up in chasing the dragon.

      Let us hope for extraordinary medical breakthroughs with less side affects-effects, societal complications, crime, and the fat cats scamming those that need pain relief in order to live as close as a normal life as possible.

    3. I know precisely what it is like to take life shortening doses of opiate and opiods as prescribed by VA. Three times a day I took a 60mg morphine pill and four times a day I took a supercharged Vicoden pill at 10mg Hydrocodone. That is 220mg per day of the highest quality opium on the planet prescribed by VA. and it was as free as sin.

      What I gained by eating the white poison was a carefree and pain free life. On top of that VA prescribed heavy doses of Clonazepam, a kind of super charged valium pill. Pain free and not a care in the world. This is what I gained.

      Even personal hygene was not important. Friendships didn’t matter. My business didn’t matter, and my love life didn’t matter. I was constipated, threw up every morning, and just like a hardcore heroin addict experienced the horrific night terrors that grip you as you drop off to sleep. My heartbeat slowed dangerously and I was diagnosed with extra low blood pressure and slow heart beat.

      I was happy as a pig in shit.

      Then the VA terminated all of my opiates and the rage I felt was off the charts. I travelled to old doctors pleading my case to renew. I did not realize until then I had become a slave to the white poison and it sickened me to beg to be enslaved again. The white poison grips the mind like nothing else. It allows for something that a man was never meant to have on Earth – a pain free life.

      No more white poison for me.

  36. Ben: Might have rephrased the question to “did you loose any ground “.
    Take what you can get from the VA and let it go at that…

  37. Hey Seymore,
    Check out this video. It’s dated 22 Dec. 2016, (9:30 minutes long). Yet, it’s very relevant because PRESIDENT Trump signed the order today, making “Gen. (Mad Dog) Mattis” the “Sec. of Defense”!
    Titled;
    The Truth About Gen Mad Dog Mattis”

    “Former Marines” praise him. These men fought with him in the Middle East. Who better to know him, than those who fought with him.
    He’s considered a great man!

    1. The only way to judge if Trump is effective is a case by case basis. He has a lot to live up to.

    2. Watched the Vid Elf.

      It is a strong statement regarding his being chosen.

      With what is going on with Germany and France trying to start the European Army he sounds like the kind of person we need right now. Even though they are claiming the European Army is to protect against the Russians. The real purpose is to maintain control over the European Union States themselves.

      France and Germany have not been paying their share on the cost of NATO but instead have been using their money to build up militaries to combine and take over the EU. Under Obama and Bush we the taxpayers have been paying their share of the cost of NATO.

      American Taxpayers should only be paying around 20% of the cost of NATO but have been instead paying around 70% of the cost of NATO. That is about to end under Trump. Also the new ambassador to the European Union has made it clear there will be No EU Army on Trumps watch.

      The link below is to info on the current state of the EU Military. Check out the history timeline it is very important and very telling. Every major event like 911 the EU gets additional powers. Right up to December of 2016. When Kerry sign authorization for the Army. It seems pretty clear if the EU would have backed Obama. They would have canceled the election results.

      Also note the map. Basically the Fourth Reich.

      Oh and the Tanks and armament that just arrived in Poland and Norway. Just so happens they both do not want to follow the European Army under Germany’s command.

      “https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_the_European_Union”

      “E.U. Plans Big Increase in Military Spending”, By James Kanter Nov. 30, 2016
      “https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/30/world/europe/eu-plans-big-increase-in-military-spending.html?_r=0”

      “https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/5428/european-union-military-committee-eumc_en?page=1”

      “The European Union and the United States Sign Military Logistical Assistance Agreement
      Thursday, December 8th, 2016”

      “The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini and the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry signed an EU-U.S. Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) today.”

      1. It is also important to note that the European Military currently is the third in nuclear weapons. First is the United States, second is Russia and the third is the EU.

        “Six EU states host nuclear weapons: France and the United Kingdom each have their own nuclear programmes, while Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands host US nuclear weapons as part of NATO’s nuclear sharing policy. Combined, the EU possesses 525 warheads, and hosts between 90 and 130 US warheads. The EU has the third largest arsenal of nuclear weapons, after the United States and Russia.

  38. @Mark, 1. You need to change your job. 2., who and what you are is how I see VSO’S. Are you on a side? Figure it out and go work for them.

  39. Well, by now Dennis, armed with poop cannon, after a rather large bowl of fruit loops, is napping and believing Trump is just a bad dream. Wake up… The pain clinics that have opened up in the past two years is making some very rich. I will not go to a pain clinic. Here, most are sleazy and dirty. I’m basically stuck with VA. Anyone who thinks that the VA is getting better, consider yourself lucky and blessed. You are one in a few. They may look better, you will hear they are better, but it is them spreading the word. Still, no accountability, and they are getting better at that. God Bless our President.

    1. Jo3n,
      Down here in Florida there’s a war going on to shut down all those types “Pain Clinics” you speak of.
      Most have even been found to NOT have legal physicians in charge of them. Meaning there being run to “scam taxpayers monies”!
      Since our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, took over dozens of these illegitimate clinics have been busted.
      That’s a great thing, in my opinion.
      On the other hand, there’s got to be a way to help people with their “pain management”!
      How this will occur is still a mystery.

      1. @Crazy elf- There was a time a few years ago here in Ohio where several BUS LOADS of “pain patients” got caught on their return in Ohio going to those very Florida Pain Pill Mills…these were before your NEW AG in Florida, because here in Ohio they could not really do much because your former AG refused to address the problem.

        To be clear, the “bus loads” were not legitimate seniors nor Vets seeking cheaper or more available meds, no, these were all out thug trash. Since they have been cracking down in Florida, those bus trips of thugs have really slowed down but every now and then another is caught. Obama could have addressed this as well but he did not and you cannot tell me his DOJ Lynch was not aware.

        So glad Obama is now a former POTUS.

      2. namnibor,
        I hear ya. The “Former” attorney general, which continued under other governors, was under Jeb Bush.
        If you remember, Jeb’s daughter was caught red handed with crack cocaine. Her arrest pictures were very telling.
        Plus, nothing happened to her. She got to go to a “rehab center”!
        No trial ever occurred against her.
        I know this is factual, because I’ve lived through his STUPIDITY of a governorship!

  40. @mark,
    If your “VA location” is ever found out.
    There will be a “pink slip” on your desktop in short order!

  41. Hail hail the New World Order King-of-Bullshit Donald Tweet is in order I’m still wondering Legally is he legitimate since FBI and other agencies find/found hackin was involved. Why it seems like everytime a Rethuglican gets in the office there’s some kind of corruption of votes (ex. GW Bush) kinda goes the way of the VA huh? There was alot of traction we in my opinion got from President Obama from the VA, I work as a claims advocate and work hand in hand with the most Bitch n Moan Majority of VA whiners. So will get 100% and still bitch that they had to wait at the red light 30 seconds longer than before NO BS. Some of you are just grumpy azz old women to me, will flop yr azz down in front of the stupid box for hours on end but can’t or will not do any soft research about yr claim or condition. Blame or use the tired azz excuse my wife does all that stuff and u just wake up and just complain about everyone else’s not doing their job as if they work for you. Some of you come on this chanel the repeats the opinionated ones and go through yr usual bitch n moaning bs alllllll the Goddam time. My point is if Obama or GW made it all perfect for some of you, you would still cry wolf. Some of your are just a bunch of women and don’t want to admit it deep down. The homeless population was improved Under Obama I worked hand in hand w veteran homelessness in Nevada for the past 11yrs and the numbers don’t lie, so that Dummy or the other slomoes on here who probably can’t read on a 3rd grade level or read at all or even work on an on going bases w/stupid vets and non-stupid ones should keep yr shit hole shut.

