A recent news report indicated a backlog of claims to the Veterans Administration of 800 000 cases. Unfortunately, this is just the latest case of a decades long failure by another federal agency to fulfill it's core mission. While there may be thousands of dedicated employees and managers at the VA, the problem is a mountain of regulations, partisan politics, and career bureaucrats and administrators who prosper in a world of red tape.
My father returned from his horrible war experiences a disabled ninety pound veteran with extreme anxiety issues and the scars of every tropical disease imaginable. I witnessed and helped in his lifetime administrative battle with the Veterans Administration to get compensation for his afflictions. He was shuttled from hospital to hospital, required to provide documents that had been destroyed at a military records depot, and forced to complete endless forms and questionnaires. During what should have been his prime earning years he suffered nervous spells and service related illnesses which limited his ability to excel and maximize his earnings. Finally, after nearly forty years and with the intervention of congressional biggies and sympathetic doctors he received a 100 % disability rating from the Veterans Administration. With this stipend and his modest retirement he was able to live out his life in dignity and comfort. Why did it take this giant government bureau so long to conclude what was obvious in 1945 ? The tragedy is why an obviously shattered man had to spend the best years of his life fighting with his government to earn a fair settlement for his sacrifices and services.
Today we have Wounded Warriors and many other fine privately run organizations assisting disabled and unemployed veterans. In addition to their humanitarian intentions, these splendid agencies deliver important aid the Veterans Administration cannot provide in a timely manner.
The mission of the Veterans Administration is massive and probably gamed by some unscrupulous individuals seeking to get something for nothing. However, in the long view of it's history, the record of this government agency has been miserable. How can private run organizations dedicate larger portion of their donations and revenues to their veteran clients and get faster results then the Veterans Administration ?
Based on the delivery of medical care and assistance from the Veterans Administration, God help us when the federal government assumes greater control of our healthcare under Obamacare !
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