Not Another VA Hotline: Trump Campaign Promise To Help Vets Derailed
You might recall that, during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, he promised a “private White House hotline” to answer concerns. “I’ll pick up the phone and fix it myself if I have to,” he has said.
Well, a closer look at this hotline reveals just how impractical that set of promises was – – or at least that following through with the promise gave veterans more of the same. Rather than give veterans a direct line to the White House, which was the point of the promise, Trump gave veterans yet another VA hotline for vets to get lost inside.
Wasn’t the whole point of the hotline to help veterans cut through VA redtape by going right to the boss, not being sent to the back of the bus?
The new VA hotline is based in West Virginia and staffed by 60 customer service workers, mostly veterans and their loved ones. It is not, as some callers have believed, anywhere near the Oval Office. It is also not run by the White House.
It is based about 74 miles outside of Washington, D.C. proper, in fact. The caller who wanted to know if Trump got the Omaha steaks he mailed, for example, was quite disappointed to learn that. Love him or hate him, the veterans cannot contact “my boy Donald” to say what kind of job he is doing.
This scant handful of workers has manned over 107,000 calls since June of this year. That amounts to over 1,000 calls per day to the hotline so far. The hotline is also open 24 hours a day, which strains the workload further.
Trump’s incarnation of this idea has an annual budget of $7.4 million dollars (and pays its 60 overburdened workers $12.50 an hour, so you do the math on that one). If we have to have this chunk of VA budget gouged out of us, at least pay a livable wage to the folks doing the heavy lifting, am I right?
The main frustration that veterans are expressing with this hotline, and the main frustration that this writer expresses, is that the hotline is an extension of VA. It is not run by a separate organization with the power to hold VA accountable. VA cannot and will not hold VA accountable.
The hotline has no ability to access individuals’ medical records, even if given express permission. They do not have the authority to mandate VA action on behalf of veterans. It seems like the hotline is more of the roundfile veterans claims tend to land in, and for those unfamiliar, the roundfile is the trashbin.
Perhaps one rep said it best. Mary, widow of an Army Desert Storm vet, used to be a bartender. “I still listen,” she says. “I just don’t get them drunk.”
If you are thinking of calling this hotline, it will not do any harm, at least that is the theory.
The people on the other end are certainly doing their best, and many have had similar frustrating experiences. Still, you might as well hit up your local bar, for all the good it will do. Cheaper for the taxpayer that way.
Despite the hype, Trump has yet to deliver on accountability, a White House hotline, medical marijuana, proper health care choice, and benefits expansion. With the midterm around the corner, he better hop to it.
Went to the WH Hotline on this:
PCP gave me 2 consults w/CID 60 days out, one on a request for general surgery for hernia (Pinching), another on physical therapy for torn rotator cup (causing PAIN). No reason for it, but they refused non- VA care because of it and there were plenty of appointments. Again, returned because of rotator cup (worse pain) and PCP set CID 30 days out…ended up w/therapy apt again at 45 days, so no non-VA care…again. This is wait time manipulation in Orlando, the new VA Hospital is way understaffed.
Recd’ a call today, Therapy Admin Supv…resched appt… 4 days from now. Wants to close inquiry and I said NOOOO not gonna happen. Quoted VHA DIR 1232 in ref to CID, which states that the CID is the “date care is deemed clinically appropriate” by the provider, not a month or two after that date. The date that the provider “deems” you should be seen is the CID, unless there is medical reason, purpose to make it in 30/60/90 days down the road, like to follow up on a blood test or return to clinic to remove cast…
So now I am waiting for the Chief of Staff to call me. I went to the WH Hotline because the Patient Advocate ignored my complaints from the first go round in May.
This is smoke and mirrors folks. But it did get me contact to this point, so it is not a dead issue. Yet.