    1. @mark- Fuck Off Troll. Hillary lost and President Donald J. Trump has trampled your snowflake. GET OVER IT AND USED TO IT…but still fuck off, troll.

    2. Glad you made it through O K Mark. Sorry you don’t want to see 38 CFR enforced. Or is it you never served at all? Maybe complaining about the few thousands of a mil in extra taxes you pay to take care of veterans’ entitlements.

    3. @Mark, i use to know people like you. You would complain about a quadriplegic having too high of medical bills and being listed at 100% disability. A young man who barely survived his war injuries shouldn’t be entitled to expensive 24 hour care. I use to read that shit coming from analysts complaining of high expenses for home bound Veterans. You haven’t a clue of what self sacrifice is or volunteering to help your brother. You are an overpaid no it all who resents someone who is in desperate need. The sacrifices Veterans have given you are clueless to. You are a Veterans claims advocate? My sympathy goes to anyone that crosses your path. Your lack of humanity bleeds thru your sick labeling of a disabled and homeless Veteran. You are the abusers of the weak, sick, disabled, homeless, jobless and you claim to be their advocate. Shame on you, God knows your abuses and you WILL be held to that accountability one day.

    4. Person calling themselves mark. What happened to all the commas that you usually use?

    5. @Mark – You little fucking slushy shit of a brain. You drip so much out of your anal fissured ass that you don’t know what the fuck your talking about. We’d see how you would do with the union covering your ass, you fucking cunt. I completely despise your dam comments, and the way you label Veterans who put their real asses on the line for your freedom in which you more than likely take advantage of. Why do I say this? You have no respect for Veterans what so ever.

      Brothers, Sisters, and Visitors – Mark is the text book example [right up the VA’s alley] of a dam troll. Mark, while your at work, you better make sure your negative talk about Veterans is not heard by one that will be your worst nightmare in the parking lot. Watch your six underling. Oh, and speaking of grammar, I give you as low F in grading your post. FUCK YOU!

      The above statements are directed at a nitwit who was born with mental deficiencies. Whom ever is Mark’s immediate supervisor, please send this kid to your best VA Candy Man that is in the facility where he works. Oh, I forgot, Mark isn’t required to be treated by VA physicians. He is better off than Veterans, and he didn’t even serve in the military, but he works without passion in serving Veterans. Mark, with your attitude, it would be best to find another employment opportunity.

      Also, did you take note on how I used commas and periods in my sentences which make up what is a paragraph. YOU DUMB FUCK!

    6. @Mark – I’ve also been watching the news, especially the hacking issue. All the Government talked about was a confidence level that Putin knew about or we were led to believe that Putin might have ordered the hacking. Here’s the kicker, at no time were any specifics pertaining to revealing pertinent evidence that directly linked Putin or any other Russian citizen. They always say “Sources.” Many want to know what sources, and showing positive proof of such hacking. I love my country, but there is American propaganda as well.

      The above statement most likely reflects how many Americans feel about the hacking issue, that has been reported by the MSM’s Fake News Programs. oh yes, and RT [hehehe, sorry ex-POTUS Obama]. Snowflakes are always falling in most VA Medical Centers and Clinics.

      1. One point to ponder on the Trump?Putin hack. It’s standard SOP for Russian State Security to run Counter-intel ops on any hi-profile American, particularly a billionaire businessman. They gather background for future use as a negotiating point. There’s no evidence that anything was set in motion to compromise. Internet/CIA gossip. There’s also no technical way that I’m aware of to manipulate the voting process. It’s for the most part an off line, internally structure process.
        The fact that George Soros has an interest in Smartmatic, a U.K.-based voting technology company shouldn’t cause any concern of voter fraud 🙂

  42. Hey Lem,

    How am I doing today? Do I meet with your guidelines?

    Fricken Snowflake!!!

    1. Hey, Seymore,
      Guess I’m doing what’s required also.

      Yep, the snowflakes are out in force in Washington DC. The wife said, at around 3 pm est, over 95 had been arrested.

      1. Elf,

        I haven’t read much on it yet but weren’t doing all kinds of property damage to vehicles of people who were there to support Trump?

        You know all that chicken shit type of stuff.

      2. Hey elf,

        Been looking for some video of the demonstrations to see what size of crowds they were. All I can find are several sets of groups of 100-150 reporters following small groups of between 15 to 20 protesters.

        They must be spread out in small groups around the city.

        Have you found any good Vid?

  43. We the PEOPLE must unite. We the PEOPLE must overcome the tyrannical policies of a few to provide a better life for so many chronic pain sufferers. PLEASE take a moment to print my letter and mail it (or better yet, hand deliver it) to news outlets in your hometown. If but one or two television, radio or newspaper runs with the story, WE will get our message out to the nation. We the PEOPLE will make a DIFFERENCE!!!
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Robert D. Rose Jr.
    1310 Imperial Court
    Gray, TN 37615

    January 19, 2017

    Subject: Compassionate? Yes to the tune of $103 billion in foreign aid!!!

    Dear Senatorial Legislative Assistants, Members of the Veterans Affairs and Members of the Press:

    Compassionate? We the American people are the most compassionate people on the planet. We give millions in foreign aid for humanitarian purposes. (Paraphrased comments made by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) at Representative Tom Price (R) confirmation hearing January 18, 2016.)

    Really, Honorable Mr. Paul? Compassionate? The United States gave away over $35 billion dollars in 2015 to over one hundred countries, over $103 billion dollars during the last three years. So yes you are right in that politicians are very compassionate with American taxpayer dollars for everyone but our veterans. How compassionate have you been in ensuring quality healthcare for the tens of thousands of veterans suffering in Veterans Affairs (VA) controlled medical centers? Or sir, are you so blinded by your own investments to even care about the suffering such policies as the “opioid safety initiative” is reaping among our ranks? Did you, like the Honorable Mr. Price with the legislation up for a vote, make a few million off purchases in pharmaceutical stock just prior to the VAs implementation of their “targeted cities strategy?” Maybe Naloxone which jumped to over $4,000 a unit in 2014? Or maybe it was the replacement drug being prescribed now, Suboxone; which several attorney generals have sued the company for price gouging practices. Surprising how their prices soared in 2014 as the VA began shoving these drugs down our throats. If not you sir, then WHO is profiting from these policies?

