Larry Scott (former E-5) served four-plus years in the U.S. Army with overseas tours as a Broadcast Journalist at AFKN HQ, Seoul, Korea and AFN, Lajes Field, The Azores, Portugal and a stateside tour as a Broadcast Journalism Instructor at the Defense Information School (DINFOS). Larry was decorated four times including the Joint Service Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. He was awarded DOD's First Place Thomas Jefferson Award for Excellence in Journalism. After the Army, Larry was a news anchor on WNBC Radio in New York City. He receives VA compensation for a service-connected disability. Today, Larry resides in Southwest Washington and operates the website VA Watchdog dot Org.
To contact Larry Scott email larry@vawatchdog.org
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Short notice, tone of questions spell benefits trouble
September 6, 2005
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The Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission (VDBC) -- supposedly an “open” commission -- sure is good at keeping veterans in the dark.
The VDBC released their List of Potential Research Questions questionnaire on September 1, 2005. It was posted on the VDBC website sometime after that, just in time for the Labor Day weekend. Now, they want response from veterans by Monday, September 13! This is “mushroom” politics at its best. Keep them in the dark and keep shoveling manure on their heads.
Before you read further, you MUST RESPOND TO THIS QUESTIONNAIRE NOW if the VDBC is to hear your voice. Click here to view or download the questionnaire and respond to this email address: vetscommission@va.gov
The deliberate, last-minute posting of this questionnaire designed for “public review” can only be interpreted as an attempt to stifle comments from the veteran community. This is not surprising coming from a commission that is stacked 9-4 with appointees from the current administration, and in its charter, has the charge to determine “whether a veteran's disability or death should be compensated.”
It should be pointed out that the VDBC is, in their words, “independent of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense.” That's the bad news, and there is no good news. As an independent commission appointed by politicians and the President, they only have to answer to politicians and the President. There is NO Congressional or departmental oversight.
What's at stake here? Everything! The VDBC has the power to rewrite the VA benefits handbook starting at page one. And judging from the List of Potential Research Questions, that's exactly what they are going to do.
Let's look at question #2 in the first section. “How well do benefits provided to disabled veterans meet implied Congressional intent to compensate for impairment in quality of life due to service-connected disabilities?”
Note the use of the word “implied.” Congress doesn't pass bills that “imply” anything. Veterans' benefits are mandated, not “implied.” And pay particular attention to references about “Congressional intent.” The latest maneuver by the current administration, a mad charge lead by Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN), is to question the “intent” of previous Congresses who passed the legislation mandating veterans' benefits. Again, Congress knew exactly what they were doing when they passed that legislation. Now, politicians who don't like that legislation are trying to parse the “intent” and dismantle veterans' benefits as we know them.
Then there's question #3, also in the first section. “How well do benefits provided to survivors meet implied Congressional intent to compensate for the loss of the veterans/service members' earning capacity and for the impairment in quality of life due to service-connected death?” Again, note the use of “implied” and “intent.” But, the overriding issue here is, why are they even questioning death benefits? Why don't they just ask a veteran's widow? I can guarantee you she has an answer for them.
And, you'll like question #8. “Does the disability benefit provided affect a veteran's incentive to work?” The implication here is that giving a veteran a monetary benefit is akin to welfare.
The questions go on and on. There are 25 pages of them. All of them are leading in that they imply something is wrong and a change is needed. Most of them are demeaning and even insulting to veterans. Every question is designed to cast doubt on the efficacy of a particular VA benefit. The list is too long for me to present here. But, believe me, these are questions to which the VDBC will find answers. And, veterans are not going to like those answers.
I cannot understate the power of the VDBC. These are politically-powerful people whose connections with the elite of Washington D.C. got them where they are. They have their marching orders and veterans' benefits are about to get trampled.
I urge all veterans to reply to this questionnaire. I know it's long and complicated. It's written in bureaucratic language that's often difficult to get through without waders. Fight your way through it, get mad and then start writing. The questionnaire is so long you probably won't be able to respond to all the questions. So, pick a section or just pick a series of questions that have meaning to you. Once again, here is the email address for your comments: vetscommission@va.gov
Be sure to include your name, service, dates of service, highest rank and decorations. Also include whether or not you are a veteran with a service-connected disability and explain what benefits you receive. Be calm. Be strong. Be truthful. Let the VDBC know all the good that VA benefits, as they exist today, have done for you and your family.
As the VDBC tries to rewrite the VA benefits handbook we must fight them at every step. We have the law on our side because we know the true “intent of Congress.” And, when you answer the questionnaire you might want to include the words of Anthony J. Principi, former VA Secretary, who said, "History is littered with governments destabilized by masses of veterans who believed that they had been taken for fools by a society that grew rich and fat at the expense of their hardship and suffering."
Click here to view the VDBC questionnaire
© 2005 Larry Scott. All opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of Military.com.
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