Better writ would say… Can Satan, or would Satan cast out Satan or one of his own? Like with Congress, the locals, media, all the professionals/elected officials, boards, to ANY POTUS… nope. Just like the VA and other firmly established regimes. Odd ain’t it how some things can get changed over night other things remain the same or may take generations to slightly change or appearance of some change. Cans kicked down the road. Hollywood, sports, mere entertainers, those with special DNA structures can go before Congress, get special attention by those ‘at the top,’ or see some POTUS but not us real victims, vets with very serious issues from “the top,” honest serfs, or targets of the establishment’s machinery.
That aside. What politician has ever kept their word, or promises? (Damn, that’s like some church out there fighting with us to expose evil… NOT.) Especially to the letter. None and if paying attention, buying the books, listening to insiders, we know the many reasons why. And why, how, the machine changes the person, the person does not, can not, change the establishment or the machine.
The WH number is one I never tried (I think) besides the emails or petitions sent. Got too many busy signals, made way too many calls bombardment style to remember them all. Stacks of notes and recordings I’d have to refer back to or shuffle through over many issues to combat, contacts attempted, and stuff.
Everyone and every agency I have ever contacted have stated they need access to my files, to have permission contracts signed, etc. Many with NO ending dates. How is any simple phone call going to help? As told, to be kept and inserted somewhere in my life long files for further reading or use by some quack or agents of despair? While it seems anything we do goes into our files somewhere, some how, by anyone with the capacity to do so. Also while I have it in black and white that inserted information along side of my med files, any patient’s records, or for inner-office use from MD to MD may not be considered as part of our files to be released to us, me, by law. Whatever can be classified as ‘for their eyes only.’ So simple phone calls with anyone is NOT going to help besides complaints forwarded again back to some VA staff or office to play with? Or to repeat… “Come back for an appointment we are here to help.” While we are expected to trust some character or actor on the phone not knowing whether or not their activism out-weights their job description. So they easily pass the call along to our local Antifa, socialist/Marxist or MoveOn cliques? Oh they are “trusted staff/interns.” BS.
Harm is relative to ones location, individually, and corrupt politics or networks of putting us in our place… at the bottom and ignored or bucks passed. Or to discover some agency or politician once contacted how swiftly the locally corrupt can hear of such actions from them or some medical board or from some agency that is supposed to help us low-life vets and citizens/American open air prison camps. Then endure the retribution from any side of it. Oh there isn’t such a thing as corruption in the VA or any other area of life. BS. R or D doesn’t matter with that symbiotic relationship of evil and self-service. Amazing how they all can move swiftly to spread some info/attack but not help correct some wrong turned from a simple mole hill fix to a mountain of corrupt vile shit. No, they have to protect their own instead… to hell with a person, U.S. citizen, vet, or patient… and our so-called rights or laws to protect us, that do not. Ha.
A call to some White House, any politician, VSO or POTUS is going to help? To be trusted like with any other political contacts made?? Another ha.
All our harm in our group came during President Kenyan’s time. I seen, endured, noticed a ton of chance and attitudes under the King Obummer admin. “Orders from the top.” “Vote Democrat for better care” they said. Couldn’t come up with a timely birth certificate and allowed felonies and hate toward whites to abound and continue? The “knock out game’ or called today… sucker punched, that is not being reported like many other issues are being ignored. Like with pain meds and the ‘collective punishment’ game to oppress those with chronic pain issues and has continued on to police state actions, living the “1984” life style. Oh and the hard censoring to white hatred exploded along with us having zero ability to protect ourselves from non-white staff or activist, or corrupt VA unions or their activist families and such.
The long line of Clintoon and list of dead bodies in their wake, and Bush family corruption and treason? “I did not have sex with that woman.” No cigar soaking there. “Saddam has nukes” go to war kill innocents and culures, get oil/land for Israel. If you are anti-war you are a terrorist, vet… a terrorist. Now the distractions to bash (unlike any other POTUS) the Trumpster that I am disappointed with but no more than with all the previous White House inhabitants/clowns/puppets, and purveyors of the deep-state and shadow government and secretive agencies/lobbyist. And who filled their admins with traitors, freaks, deep state kinds and other assorted phonies and scum. We lose on many points still. The war machine and funding our enemies and phony allies continue and have increased.