    And the “opioid safety initiative” itself; an amazing “targeted cities strategy” apparently done with the purposeful intent of covering their tracks by preventing public outcry for the blanket policy denying 90% of all compliant veterans access to pain medications. Please sir, look to Minneapolis, St. Cloud or Fargo beginning in 2014 moving forward to the present to see just how devastating this policy has been on the lives of veterans. Please read my previous letters to see the devastating effects this one single policy has had on my own life; the lives of my wife and sons and even our family pets Sparky and Lulu who are suffering because I am no longer mobile enough to properly care for them.

    Please sir, speak to the families of Navy veteran Kevin Keller who drove himself to a drugstore parking lot next to a VA community clinic in Wytheville, Virginia, late at night, walked to the door of the clinic and shot himself in the head because the VA was denying him pain medications. Or better yet LISTEN to HIS WORDS!

    “SORRY I BROKE INTO YOUR HOUSE AND TOOK YOUR GUN TO END THE PAIN! FU VA!!! CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE.”

    I can provide example after example sir of veterans across this nation making one last final sacrifice for this great nation. Veterans begging for assistance in dealing with broken bodies used to shield you and this country from harm’s way. Todd Roy, a 45-year-old Persian Gulf veteran. Zach Williams. SSGt Ryan Trunzo served in Iraq… These men, these heroes and so many more are suffering with these policies that not only are in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act but also international law. Since 2014 the VA itself acknowledges that veterans’ suicide has increased from 18 to 23. One death in combat is tragic; one death at home under the care of a supposed system built on serving our nation’s veterans is criminal.

    Juan E. Méndez actually identified to the United Nations General Assembly, Human Right Council on February 1, 2013 that certain forms of abuses in health-care settings that may cross a threshold of mistreatment is tantamount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. His report states it is the States responsibility and obligation to prevent such mistreatment under any pretext. Why is it the United Nations problem? These are Americans we are talking about. These Men and Women have put their lives on the line for you, for this country. Is Mr. Méndez identifying these issues because our own elected officials are incapable of carrying out their oath of office? Do we really need to contact Betsy DeVos and allow her to do your jobs? Do we need more egg on the face of Uncle Sam before the world?

    Please seek out Dr. Forest Tennant who helped to push legislation through California legislature known as the Pain Patient’s Bill of Rights. He continues to advocate a very common sense approach to the opioid controversy:
    1) We have a long-standing standard knowns the World Health Organization 3 Step Analgesic Ladder which was developed in 1982. Only when non-opioid treatments fail are opioids used because about everyone knows they have complications. There cannot be a cap on dosages as patients vary.
    2) The government should certify and recognize the MDs who will prescribe high dose opioids so patients who need high dosages can get the help they need.
    3) Patients who are currently on opioids and doing well should be left on them.

    Considering I and so many other veterans and civilians have been compliant for many years on opioids and the “pain contracts” we have been forced to sign, his third proposal is very significant. At this moment I would not be struggling just to take Sparky to the backyard. I would not need to rely every single time I check my mail on an electric wheelchair which the VA refused to provide to me. For years, until the degeneration of my spine became too much, I was able to work and provide for my family; even adequate healthcare insurance unlike now. I was able to coach soccer, basketball and baseball. I was able to hike and fish with my sons. Why? I was able to function, even at high doses of Morphine Sulfate, and continue to be a productive member of society providing you all those billions in foreign aid.

    If the VA and CDC adopted such a position or if you, the sworn protectors of the American people would act on behalf of your constituents we would not have all the suffering seen coast to shining coast. Just using (somewhat shady) statistics from the Veterans Administration on the number of veterans turning to illicit street drugs because doctors are turning their backs on the Hippocratic “physician thou shalt do no harm” you can use the data to extrapolate the numbers affected in the civilian population. Scarier still, if you use the accidental overdoses and suicides since 2014 within the VA veteran population, you will be able to get a clearer picture of what these policies are doing to your neighbors, friends and family members.

    Honorable Senator Paul, is it not time to end this nightmare? Is it not time for you and your colleagues to do your sworn duty? We have done our part. Now, it time for you to do your part. Defend this nation’s heroes from the torture and/or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment at the hands of the Veterans Administration. One death in combat is tragic; one death at the hands of an uncaring government is criminal. Are you sir, a criminal?

    Thank you, take care and may God bless.

    “Teufelshunde.”

    Respectfully,

    Robert D. Rose Jr.
    BSW, MEd., USMC
    Semper Fidelis

    FB Page – Vets Fight Back – #vetsfightback

    1. With Trump promoting giving Veterans a choice in their own Health care.

      Just think about how well that would solve the problem with Pain meds.

      1. FYI- Out in the private medical sector, due to the epidemic of abusers of pain meds, the private sector has been also yanking people (responsibly, unlike the VA) off pain meds, pulling that “evidence based medicine” crap where they don’t actually address the drug-seeking patients nor the M.D.’s that RX them, instead, evidence based medicine says, Since patient A is likely to abuse this given RX then ALL patients are so we simply remove the medication without addressing the problem.
        It’s an unfortunate state of affairs with this stuff in my State of Ohio but this is a National problem. The medical community needs to start recognizing that not every patient is the same and not every patient is drug-seeking, they simply want to be out of misery.
        What I am trying to say is, the VA through it’s partnerships with major Medical Universities and Colleges across this USA training future VA staff, are actually perpetuating the problem because many of those medical residences that train at the VA that do not get a job at the VA after graduation then take the shitty training at the VA and INFECT the private medical sector with their infectious ineptitude.

        The changes needed are on a national scale as well as the VA and possibly both addressed in whatever replaces the soon-to-be former Obamacare Disaster. (OD)

      2. @Namnibor – Dam, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell my VA PCP [actually an untrained Nurse Practitioner in the study of Pain Management]. Colleges of higher education are the worst for spreading non-absolutes, tolerance of any moral flawed character, and especially the dumbing down of America. Many of these Ivy League Universities have even dramatically swayed from the reason they were established.

        Go figure you fucking neurotic snowflakes. Your dam belief system(s) are a threat to our society. I love you, but I don’t love your detrimental actions or behavior.

        So get your penis, I mean head out of your ass. Shootz, that last statement of mine don’t make any sense. Why? Well the VA would done a penile transplant from a horse, elephant, or better yet a whale in order for a person to put their penis in their butt. Does the VA cover such operations?

        The above statements are for entertainment value. So laugh it off. I realize that there is free will, but it is the choice of the free will that concerns me.

        By no means are my statements a threat for bodily or psychological harm. Its meant to get those endorphins going due to the VA’s lack in prescribing pain medications.

        Listen, I’m giving it my best in thinking outside the box you lap diggers! Referring to that asinine car insurance commercial. We’re teaching our future generation to have class and to be savvy aren’t we? Sure are!

  44. From this it would look like if all the Vet’s that both think and care that Obama is a Muslim (He happens not to be, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY SO WHAT if he was) or any of the other complete non-sense that the Right-wing NUTS have been slandering him with the last 8 years was taken out of the picture, he did a lot better than he did. If anything he was a pretty blaaa as far as Vet’s go. But how much of that was his putting up with the then merely petulant CHILDREN that we seem to want representing us in Wash verse he really just wanted us to go away?

