Jim,
This is the old discussion on why VA is so slow in processing claims:
It still goes back to "money"! I was wondering how many of the current outstanding claims for disability are valid? If they are granted then how much money would the government have to provide to the veterans? With Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and food stamps on the chopping block why should we expect VA disability to be fully funded.
I guess what I am saying with the "austerity budget" that is being promoted why spend money to automate the claims processing?
Reply:
The questions of how many claims are valid, how many vets are truly "disabled", how much does it all cost are all old and pretty well decided in my mind.
VA compensation is different than any other benefit. It's a swap, a trade of sorts that came from a deal we made when we agreed to do anything we were ordered to do. That includes sacrificing our life and health if the Commander says we must. The law, as enacted by Congress, is pretty clear...we earn those benefits.
The cost is a drop in the bucket when compared to the cost of how veterans are created. We Americans are the most warlike society on the planet. We fancy ourselves as the worlds police department. We are the only nation to have permanent encampments of fully armed military troops in nations around the globe. Japan, Korea, Germany, Australia and many others don't have bases within our borders but we're there in theirs.
Those other benefits provided by our society come from different ways of dispersing our tax money. None come from the voluntary sacrifice of the individual in exchange for the benefit.
The bottom line...if we can't afford veterans, we must stop creating them. I'd buy into that in a heartbeat. Let's stop being the cop on patrol and spend the money at home.