Monday, November 3, 2008

VA 'Shredder-Gate' story goes Public.

UPDATE: VA SHREDDER STORY GAINS NATIONAL MEDIA
ATT.



Just so you all don't think I was dreaming this all up... I have personally, in my 30 some years of doing business with the VA, know that they are capable of lying, stealing, misrepresenting, and screwing up medications, forgetting medications... verbal abuse... just to mention a few things.

Please take my advice and ALWAYS make a duplicate COPY of all your records and documents and save them in a safe place-- because the VA just loves to "lose' you paper work, and they also have 'mysterious fires' from time to time, like the one in St. Louis.
ENTION -- U.S. News & World Report: It will be
nearly impossible to figure out how many documents
had been incorrectly destroyed in the past.

=================================================================

Veterans' Benefit Claims Records Wrongly Headed for VA Shredders
By Amanda Ruggeri

If military veterans applying for benefits either haven't gotten a reply
from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or received a different
response than expected, it could mean that evidence for their claim file
wound up in the shredder.

A nationwide review of the VA's 57 regional offices has found that 41 had
records in their shredder bins that shouldn't have been there. In all,
nearly 500 benefit claims records had been erroneously slated for
destruction, including claims for compensation, notices of disagreement with
a claim decision, and death certificates.

That number could drop, because the investigation is still tracking down
some claims folders to see whether or not the records have already been
incorporated into them. But officials also remain unsure how long the
situation has been going on-and how many veterans may have been affected.

"The common problem in the VA system has been delays in getting the mail to
the [veteran's] file," says Steve Smithson, deputy director of veterans
affairs at the American Legion. "But shredding documents that may be
relevant to the claim is new to us."

<http://www.cafepress.com/vawatchdog/> The issue first surfaced when audits
by the VA's Office of Inspector General found records erroneously placed in
shredder bins in the VA office in Detroit. In an ensuing nationwide review,
the VA discovered that the Detroit office was only part of the problem.
There are 474 documents that still cannot be identified as duplicated in
veterans' claim files. Three offices have contributed more than half: St.
Louis, with 94; Columbia, S.C., with 95; and Cleveland, with 53.

Particular individuals in the Columbia and St. Louis offices are being
"looked at closely" in an ongoing investigation, VA Undersecretary for
Benefits Patrick Dunne says. "They are not handling clients." Sources from
veterans' organizations say they believe the two potential perpetrators to
be under administrative leave. The Cleveland office also remains under
investigation, and no particular worker has yet been identified as the
source of the problem there.

VA's shredder bins typically are emptied once or twice a week, meaning that
the 474 documents may represent only a few days' worth of errors. It will be
nearly impossible to figure out how many documents had been incorrectly
destroyed in the past-or if any have, Dunne says.

The approximately 50 different kinds of records found slated for
destruction-including nine compensation claims, 18 notices of disagreement
with a decision, and two death notices-could be key pieces of evidence for a
veteran's application for benefits, says Jerry Manar, the national veterans
service deputy director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. If a key piece of
evidence has been shredded, "it can result in the denial of a claim," Manar
says. More than 800,000 claims of various kinds are currently pending in the
VA's backlog.

The VA has taken swift action in an attempt to get the situation under
control. All regional offices were immediately ordered to halt any shredding
until changes are put in place. Training began in some of the regional
offices this week to re-educate employees on the proper procedures for
filing and shredding papers.

Meanwhile, a policy is being drafted to strengthen oversight in the regional
offices. The revised policy likely will include a two-person review, in
which an employee will initial and date a document slated for shredding,
give it to his or her supervisor for review, and only then destroy it.

Some in the veterans community are urging more oversight. Rep. Bob Filner,
head of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, recently announced that he
will hold a hearing on the issue the week of November 17.

Veterans are urged to call their service officers or the VA itself if they
have any reason to think their claims file is incomplete, particularly if
they have not received a letter of acknowledgement for the submission of a
claim after 30 days or if the VA's list of documents received seems
incomplete.

"We can't tolerate even one veteran's piece of paper being missing," Dunne
says. "We're taking action to make sure it doesn't happen again."