    1. @Klapper – You do got the Klap right? Speaking that thick dripple. Don’t forget to take your antibiotics, and put on your depends to catch the wet drips. You one speak ’em little broken English. A true example of the dumbing down of American poster boy. Did you find that Sanctuary City yet to be safe? We’ve been sold such asinine bullshit, and its enough already. With no disrespect to human life, I don’t want my grandchildren growing up think that a penis belongs in the poop shoot. I’m tired of this shit already.

      1. @Ex va – Please be careful while rolling on the floor and laughing. I don’t want you to hurt yourself, then being sued for damages in a liberal jurisdiction. Same here; LMAO, ouch, bumped my head. Got to get those depends that have thicker padding. Do they take food stamps for these items?

        Statements are for entertainment purposes only. I realize that many Veterans and citizens need food stamps in order to survive. I’m not that fucking ignorant. Even though, the unemployment rate has dropped substantially due to fudging the numbers. And, those who have given up looking for gainful employment.

      2. @ANutterVet, i am a fall risk anyway. It is better to fall laughing than other emotions. Good attorneys are pretty much non existent here in the corn fields. LOL! Wouldn’t sue you, you help me. Yes, for entertainment purposes only. I do take it too seriously sometimes. It helps sharing sometimes, like i said helps me feel not so crazy at times too.

      1. @Seymore Klearly – Right on my Brother. With your experience, I believe many on this blog depend on your keen sense of smell to detect the inflow of that stanky swamp water that tries to seep into the fresh. Therefore, initiating contamination.

      2. ANutterVet,

        That contamination understood. The main thing we need to worry about is with all the melting snowflakes they have to go somewhere. Can the sewer systems handling all that inflow.

        I know Obama may have helped out by emptying so many prison cells. I am sure there are a few reserved for some of the drainage.

      3. “I know Obama may have helped out by emptying so many prison cells. I am sure there are a few reserved for some of the drainage.”

        In the grand schema of things, there really is no displacement poo savings (DPS), as those 1,700+ freed federal prisoners are going to still poo and more than likely in the Projects of the cities, which are Federally Funded, swamp water all the same. No Displacement Poo Savings (PDS) have been found by RAND, VAOIG concur.

      4. Nmnibor, your right can you imagine if Hillary had won they all would have been given SES positions at the VA.

    2. Cry all you want over that worthless POS being gone, but there are many Americans rejoicing today because they no longer fear that petulant child using the full force of government to target private citizens.

  45. Hey Elf, Namnibor,

    We now have a new President.

    Now for the snowflake meltdown!

    Truly looking forward to Hillary’s upcoming arrest!

    1. Sorry, even in Virginia they can’t arrest her for failing to give her husband blow jobs. And congratulations on putting a draft dodging TRAITOR to this country in office! Putin THANKS YOU from the very bottom of his re-establishing the USSR dreaming HEART! Your grandchildren will be so proud to know just how long and hard you dreamed of having them, your very own flesh and blood, grow up to be SERFS

      1. So Klapper,

        Did Hillary get a pardon?

        I know WikiLeaks has been waiting before release all the dirt since they didn’t want it scrubbed away by the power of the pen.

    2. Also Elf,

      Did you hear what WikiLeaks did to help celebrate the new President being sworn in?

      “WikiLeaks has released information that shows Hillary Clinton campaign staffers bribing 6 Republicans to “destroy Trump”.

      In an email from John Podesta to Huma Abedin, the pair discuss diverting Clinton campaign funds to various Republicans who were secretly on the Clinton payroll.

      The email, sent in July of this year, describes how funds were being diverted from Clinton’s campaign to the Super PACS of Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, and John Kasich.

      According to the email:

      “JB, CF, and JK PACS will be noticeably silent for the rest of the campaign. Each will receive a significant allowance from advertising budget. HRC is in the loop and has talked to all three personally. Eyes only.”

      I guess there is a lot more that WikiLeaks is planning to release now that Trump is President>

      1. I know if I was an Arizona resident I would be truly pissed given the election was rigged to put failing McCain back in office. Even the Democrat candidate there was in on the arrangement.

  46. Thanks Ben for the survey. I believe it to be true numbers and honest responses. I have believed that the majority of Veterans are not served by the va and continue to suffer at the va’s incompetence. My beliefs are based on what i saw and heard during my experiences with the va medical centers outpatient clinics.

    On this blog, Veterans repeat same horror stories and incompetence of their personal experience. How can that be from Veterans from different parts of the country and different va medical centers? Bottom line the system fails repeatedly. And it fails the majority of Veterans as evidenced in this survey. I thank God for outlets such as this blog where i don’t feel so crazy because of what i and others have suffered at their hands.

    All i can say is God Bless you all for standing up to this madness and fighting for your earned rights that they keep wanting to deny you that you have. My hope is this, that this will all be a history of being a group of people that were persecuted by another group of people and that our government steps in and says no more. I hope that this va nightmare ends soon. It has been going on too many years and for some a lifetime of years. And others never receiving their earned benefits.

    God bless you Ben.

    1. @Ex va – Amen, to your statement, and to others with level headedness. Statements from trollers are ignored.

  47. Remember, if it were not for us Veterans, the citizens of the United States and other countries, would not have any freedoms. Mr. President Donald John Trump, please don’t renege on your promise; swiftly reform the VA. No more physicians hiding under the Federal umbrella, uphold accountability, removing the greedy union, fair and honorable compensation for Veterans with claims, implementing advanced medical modalities, prescribe medications that actually give Veterans relief from their medical ailments, stop labeling Veterans as drug seekers if they ask for different medications in which previously helped the Veteran to obtain pain relieve, and for all the VA Physical Therapy Departments who filled in their warm water therapy pools, get the dam shovels out and start digging in order to re-open the warm water pools.

    To be continued with comments from other Veterans. Carry on!

    1. Executive need to be signed first, then may be lunch. Go ahead, eat, and enjoy. I’ll catch up with you later after I give you the benefit of the doubt by reviewing your previous performance again.

  48. Welcome to the United States of amnesia; President Obama I’m did W’s horrible slashing of funds to where had a veteran not registered with he VA by 2000; they could only be seen first service connected disability…
    Luckily I registered and 99

    1. That makes it on the Clinton watch doesn’t it Jason? Of course it could have been redone before the ACA but wasn’t.

  49. If you were honest and objective in looking at these comments, the vast majority of problems comes down to one word:

    Accountability.

    There has been none thoughout Obama’s term. He has a good deal of responsibility for that lack of accountability, but congress also gets their share of blame for refusing to force accountability.

    You can blame congress for holding the purse strings which I think is a red herring, or you can blame Obama for not demanding reform. Both are at fault.

    When you read through the comments, several things are mentioned. Problems with Choice, problems with appointments, wait times, claims, the backlog, whistle blower retaliation, etc.