Gotta love the multi-leveled chess-like games being played dealing out the SUCK. Oh, embrace ‘the suck’ cause it’s not going to change until the evils are rooted out and that’s not going to happen. Not in our life time. An all life ending strike by a huge asteroid may help ripping through the deepest bunkers of ruler’s evil. And we think things can be changed down here at the bottom when dealing with states or towns like mine? With one phone call to the WH? Bwa ha ha. Here, have some more Kool-Aid. Prepared by a D or R, L, Greeny, or I, a Kardashian’s finger stir after scratching her ugly ass, or from some commie, doesn’t matter. Maybe some sputum from Kissinger, ugly Nikki Haley, Hellary, Madonna, Ashley Judd, Bill Gates,or Nut-in-yahoo, a pour from the United Nation’s, Google, Facebook’s, Hollywood’s collective globalist spit-tune will help their medicine go down. Oh, let it all ferment, add some yeast, sugars, GMO, other bodily fluids. Voila!
“Guilt by association” should not only be applied to us pawns or serfs. Or select POTUS or DC cliques of some media or activists choosing. One set of laws and rules for some of them, another for us and their targets. You lie down with dogs… ya get fleas. Or hoof and mouth diseases.
Got several posted site I get to check out too later when my eyeballs clear up again. Thx for them.
Hey Elf,
You might want to check out this weeks Swamp Watch. It is really great this week.
“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aac4YWybcX4”
Go to Facebook.com/veteransnewstoday and read about the DAV in Los Angeles. I can prove high-level money laundering, where the money that by law should be going into the government coffers is going to the LA DAV post. It’s right in the lease between the VA and the oil company sucking the profits from under the West Los Angeles VA.
Go to my page and read about it. If Benjamin wants to get involved and bring action, contact me, but I won’t hold my breath.
From: “Life Gazette”
Titled:
“Fake Charities Seek to Exploit One of America’s Most Vulnerable Populations (Terrible!)”
“Donors are misled into thinking they’re giving to our amazing veterans and military service members”
By Katie Begley | Saturday, August 11, 2018.
“It’s no secret that military members and their families make countless sacrifices to do the important work that they do. Time away from loved ones, frequent moves, and long hours are just a few of the challenges military families face. As I write this, I am one of many military families living in a hotel room this summer, waiting for housing, after arriving in a new city in support of my husband’s military career.”
“That’s why words and gestures of appreciation mean so much. It helps to know that people see the hurdles that our military families confront. Critics will say that we know what we signed up for and that the military gets amazing benefits. And while that is often the case, it still helps to know that the general public, especially those who have not shared in this experience, see the not-so-great parts that we have to deal with and appreciate that we are willing to do so.”
“All of these challenges can make members of the military, their families, and veterans vulnerable. That’s where many individuals and organizations have worked to show their appreciation through donating, volunteering, or even creating nonprofits that benefit the military or veterans.”
But, are all of those nonprofits actually working to help the military? Sadly, no.
CBS News MoneyWatch recently reported on a “sweeping crackdown on fake nonprofits that mislead donors into believing they’re supporting a military or veterans group.”
God Bless good ol’ Ben Krause for having the courage to publish the truth.
This call center in question has NO AUTHORITY beyond forwarding your complaint to the people you are complaining about. I learned that as soon as it opened up, by having a few conversations with the call takers. This is just one more VA scam.
Ron,
With “…an annual budget of $7.4 million…” worth of taxpayers money, that’s one hell of a scam!
Anyone who questions Ben’s, intentions. Are more than welcome to go else.
If not for Ben, you would not be heard.
Thank you Ben.
From: “WND RADIO”
Titled:
“V.A. FACILITY IN D.C. RESEMBLES ‘3RD WORLD HOSPITAL'”
‘If it was a restaurant, it would have been shut down’!”
