Friday, December 12, 2008

R U Fucking Kidding Me????

Widows and orphans. It's the one demographic that has always been victimized in this nation, to the point where it's now a cliché among my friends who are attorneys.

But it's not so goddamn funny when the VA, despite a law to the contrary, has been dunning the widows of dead servicemembers for the nickles and dimes that they were paid for the last month the veteran was alive.

Way back in 1996 the congress passed the benignly named Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act, under which the payments made to widows and orphans for the last month of the life of the veteran are NOT recoverable.

My question, obviously, is WHY IN THE FUCK were they even "recoverable" in the first place.

But that aside, it appears that somehow the VA never got the memo, and they've been dunning those widows and orphans relentlessly for repayment of that all-important last month.

Finally someone is doing something about it. And it's about fucking time.

VA Secretary James Peake is quoted as saying, "I agree that this problem must be fixed."

Duh. Here's a toast of microbrew beer to incoming secretary Shinseki, who has a tremendous burden on his shoulders to reform the VA. It's a daunting task, and I give him all props and all my support in his task.

5 Comments:

Anonymous said...

I am just too pissed to comment!

Anonymous said...

I am with you on that one. When my friend left Iraq from being shot in the shoulder, the army charged him for his vest. (this was in Dec. 2005 after the controversy) I hate that stuff.

jae said...

I put the entire article up at my blog this morning.

This bullshit is up there with the wounded vets being billed for lost equipment the went missing when they were being medivac'd and the repayment of Deployment Bonuses for the injured who could not, due to being hospitalized because they were missing a limb,finish the tour of the contract.
Call me jaded, but I am no longer surprised at any of it.

Jenn O'Neil said...

Funny I was thinking the same thing:
http://abstractjenn.blogspot.com/2008/12/1996-wtf.html

Alicia Morgan said...

With so much egregious insult and injury that this Administration has heaped upon those who have given their lives, limbs, health, sanity, and families into the gaping, drooling maw that is this 'war' of choice, it will be so great to have a chance to make things better. I like Shinseki and hope he can make some positive changes.