    Obama is responsible for firing Shinseki, but did so simply because Phoenix became a media scandal. McDonald comes in, things go back to business as usual. Obama did not demand reform.
    The Choice program was passed, it still is a disaster, because congress refused to be accountable and demand it operate properly and as intended.
    McDonald goes before congress and lies about how many are fired. Obama did not hold his agency head accountable for lying to congress, and congress did not hold McDonald accountable for lying when conducting their oversight duties.
    Whistle blower retaliation continued throughout Obama’s terms and congress refused to demand the VA follow the law and take action against those retaliating.
    Funding is not the problem.
    Obama refused to insure his agency was performing their primary mission…medical care for veterans. Congress refused to hold the agency accountable for their spending, so while veterans were still lacking care and committing suicide due to that lack of care, the VA was spending money on moving corrupt managers around, spending money on “art”, and ignoring the need for more medical providers when hiring 127 interior designers.

    There are comments about the AFGE and VSOs which in my opinion are much the same animal. Both rabidly guarding their gravy train.

    Both could have been dealt with better by Obama demanding accountability at the VA, and congress could actually attempt oversight of veterans organizations they chartered for specific purposes, but they have not.

    If the VA is ever going to show improvement, there needs to be accountability from both the White House AND congress.

    1. In government speak, accountability equals enforced regulations instead of wink and not regulations.

      1. Quote: “accountability equals enforced regulations…”, Which, by the way Lem, IS the POTUS’s primary job, according to the Constitution! Look it up!

      2. After 34 years of unenforced regulations and selectively enforced regulations, especially regarding the VA, We are hoping a businessman as POTUS and one who understands accounting controls enough to have gotten where is will finally see to it that at least the VA regulations will be enforced as written. And Secretary Directives contrary to regulations and law will be overturned.

  50. President Trump just made a kick ass speech and he definitely put all wallowing in the D.C. Swamp on notice without mincing words. He also put the Country on notice.
    Let’s give our new POTUS a fair chance. It’s our time, not the establishment any longer…let’s hope Pres. Trump has some great “helpers” for VA Sec. Shulkin, he’s going to need a lot of swamp wranglers.

    1. Pre. Trump said, “The forgotten people will no longer be forgotten in this USA”. Now, he did not qualify that, kept it inclusive or open to interpretation, but I am remaining positive that “Veterans” are in that mix because he did talk about beefing-up and taking care of our Military…cannot remember last time I heard a POTUS speech I really enjoyed…wait, it was Pres. Bush 8 years or so ago, yep. 🙂

      We now have to hold Pres. Trump’s feet to the fire and his word to fix the VA.

      1. Just don’t hold yr breath the same time smfh. For a failed business man many times he sure sounds alot like a politrician

  51. Just for the record, it was on this very website that I both called the POTUS elect the “…biggest jackass in the land…” the praised the choice as ideal for shaking up VA.

    That pretty much co ers my credibility problems no matter how all this plays out, right?

      1. Think I’ll join you Dennis, anything to keep my head out of the old Morphine bottle.

      2. I was up to 180mg/day morphine and 40mg/day hydrocodone courtesy of a VA doctor I never met. I am free of both drugs completely. Dabbing or puffing marijuanna extract is a great replacement and at my house all clocks are set to 4:20pm…

  52. After all, the survey is complete, tallied, and both yay and nay remarks are listed for all to read, it is my hope that no more of my Brothers and Sisters will not have to endure any more uncompassionate, incompetent, and corrupted medical care, modalities, and practices by the VA Healthcare System. And, that my Brothers and Sisters who are waiting for their hearings, that the process will be expedited fairly and quickly as possible.

    And, that the VA will implement cutting edge medical technologies, to help those that are suffering needlessly when other modalities of treatments are available and are successfully being used in the private sector and other countries.

    As an investigative life science researcher, it extremely bothers me when all I hear is Evidence Based Criteria. When it has been well documented, that each individual may respond differently to each type of medical treatment.

    This includes that all generic pharmaceuticals that are prescribed to Veterans, to determine its efficacy. And, that Veterans input will truly be considered in order to change the Veterans prescriptions for better results. Treatments should also include nutraceuticals [supplementation], nootropics, raw juicing, and any other modality of treatment that has been proven to be effective by reputable research laboratories and published in medical journals, but not approved by the FDA.

    Lastly, and I realize that I overlooked some issues, but I would hope that the VA would offer more help for the spouses, children, loved ones, and or caretakers of Veterans who are having a hard time getting their life back to normal. This includes helping those Veterans that believe they need a service, therapy, emotional, or psychiatric dog or animal for additional support in obtaining the goal of a normal life.

    Our Government wholeheartedly created and believes in the Industrial War Machine. Therefore, our Government has a responsibility to serve and protect those Veterans and family members with the most highly advanced medical care and support services. Our Government needs to step up to own up to the needs of our Brothers, Sisters, and their support bases. It’s the right and honorable thing to take care of your own.

    With this being said, the VA needs to be swiftly reformed in order to stop the inhuman madness that is occurring in the second largest budgeted U.S. Federal Agency. God speed to the health, recovery, welfare, and deserved compensation to our heroes; Veterans, whether living or those who are no longer with us, only in remembrance or spirit, but not forgotten. God bless our Veterans, family members, and their supporting friends.

    1. Great post, nutter. It doesn’t take a life scientist to know that a lost limb to a category III or IV inductee means a lot more of a handicap than to a category I. Lot of double amputees occupy $90,000 plus per year jobs in the Central Office that a category II in the same situation couldn’t hold and they draw 100% on top of it. That is not to say they don’t deserve all they can get, just to say others are too often short changed. At the same time a 20 point drop in IQ causes a category I a much greater financial loss than a category II or III.

    2. Need comparative studies on the various induction categories with the disability compared to the same scores without the disability over an employment lifetime. Adequate data to do such a research for modern times exists with Vietnam Vets. The first veterans when the loss of a few points of IQ from organic brain syndromes make such a difference in financial well being.

  53. Today being “Inauguration Day”, and a Friday, I wonder what surprises the VA, or any government agency, has in store for us as a “weekend dump”!?
    I’m also curious as to “WHAT” the “NEW POTUS” will say AFTER his “swearing in”!
    Will he reiterate some of his ‘talking points’ he made while campaigning? Or, will he be polite, to such a degree, as to not be willing to “DRAIN the SWAMP” as promised?

    1. The crowning of the new king historically is full of sweaty bodies under layers of clcothes meant to hide their wine filled bellies and faces set meant to hide their intense desire for the whole bullshit ordeal to be over.

      Speeches will be sung to praise the new King, and he wil asscend (not a typo) upon the masses and bestow devine words upon upon the unwashed and unholy. A shaft of light will break through the clouds an a perfectly clear day and even the underwear stains will pause briefly in awe. Women will swoon. Men will take a knee and bow their heads. All will be good and pure again…

      As for me I think I will just smoke a joint and do some laundry today. Putting on some old Arlo Guthrie now – Alice’s Restaraunt. (it’s not her’s but she eats there…). I will take the trash out too.

    2. The leaked subjects doesn’t include veterans. I hope it was an oversight because if he doesn’t mention veterans in his inauguration speech it means he was just leading us on for votes. I hope and believer that is not the case.

      1. He will barf up many words lolz. Just put on your safety glasses because those chunks can put an eye out. I believe in a good barf to cleanse the GI tract. His puke is Presidential now and I will likely believe in it as much as I believed in the old barf.