Published: 1 hour ago
author-image: Mr. GREG COROMBOS
“A retired U.S. Marine Corps gunnery sergeant and prominent veterans advocate is fuming after new revelations that the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington is failing to meet even the most basic medical standards.”
“Employees at the center are imploring new Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Willkie to take immediate action to change practices there. They cite rusty medical instruments and bacteria-infected water being used to sterilize equipment.”
“The employees also report, “Infection rates went up instead of down in veterans’ bloodstreams and in their urinary tracts. Patient satisfaction went down instead of up. Employee satisfaction tanked.”
“Jessie Jane Duff served 20 years in the Marine Corps, rising to gunnery sergeant. She is now a senior fellow at the London Center for Policy Research.”
“This sounds like a third world hospital and yet it’s right at the back door of the VA headquarters itself right here in Washington, D.C. It’s tragic. This is one of the flagship hospitals for the VA,” said Duff in an interview with Radio America, noting the facility is one of 15 nationwide with the lowest rating.”
“If it was a restaurant, it would have been shut down,” she added. “Here is an example of basic healthcare that is being handled in such an incompetent manner. I mean rusty instruments? Water that you can’t even drink from? What is going on? Are we actually in combat? Are we in a MASH unit? Even then, their standards are higher.”
“As a result of the VA scandal earlier this decade, funding for the department was effectively doubled. Duff says these conditions are not due to a lack of resources.”
“The VA gets the second largest bucket of money next to [the Defense Department]. So this is not a money problem. This is a management problem. It’s an accountability problem. Until you’re able to bring in positive leadership with positive change. with the capability of removing those bad apples that have allowed these problems to fester, then you essentially have a status quo of business as usual,” said Duff.”
——–Read more at: **””https://mobile.wnd.com/2018/08/va-facility-in-d-c-resembles-3rd-world-hospital/#bPELi1qoXsoB3srP.99″”**
I believe “Gunny Duff” explained it in no uncertain terms! “A third world” cesspool of incompetent management!
Thanks for the story Crazy Elf,
They were literally giving people the shits, and probably a whole lot more, I’ve always told fellow vets not to drink the water at a vA, bacteria in the water, ah huh, ” if it was a restaurant, it would have been shut down” . Never eat or drink anything at a vA that’s not vacuum packed, or safety sealed in some manner. Anyways I kinda took that to mean McDonald’s has a higher standard of cleanliness than a vA operating room. Thank you Gunny Duff.
Seymore,
Have you seen this article?
Titled:
“Did This Dem Candidate Marry Her Brother?”
From: “True Daily Staff”
Dated: August 9, 2018
“A state representative who is running in a highly progressive area, might have married her brother, most likely for immigration purposes. PJ Media reports:”
‘Minnesota state Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-60B) is the presumed frontrunner for the MN-5 House seat being vacated by Rep. Keith Ellison (D). The seat is safely Democratic; Hollywood progressives, local party officials, and Minnesota media have all but scheduled the August 14 primary as her coronation. Their enthusiasm is rooted in Omar’s identity: she is a photogenic, hijab-wearing Muslim who entered the United States as a Somali child refugee.”
“Likely because of this, however, Omar’s media and party supporters have been aggressively uninterested in a disturbing allegation about Omar with legal ramifications: that in 2009, she seems to have married her brother. That allegation has been public for nearly two years without Omar addressing its specific foundations.”
“Newly uncovered evidence — exclusively published below — adds another allegation: Ilhan Omar has since signed off on apparent falsehoods, under penalty of perjury, during her 2017 divorce from the man in question: Ahmed Nur Said Elmi.”
“Not only is the alleged act itself highly disturbing, but it could involve perjury. You can read the rest of the piece here to see supporting evidence.”
_________________________________________
What more is needed to get those involved arrested!
Elf,
I had heard about the articles on the subject but didn’t put much stock in them until you mentioned it.