And check this one out below too >>> !!
If this happened to welfare people the entire Congress and "News" Media would be camped out on the White House steps... lol ! But when it happens to injured combat Vets -- who cares??

http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfoct08/nf103108-3.htm

"Christian": Imperfect but FORGIVEN.

From my beautiful, smart, wise, Christian Daughter-in-Law, Tammy, who lives in Ohio [near Columbus]. God Bless her and her family --happily married with two boys in school! Thank you, Tammy, for sharing this post with us.

Love,
Tom and Sharon








Tom & Sharon,
Below is the newest devotional geared to youth that Jimi and I subscribe to. I thought you might enjoy it. It explains why we are not worried about tomorrow's Vote, but it also reminds us that our job is never done. Daily prayer for our leaders is a most. Thank you for your wonderful example of daily prayer. May all Americans and the World be reminded of who is REALLY in charge! Love, Tammy

When I say..."I am a Christian," I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'." I'm whispering 'I was lost and now I'm found and forgiven." Adapted from Carol Wimmer's When I say, "I'm a Christian"



----- Forwarded Message ----
From: dare2share <dare2share@d2smail.com>
To: tamaria_carlson@yahoo.com
Sent: Monday, November 3, 2008 1:36:18 PM
Subject: SF 11.03.08 - How to Really Rock the Vote

#AOLMsgPart_3_e6bf06fc-2fe8-430a-8a5d-4651737efce9 body {font-size:11px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#000000;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#000000;} [Photo] How to Really Rock the Vote Whew! Are you glad it's over (or almost over)? Well, duh...as if I needed more commercials for candidates, loud and annoying phone calls, yard signs, bumper stickers, and wall to wall media coverage - right? But I will miss some of the humor. Whether you were pro-Bama, no-Bama, I don't know-bama, we love McCain, or all politics drive me insane...you have to admit there was some pretty good stuff that came out. Like: With just 19 days left until the election, Barack Obama warned supporters today to guard against overconfidence. Then he boarded Air Force One, blasted "We Are The Champions" and shouted "I'm King of the World!" Q. Why will Britney Spears vote for Barack Obama?
A. Because she's running out of other crazy things to do. Q. Why is John McCain running for President?
A. It was at the top of his bucket list. Unlike other candidates in the Republican primaries, John McCain says he believes in the Theory of Evolution. In fact, he watched it happen with his own eyes. OK, so both sides got some good ones in, but all jokes aside, do you think it really matters that much who ended up getting the job at the White House? Some might be shocked at that question and ask "What? Are you kidding? The President is the most powerful man in the world and Commander-in-Chief of the mightiest military in the history of earth!" Or others might point out that whoever controls the presidency controls the future of America - for good or evil. Well, yeah, I get that. But I think there's something you might need to consider and understand on a much larger scale. So large in fact that it will help you not be bummed or freaked out if your candidate's not the one, and it will also help you refrain from putting too much confidence if your candidate dude was most triumphant. God's Word actually has a lot to say about politics and world leaders - and here are a few critical facts you might want to put into your perspective: First of all, it is God Himself Who determines the winners of elections. Yep - and all along you thought it was the voting system and the Electoral College? Sure, they were the tools, but the Hand behind it all is the Sovereign and All Powerful King of the Universe: Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God (Romans 13:1). The 'governing authorities' that are referred to here were not democratic or even friendly towards Christians. But that didn't matter then - or now - because it is crystal clear from this verse that there is no senator, judge, or even president who wasn't placed there by God Himself. I know...pretty weird, huh? But actually, it makes sense. It's not like God is in heaven going 'Oh no! The guy I voted for didn't win!' I actually take comfort in the fact that no matter which person is sworn into office in January, it's the one that God established to be President of the United States . So what does this mean? Well, whether you can vote or not, whether your candidate won or not, whether you kept up or not...really doesn't matter in the big picture. This is our responsibility: I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity (1 Timothy 2:1-2). What usually happens when the 'wrong' person gets into office is we moan, complain, make jokes, and do everything else but what we are supposed to do...which is pray. So...are you praying? Even if the election outcome is different than you want? I've seen a lot of passion and emotion with this election, going forward, are you willing to direct that into your prayer life? Remember...God ultimately elects our President, and our ultimate responsibility is not to flame our opponents on Facebook or blog away our sorrows. We must pray- -that God will turn the heart of all presidents and kings and rulers to Himself. -that our President will rule fairly and justly. -that God will accomplish His perfect will through those He placed in authority. -that we will properly submit to our government regardless of whether or not elephants or donkeys are running the circus. That...is how we rock the vote! Head: What you need to know about this truth All authority on earth is established by God, therefore our responsibility is to pray for those in charge. Heart: What you need to feel about this truth Feel confident that God is in control of our government and our nation. If we all worried more about our prayer life than what's going on in the Oval Office, we might see the changes we desperately need! Hands: What you need to do about this truth Commit yourself to praying every day for those whom God has placed in authority over us. [Photo] Leaders! Parents! Be sure to check out the Youth Leader Guide and Parent Guide for How to Really Rock the Vote. [Photo] For ideas on how to talk with teens about the Gospel using current topics from teen culture, check out this week's Culture Commission! For more teen and youth group resources visit www.dare2share.org. [Photo]Interested in a Dare 2 Share Conference near you? Visit www.dare2share.org/invincible to learn more. © 2008 Dare 2 Share Ministries If you've enjoyed this Soul Fuel, you can use this link to forward it to a friend