        Marines have a wise acronym in anticipation of an event like today; BOHICA.

        Semper Fi

  54. I’ll try and be respectful with these comments. I am 60-plus years old, I voted for President Obama twice. If the Constitution allowed it I would of voted for him a third time.
    Regarding this website, I recommend this site to fellow veterans because I think Mr. Krause is trying to help veterans like me and many of us caught up in the VA bureaucracy. I try not to get caught up in the racial mudslinging that goes on here, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Like the saying goes ” there’s only one race and that’s the human race.”
    Back in October (2016), I commented at this site when I learned Mr. Krause was heading to Washington D.C.to attend the Board of Veterans Appeals Forum. I continue to express my gratitude for the appearance
    by Mr. Krause at this event, it meant something, it’s hard work for a righteous cause.
    As for Mr. Trump, he never served in the military (neither did Mr. Obama) nor does he have any political pedigree. Let’s see what he does. I did not vote for him but maybe he can do a decent job. When President Obama was sworn in there were many hate filled racist remarks, conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh even said, (I paraphrase):” I hope he (Obama) fails.” Personally, I wish Mr. Trump all the best.
    My final points are about a US Supreme Court case. The case is known as: United States Supreme Court v. Traynor V. Turnage (1988) no. 86-622, decided April 20, 1988. The case had to do with veterans and their GI Bill 10 year period of eligibility. The court ruled that any petition for an extension beyond the eligibility period due to alcohol or drugs was not allowed. The court applied the term ” Willful Misconduct” to describe a veterans battle with substance abuse/ drugs. Ronald Reagan was president at the time.
    I started college in 1985 and I graduated in 1988. I wrote my congressman and I wrote a letter to the White House, I was very angry. I went through 2 treatment programs in the early 1980’S I was one of the lucky ones I won my battle with alcohol. This decision by the Court meant everything to me, I could not continue my education. ( I chose not to apply for various student loans.) I lost about 80% of my GI Bill education benefits and millions of veterans were impacted by this ruling.
    If I had one suggestion to make to Mr. Krause I would recommend that perhaps one day he write a book about his experience with the VA and the courts. Put together Supreme Court cases that have impacted the community of veterans and lay out a story to the American people about justice and veterans and the American judicial system save personal stories from your readers here at DisabledVeterans.org.
    Today is an historic day in America, the world is watching…with audacity I hope all goes well.

    1. @Fred locke,
      Good comment. Straight to the point.
      I’ll explain why I did not, and would never have voted for Obama. It was never due to his ‘ethnicity’, it was due to his accomplices in crime.
      His “reputation” is as follows!
      1) he was a disciple of Saul Alinski. Alinski was a communist sympathizer. Who wound up working for Frank Nitti of the Capone Crime Family. Fact!
      2) he was a follower of a church in Chicago for 20+ years. Which WAS anti-American, anti-Semitic etc..
      It’s called the “GD Church”! “G.D.” is the abbreviation for what people aren’t supposed to call GOD’s Name in Vain!
      3) he was also a follower of, and disciple of, Bill Ayres. Ayres was a murderer. His many crimes against humanity are well documented. As was those by Saul Alinski.
      4) his “up bringing” in Indonesia, and being ‘adopted’ by a person who’s Political Beliefs are in contrast with the Constitution are also well documented.

      There is so much more that came out about him, Obama, prior to his bid for Senator. These things are what turned me against him. Again, NOT his ‘ethnicity’, nor his religion. It was who he praised.

      As far as what he’s accomplished during the past eight years, that is also being torn apart as more information comes to light. ex; he fired many OIG heads. Basically, taking away any “teeth” they had in investigating wrong doings in any government agency. His, along with many Democrats and some on the other side of the aisle, caused great division.
      Did you watch the video Ben put on here the other day? Did you notice only one Democrat asked a question at the end! That tells me those Representatives, Democrats all, didn’t give a rats behind about veterans plight. Just as Hillary tried to “down play” the Corruption by VHA employees, saying it was a “Right Wing Conspiracy Theory”, on CNN some time ago. Remember that?
      I’m not saying some VHA’s aren’t trying. They may very well be. Problem is, there is too much corruption which needs to be weeded out. Can that be accomplished? We may never know.
      All we can do, is wait.
      I hope we all see a change in the VA “…we can believe in…”, taking a portion of a sentence from the person you voted for! I also hope your right!

    2. Fred, you had an excellent post, with the exception of suggesting any comment against Obama must be racist.

      Perhaps I misunderstand what you are saying.

      Obama was not a savior. He was not infallible. He was and is not above criticism. To paint that as racist is a disservice to actual racism and makes the term meaningless.

      I too hoped he failed at what he intended to do, which he stated was to fundamentally transform the nation.

      What he succeeded at very nearly turned this nation into something unrecognizable.

      I am happy that he is finally gone, and no longer has the power of the presidency to act as an unchecked dictator.

      I would say the same thing about any politician of any party and of any color of they wanted to do the same.

      I have that right as a citizen and veteran. I have earned it, and no false charges of racism will shut me up.

  55. Ben,

    With all due respect these numbers are skewed horribly. You only tabulated answers for the minority of those who have sought care at VA. This minority I speak of are vets that still live despite VA care. Don’t liquifying corpses in the morgue deserve some say in this matter? How about the endless rows of white headstones lined up precisely and neatly in pretty park settings across America? You left them out too. Do these numbers reflect the opinion of the 22 who blew rheir brains out yesterday, and will tommorrow, and the next, and the next? Nope.

    Speculating that death was not the goal in seeking care at VA for these folks, and further speculating that these folks are unhappy with their outcomes as a stakeholder, then we can use a shifted matrix transform (RAND concoction that predicted Hillary as POTUS) to mathematically adjust your numbers.

    It turns out that 99.99% are unhappy with their healthcare outcomes at VA using this model. I will send the numbers but email is not secure enough. I will send the usual mesenger homing crow with the data chip. He is an ex VA crow. He was caught by me trying to find some sick veteran in the woods – stuck in a tree because the straight line he flew took him right into that oak!

    He just kept saying, “Nevermore.” per his VA training.

      1. Ben,

        I do not see my comment is not listed. I noted that when I voted and posted my comment. I received a notice on my screen stating something like “thank you for contacting and that some would be in contact with me shortly”.

      2. I was channelling the thoughts and comments of dead people. Vets with severe PTSD do that.

        How about this poll, but for lawyers instead;

        Poll question 1; Assume the VHA is a civilian care provider but otherwise behaves and performs exactly like they do now but without federal protections.

        Poll question for lawyers only (Perry Mason fans may apply for a waiver);

        The VA would be sued until…
        1) … they had nothing left but underwear.
        2) … Coke turns to Pepsi.
        3) … the money printing machines broke down.
        4) … lawyers were not the butt of jokes involving three men, one parachute, and a crippled plane.

        …sorry, there is no room for “all of the above.”

        I am gonna pick #3 under the PM wavier. Semper Fi.

      1. @Lisa a: Lisa, my God, that is just horrible. I am soo sorry for your loss. I am at a total loss of words. My heart goes out to you and your family. This should never have been allowed to happen.