After reviewing a number of article on her that all seemed like there was more to the story I decided to check out the legal records on her, her husband and her family. The records can be found at “https://pa.courts.state.mn.us/default.aspx”. The record tell an even more bizarre story about her and her family.
From the records, not only was she married to her brother but she divorced him, he then changed his name and they remarried to try and hide the fact. Currently they are still married and living together despite what the published articles state about her husband now being in the UK.
Also worth noting is the number of times that he has been committed for mental health issues. It seems like he has spent more time locked up in an insane asylum then he has spent free to walk the streets.
Also worth noting is the number of times all of her children and husband have filed and had their names changed. Most if not all of the children are of Voting age and no doubt registered to vote under a number of different names. As wells collecting welfare and other financial assistance offered to immigrates under multiple names.
Her and her family are nothing but Fraudsters who should be arrested and deported.
As good as the suicide hotline. Responsibility to shut you up and no authority to do anything else. Problem with the suicide hotline is the next step is that finale exit. And I guess that is what the VA wants from both. To get you out of their hair forever.
The Patient Advocates at the Tucson VA, don’t answer the phones either, they have assistants answering the phones who want to know everything about you before they “pass it down”. Then they sit and determine if it is a priority or not. I wonder how long the current Director realizes that veterans need a change of advocates. Especially Bradley Hogue, who needs to go. Veterans should be able to vote for their Advocates, otherwise, they are just working for themselves and the VA. BAD NEWS
At least they answer their phones don’t they? Try getting someone on the phone at the VAMC here is like digging through rock with a toothpick!
Congratulations to Ben Krause for being one of the few Trump supporters to be willing to face the truth about Trump
This article is spot on, based on my own personal experience with Trump’s bogus “White House Hot line.” It has no connection to the White House and no power to do anything other than refer your complaint to the very same people you are complaining ABOUT.
I called that hotline in mid December 2017, spoke with a disabled Navy Veteran. He told me, they couldn’t keep up with the calls. In March, I was assigned a case worker. She called every 2 weeks telling me the same thing, she still hadn’t received a return call from Health net about my unpaid bills, and my care being stopped by Veterans choice for nearly a year.
After about 3 months of this I wrote the President and told him about what was going on. He wrote me back and said he would handle it.
I was given a 2nd case worker, more months went by, same old story.
I’m now back in VA care and having to drive 2 hrs to Denver for care thru the VA.
I’ve been dealing with the same service connected disabilities for over 4 decades and the hope of having my care restored in my hometown, I’ve given up on.
I’ve been battling the VA for decades with appeals over exposure to Chemical and Biological weapons, which I’m connected for, and unable to work because of exposure. I can’t even get the mustard gas department to return my emails about my conditions, even though they know who I’m and my condition.
Nothing has changed, nor in my opinion ever will.
And once again, Ben is showing his liberal hate for the current President. Good luck, you just lost another reader. You and MK, should go out to dinner some time Ben.
To everyone else, I enjoy thoroughly your posts, and the hard work, such as Seymore, and Crazy elf put in, on a daily basis. You all will be surely missed. Good luck in your endeavors, and hope you all get, all your issues with the VA resolved.
A final:
Later gators -!ii!-
Sounds like a Snowflake to me, taking your ball and going home cause no one will let you play. Liberal I’m an Independent, and I take Issue with Both Sides when it comes to Screwing and Lying to Vets and the American people, and just so happen that Dmumph is the Lier in Charge at the Current Moment if you hadn’t Noticed, by Burying your Head in the Sand of late seems like the Patriotic thing to do for Repubs.
MK who are you to call anyone a snowflake. With your being one of the biggest snow flakes around.