      2. @Lisa a – cj posted a comment to let us know about the unjustified loss of your husband. I’m so, so sorry for the passing of your dear husband. I will admit, because of your loss, I’m upset at the VA, and I just don’t have all of the soothing words to really express how I feel. Like cj said, this should have never happened. Every time I read stories of how Veterans have been treated in an unrighteous manner, it hurts. Lisa, may God richly bless you, comfort you, and keep you and your family well. I know it has not been easy for you, but try to be strong. With my deepest sympathy, ANutterVet.

      3. @ Lisa, so sorry to hear of your loss. I will be praying for you and your family. If you can share or need something please ask. There are many caring Veterans here and they would be honored to help in anyway they can. I can not express adequately how this lack of treatment should not be happening in this country to our beloved Veterans, such as your dear husband. Please correspond if you can, if not now, please do later. I am just so sorry to hear of this. God bless you and keep you in his loving arms in this difficult time. Peace be with you.

      4. Dear Lisa a, accept my deepest condolences. Our prayers, thoughts, blessings and well wishes go out to you and the family in this most difficult of times.

      5. Jane White January 31, 2017 at 4:49 pm

        Lisa, please contact me when you can! I truly care. My husband is still alive but, do not know how much longer. The misdiagnosed him, treated him with a bunch of drugs he did not need, for years.They watch him deteriorate and did nothing, not one test! Finally, he begged fro a MRI, this was granted! It revealed he needed brain and spinal cord surgery. The VA refused, even though he is 100 percent service connected! We had to seek out private neurosurgeon. He had the surgery but it is to late, damage has been done. Sweetie, I feel so badly for you. I have more but not today! Grieve your sweet husband. Remember your wonderful memories, you shared together, they belong to the two of you! My heart cries! I do not know where you live but, if I can help I will be there in a heartbeat! I am for real, I know your pain. Someday, when you can, we will talk! Maybe you I can chance this for other veterans, waiting to long! I truly believe in a higher power and believe you will spend eternity with your husband, on God’s time. Praying for you sweet lady, from Wisconsin. We share a bond!!

      6. Sorry for your loss. Sounds so meaningless, Jane. Like the empty, “Thank you for your service” mouthed by VA employees that should have done what is right. I tried, living homeless in DC, to speak out from May of 1995 until late 2001 when I finally re-joined m Japan to highlight the downturn at the VA after the introduction of “entitlement curtailment,” in the 1980s. I began my effort in 1988 with a letter writing campaign. It wasn’t until a reporter wrote an article in 2008 that got subtle traumatic brain injuries given a good look. It was a long grind and I’ll never know if one of my handouts reached the reporter. I do know that between 1995 and 2001 the studies on TBI in the NIH Library more than quadrupled. How much my effort moved the ball forward I’ll never know.

        I’m not up to going out there again. I’m 75 and in my second baby hood. Training diapers at night and frequently losing my train of thought as well as not remembering what I’m writing to you today tomorrow.

        Wish you could have been in Cheyenne. My brother in law, an ex-marine was taken care of extraordinarily well in the effort to save him from cystic fibrosis. Bad draw to be in an area with a VA director that is unconcerned. We had a positive change here because of the crisis.

        I hope you are motivated to speak out and publicize the crisis in your area. Do it with patience and perseverance. Know that anything you do will move the ball a little so someone else is relieved your painful experience.

      7. JAMES ALLEN SMITH January 31, 2017 at 2:38 am

        LISA : My condolences & best wishes to you and all other dependents/ loved ones, friends, and others!MY ACTUAL BEST WISHES ARE ALL I KNOW THAT I CAN DO. I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN ABOUT WAIT TIME. {fact}THEY have hung me out to dry more than once. {another fact} IN 09/2009 the va. IT’S too long wa story for me and my three, yep count em 3 fingers to print out at 1:10 am central standard time zone. I have some true stories with documentation on their, o fuck it.contact me before I get pissed off just thinking about what our greedy ass politicians & civilian corp’s are doing to us vets., in my case 100% disabled VETERAN.. jasmittysmith@[email protected] Next I’m finished whining, ya’ll have a good one =on me!=1:34 IN THE AM.

  56. From the top of the “Yes” comments. The homeless improvement was started by Bush Administration. I was taken off the street and put in an affordable apartment (ability to pay) in December of 2001.

    Hearing improvement: Not really. In 1987 it took me three years to get a hearing done in 1990 and 3 months to get a decision after that. Now I got a hearing in 3 years and it will take 3 more years to get a decision even though I’ve been moved up on the docket because of age. The interim hearing before 1 judge is a placating measure not a real improvement.

    Although I also said yes, (because of my personal overall experience) these statement bests states the facts: “The fixes put in place are superficial, at best.” and “Well it didn’t make things any worse nd you have only two options available. We will see with the Don.”

    “Initial claims reduced dramatically and cleared”: Not really, mostly denied by unqualified examiner/adjudicators leaving you in years of appeals including those just discharged with obvious minimal ratings.

    Long, hope you don’t my take Benjamin.

    “The automation improvements have made direct contacts with staff less neccessary.” This was an omitted control that was belatedly added after the Phoenix and Cheyenne Crisis that was a long time coming to light. Cutbacks on the budget for the trial of the Accountable Care Organization model. Should have been implemented before the bonuses and also at the VARO offices.

    “…but staff retention for long-term care remains a problem in some places.” An effect of changing VA Medical and Nursing scholarships to the student loan program. (scholarships were paid back with service and physicians that wanted to “doctor” liked the work atmosphere and stayed. This began to tail off in the early 1990s. You can’t pay back your medical school loan on a VA salary though you may have to go there first for experience to get a higher salary at a big med corporation.

    “…I spent more than $7.000 for hearing aids from 1968 when I was awarded a 10% disability. At that time I was told I was only entitled to1 pair in my lifetime and should wait for my hearing to worsen.” You were told wrong. From the early 1980s at least you could get replacements every 5 years or for losses including having a pet eat them. (from experience, and there were improvements every time I got a new pair) It took me 20 years to figure out I had to attach my hearing aids to my glasses because my ears spit them out. So I had a lot of losses in less than 5 years including a theft at the Cheyenne VA that the thieves tried to sell my hearing aids to the contract audiologist that issued them to me claiming they were ones deceased father’s.

    “TBI reevaluations” Huge item for me but would never have happened without the newspaper article in 2007 or 8. Was that you, Benjamin?

    “Post 9/11 GI Bill 2.0 helped me go to Law School, and VocRehab helped me finish Law School. We are better off, but things could have been better on the whole.” Too late for TBI victims of Vietnam and no comparable adjustment given to them Including they were only allowed 1 year activity (denied in almost all cases for Vietnam Veterans — seems to apply to only recent TBIs)

    “He reopened the VA to all Veterans and that resulted in me and the Veterans I now assist with initiating claims in navigating both the VHA and BVA.” Big ACA adjustment to cutback for veterans without a 30% combined rating during the Clinton Administration. And travel pay by Reagan’s pen and ink change.

    “And to straighten out so large an organization will take a long time.” So true. Will see vast improvement during Trump administration because improvements should snowball as dead weights are removed.

    The next to last “yes” statement was mine.

    “Obama inherited the problems at the VA and did the best he could to fix them during his time in the White House.” The First Lady, an attorney never gave the VA the attention she promised in either campaign. I wonder if it was her inattention or bullying by Shinseki?

    From the “no”

    “Your kidding me,what did he do for us other than the choice card program. Which has backwards policies. Eventually you get to a Dr. Non VA. Let’s fix what we got first.” ECHO except I got a good primary care in this small town with a big med corp clinic that accepts Medicare payments. VA is getting stuck with the Same corporation’s ER that overcharges and I’ve had to use 3 times.

    “Corruption has become endemic with the Obama administration and the veterans suffered” Started accelerating with “privatization” during the Reagan administration and has continued through every administration since accelerating as bureaucrats see others getting away with taxpayer dollars and decide to stick their fingers in the pie also.

    “Still manipulating records” Continuing since inception following the Civil War.

    “The va system was broken when he started, and the va system is broken when he ended.” But some improvements although as in the Yes answers, minimal. Needs to get up steam. Here is hoping.

    “In the last two years, I have seen positive changes at the VA. It is the result of all the negative stories that have come out in the press against them. It had NOTHING to do with any policies that the Obama administration had in place at the time.” This was a no response?

    This deteriorated during the pen and ink changes to entitlements by President Reagan. Following WWII during the Eisenhower Administration (who didn’t want to have to order a MacArthur to remove homeless veterans from the Mall) until the Reagan Administration it was much easier.

    “More money does not fix the problem(s).” So true. Look at the Phoenix and Cheyenne Crisis. Money without controls becomes a fraudsters dream. Hopefully the businessman will put the breaks on fraud with proper accounting controls (regulations in government speak).

    “Gaps in accountability, inconsistency and/or outright ignorance in adjudicating compensation claims, a growing backlog despite significantly more staffing, longer waiting times from claim to adjudication, and an increasing gap in veterans benefits being administered to veterans.” BIGGEST SINGLE PROBLEM. Having a businessman as POTUS gives hope for accounting controls (enforced regulations in government speak)

    “No noticeable change in policies. Veterans may get their first mental health appointments sooner but thereafter it could take 6-7 weeks for follow up appointments. In the civilian community one can make an appointment in two weeks with a psychiatrist.” Following insurance lobbying controls in the private sector and lobbyists trying to reduce contractor pay outs. My colonoscopy will be done by a contractor. He wants more and the Director wants fewer. Both have money on the brain not my health.

    “I am worst off know then when I first went to the VA in 1978.” ECHO except the claims preparer didn’t follow regulations for “injury cases”. 38 CFR 4.42 which may have prevented a lot of misery for me. So it wasn’t perfect even then. Just more receptive while kowtowing to lobbyists even then. More emphasis on “line of service” investigation than disability determination.

    “Replace the VHA with Medicare-type insurance, real insurance…..” Agree except “Replace”. Make the VA compete with a Choice insurance with the same copays and means testing applied as exists now. More veterans entering private clinics will make some realize they are better off in the VA while others will have a better experience in the private sector. And like Medicare if you accept care from a Medicare provider that doesn’t accept the Medicare authorized chare you pay the difference in the charge and the Medicare authorized payment.

    “The disingenuous influence of non-Veteran, non-profit and for-profit special interests throughout the entire system, facilitated by the senior level DVA bureaucracy (the NAC funding trough being one example) under the guise of “public-private partnerships”.” Choice program a big example. The two contractors changed to for profit programs so they could increase their payout to their top 5 executives 10 fold.

    “It will take more than one administration to fix what has been for a long time.” ECHO with hope of snowballing under the businessman POTUS.

    “I’m still waiting 30 days just to see a regular doctor because Veterans Choice is actually a longer wait then that.” Experience of many of my family in private care. Not the experience of my wife and I (I’m on Choice) in Torrington, WY. Same is true at VA. It has to do with the Director of the facilities ability to keep an adequate staff or his greediness for profit (cutting expenses for tax breaks for Directors of the VA).

    “I am 62 r old veteran with a 4 yr ptsd claim” Because of your age you’ll probably have to wake up from a nightmare doing hand to hand combat killing a live person like the WWII vet did in the 1980s in LA having choked his wife to death to get any attention. Apparently most psychiatrists believe if you have lived that long with it you don’t have it. They don’t see the “post” in PTSD.

    “Still in a mess, I was married over 8 months ago still no word on my wife’s (dependent) compensation…” A constant problem that has dogged me for 45 years. Constantly sending notifications of need to recertify to old addresses long sense abandoned instead of current file address. Deliberate, I think, praying on the time value of money. Delaying your disbursement without paying interest. Double prime rate on back payments should correct this problem.

    “My 30 year claim before the Court still pending, my 9 year old claim before the Board still pending!” Are you sure? FOIA your file. Mine had a letter closing my claim. Notification was sent to an address that had been changed 3 years earlier. A technique to close claims and breaking your appeal right. An IG inspection, which reopened mine, was removed from my file and now I have to FOIA the IG file to get it back in to prove the claim was never addressed by a requested hearing.

    “All combat era veteran’s should be treated the same benefits.

    “Not specialized on one era only. Discriminating the older vets in services” Actually, veterans from current era are worse off for injuries not received in combat. I receive SC for a MVA injury on liberty. I could be wrong but I think current era veterans have to carry disability insurance because they won’t get SC for leave and liberty injuries unless combat related.

      1. Read 38 CFR chapter 4. You can download it. And I was denied DAV assistance with my current appeal because my injuries weren’t combat related. 2012. So there are changes, I just don’t know how far they go compared to Vietnam Era when the DAV represented me. And how much it is just related to the ne DAV CEO’s huge increase in compensation for DAV duties.

  57. What’s interesting with just the poll taken here amongst Veterans is it’s actually polar opposite in percentages as what VA Sec. McDonald and Pres. Obama reported to public at his one and only Veteran/Military Town Hall a few months ago. I distinctly remember Obama saying that over 80% Veterans LOVE the VA….the numbers out in the wild polar opposite. Spin? Kind of like McDonald’s claim of firing over a 1000 employees when it was actually -4-? See the pattern?

    1. I agree. Obama and McDonald both touted that BS, which meant the VA in general spouted the same nonsense, and the VSOs used the same number to defend them.

  58. It looks like the VA is not getting any better.
    Hope we see real changes in the coming months.
    Less than 6 hours until a new POTUS & VPOTUS are installed.

  59. The numbers and Veteran comments say it all and would say a solid 80% Veteran Dissatisfaction/Disapproval Rate is right-on target.
    However, Obama does not have the audacity to accept that he failed at *anything* and that’s why Obama is sticking around D.C. to defend his so-called “legacy”…the swamp is more full of swamp beast snowflakes than ever before…drain that swamp!
    **WARNING**
    The snowflake melt-down and resulting melt-off on this inauguration day may induce floods of snowflake tears, so watch your six out there today…the snowflakes are quite manic and the trolls are aimlessly tragic. The Oregonian Poop Canons are indeed manned.

    Welcome change, President Trump.

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