Considering you are part of a scam to profit off Veterans suicides I would really like to get up close and personal with you. Not to mention your prostituting a child who was only 14 years old.
mk a.k.a. Mark Swagerty — “The People v. Mark Swagerty”, A jury convicted defendant Mark Swagerty of causing, inducing, persuading, or encouraging L.F., a person under age 16, to become a prostitute (Pen. Code, § 266i, subd. (b)(2); count one; hereafter “pandering”)*fn1 and attempting to derive support from the earnings of a prostitute under age 16 (§§ 266h, subd. (b)(2), 664; count two; hereafter “attempted pimping”).*fn2 The trial court found that defendant had served two prior prison terms. (§ 667.5, subd. (b).) He was sentenced to state prison for 10 years, consisting of the upper term of eight years on count one plus two years for the prior prison terms. A concurrent upper term of four years was imposed on count two. Defendant was ordered to register as a sexual offender for the rest of his life. (§ 290 et seq.)
At: “https://ca.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20110912_0006610.CA.htm/qx”
George Carlin—Flamethrowers—youtube.com
Off Topic
“https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robotic-exoskeletons-helping-paraplegics-walk-again/”
…”Since our visit, the Department of Veterans Affairs has updated its policy, expanding the number of places that provide exoskeleton training. It’s up to veterans like Densford, however, to find a facility that meets those guidelines – and so far, he’s still looking.”…
Hey, namnibor,
Just now on “Meet the Press”, Gov Kasich (R-Oh) just admitted, on national TV, quote: “I don’t know what I’m doing!” unquote!!!!!!
???????????
I’ve called the hotline twice. Can’t say for sure if it helped or not. That in itself is a problem.
I’ve never called the hotline, my thinking was/is that’s its just another way to single out and flag me as a troublemaker. Paranoia NO. I would say that if your not sure it helped it probably didn’t.
I’m not sure if it helped or not. I ended up getting a quack who, after 10 minutes, informed me I didn’t have PTSD. 4 and a half years boiled down to 10 minutes and out the door I went. Guess it’s IMO time.
Three little piggies went to the market…~*GuRGgLe*~…market was closed due to swamp gas at dangerously self-igniting levels by the self-serving sows at DAV, AFL, et al…if you VSO’s were actually helping to solve the problem, you would no longer be relevant, and since you turn a blind eye unless it’s for funny hat day photo-ops, the rest that don’t fall rank and file with your mantra of save the VA (keep it just way it serves you), no longer cuts the turds in today’s swamp.
How many VSO’s that sit at counters in VAMC’s that KNOW of the craptastic conditions and all that you read here on this blog, every day, year after year, yet do actually nothing in an activist or even direct way with their special *access* to the VA…VSO’s are culpable, and part of the fucking problem…too much nepotistic chummy porker good ol boy clubs.
This “West Virginia Veterans Phone Line” is not working.
What might work for vets, would be “50 State Regulated Phone Call Centers”! Each ‘center’ would have the right to verify each vets complaint. By having access to:
1.) The vets healthcare records.
2.) Names of VA employees not performing their duties; ie: complaints!
And a myriad of other issues!
Of course, this would still leave the question as to “WHO PAYS?” Any suggestions?
As I’ve said before, the States need to take control of the VA. Have the State be required to hold VA employees accountable. And if found guilty, lock them up in State (For Profit) Prisons!
Off topic guys, but Ben, Have you noticed lately a couple days later after you expose another unflushed turd, that it shows up in the media some how and it’s being looked in to? The last few weeks or so this has been going on. Maybe I’m barking up a tree? Just saying.
I really do suggest that you become a DAV member in a chapter that REALLY has some great people in it that care. I can’t speak highly enough of the Portland DAV. And the Sacramento Satellite office VA. Sure the Voc Rehab section is always understaffed. But Lathe Bragg is a good good man.
I hope you get the help you need sir. But part of that is working with people. Much of what happens in the VA is broken. And that needs to stop.
Really, our government is loaded with to much bloat. The cost of the checks and balances cost more then just taking care of the claims.
I wish you luck sir. I really do. Hopefully, we can get more men that are willing to put in the time and fix the issue in the VA soon.
Eat Shit and die iMickey503.
For the number of times both Portland VAMC and Sacramento have been in the news for screwing Veterans you want to claim you are part of the DAV for those areas. Clearly they are totally worthless waste of space at the facilities. So take your recruitment down the road.
Just how much are California DAV chapters taking in from gambling?
Say arn’t the DAV head honchos now up to making millions per year on the payroll besides all the other DAV scams?
I see you are a member of MGTOW, a.k.a. the He Man Woman Haters Club. Clearly you have lost more than a few screws.
Thanks Seymore, “iMickey503” should also visit *”DAVReform.org”*!
Especially if he wants the truth.
He should also read “reform’s” comment section.
What I find interesting is, there’s still chapters DAV hasn’t shut down and taken the monies, sold the properties, basically liquidated everything!
I wonder who he bribed? No that”s not my ppd flaring up! He,He,He
Someone over-fermenting cabbage?
DAV is a racket designed to solicit money off the backs off maimed and sick veterans. The system is sick systemically and all indicators point out that the VSO’s like DAV are in NO way a part of the solution but rather a part of the tumor that needs to be removed.
VSOs are very cozy with VA are they not? VSO’s like DAV also share something else with VA – an insatiable thirst for more money to “… get Americans heros the best care they deserve.” Almost like right off the same script, eh? VSO’s I have dealt with also share something so intrinsic to VA the dividing line between the two is tough to see – both are generally incompetant regarding the law and the advice they give is on par with most 7/11 night clerks in regards to veteran law.
I live in Oregon. I have met and seen the VSO’s and the deer in the headlights look when any real problem arises. I am not trying to say that VSO’s are as dirty as the VA. I am saying they are the same problem. VSO’s are a great place if a vet feels fuzzy about giving some pot belly alcoholic with a goofy hat on some of his bread in return for shit but beyond this function in society they represent a disgrace to our nation – a cluster of opportunists milking injured vets for vast sums of money (just like VA)….. and at the end of the day VA keeps lying and vets keep dying and the mouthpiece for the cozy mouth kissing relationship between VA and DAV comes on here and vomits up DAV recruitment rhetoric?
Just keep out of my way pal because I never did like snake oil or the ones who sell it.
That’s how I feel. They better cross over to the other side of the sidewalk when they see me coming, because i can only view them as a threat to veterans, my life and well being.
Nikki Wentling, in Stars and Stripes, 7/27/18, reported:
“Some veterans who have used [the WH hotline] complained it’s doing the opposite of what was promised and sending their calls back to local VA offices, rather than elevating their concerns to the highest reaches of government.”
That’s my complaint, too: some of the very folks who hd been top-sheeting me for years to begin with, got to top-sheet me all over again. My VAMC’s director even wrote my congressman with “proof” I didn’t have a claim.
Just two problems with that:
1. What the director had quoted, was lifted from VBA’s first denial of eligibility; and
2. I had revised my second submittal to take into account VBA’s objections to the first one.
The director’s “proof” to my congressman justifying denying my first submittal, didn’t remotely apply to my second submittal.
That was over 1 year ago.
Coming up on 6 months ago, my congressman got me a meeting with some VA folks who had nothing to do with the bogus denial of my second submittal. They started off the meeting saying what I claimed was my second submittal, wasn’t in the record.
I handed them a copy of the second submittal + the USPS tracking number + a screenshot of proof of delivery.
With that, they said they’d pass my complaint up.
After nearly 6 months (and keep in mind my C-file shows I’ve been pursuing this for years), nothing’s come back down.
This call center in question has NO AUTHORITY beyond forwarding your complaint to the people you are complaining about. I learned that as soon as it opened up, by having a few conversations with the call takers. This is just one more VA scam.
Me too. I was one of the first to call when it first opened in testing stage and had only a handful of people there answering calls. They put me in touch with my local VA hospital (which they called ‘experts’, of which I could have called myself instead. What a phony piece of shit