From my beautiful Daughter-in-Law from Ohio.








Tom & Sharon,
Below is the newest devotional geared to youth that Jimi and I subscribe to. I thought you might enjoy it. It explains why we are not worried about tomorrow's Vote, but it also reminds us that our job is never done. Daily prayer for our leaders is a most. Thank you for your wonderful example of daily prayer. May all Americans and the World be reminded of who is REALLY in charge!
Love,
Tammy

When I say..."I am a Christian," I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'." I'm whispering 'I was lost and now I'm found and forgiven." Adapted from Carol Wimmer's When I say, "I'm a Christian"



----- Forwarded Message ----
From: dare2share <dare2share@d2smail.com>
To: tamaria_carlson@yahoo.com
Sent: Monday, November 3, 2008 1:36:18 PM
Subject: SF 11.03.08 - How to Really Rock the Vote

How to Really Rock the Vote

Whew! Are you glad it's over (or almost over)? Well, duh...as if I needed more commercials for candidates, loud and annoying phone calls, yard signs, bumper stickers, and wall to wall media coverage - right?

But I will miss some of the humor. Whether you were pro-Bama, no-Bama, I don't know-bama, we love McCain, or all politics drive me insane...you have to admit there was some pretty good stuff that came out. Like:

With just 19 days left until the election, Barack Obama warned supporters today to guard against overconfidence. Then he boarded Air Force One, blasted "We Are The Champions" and shouted "I'm King of the World!"

Q. Why will Britney Spears vote for Barack Obama?
A. Because she's running out of other crazy things to do.

Q. Why is John McCain running for President?
A. It was at the top of his bucket list.

Unlike other candidates in the Republican primaries, John McCain says he believes in the Theory of Evolution. In fact, he watched it happen with his own eyes.

OK, so both sides got some good ones in, but all jokes aside, do you think it really matters that much who ended up getting the job at the White House?

Some might be shocked at that question and ask "What? Are you kidding? The President is the most powerful man in the world and Commander-in-Chief of the mightiest military in the history of earth!" Or others might point out that whoever controls the presidency controls the future of America - for good or evil.

Well, yeah, I get that. But I think there's something you might need to consider and understand on a much larger scale. So large in fact that it will help you not be bummed or freaked out if your candidate's not the one, and it will also help you refrain from putting too much confidence if your candidate dude was most triumphant.

God's Word actually has a lot to say about politics and world leaders - and here are a few critical facts you might want to put into your perspective:

First of all, it is God Himself Who determines the winners of elections. Yep - and all along you thought it was the voting system and the Electoral College? Sure, they were the tools, but the Hand behind it all is the Sovereign and All Powerful King of the Universe:

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God (Romans 13:1).

The 'governing authorities' that are referred to here were not democratic or even friendly towards Christians. But that didn't matter then - or now - because it is crystal clear from this verse that there is no senator, judge, or even president who wasn't placed there by God Himself.

I know...pretty weird, huh? But actually, it makes sense. It's not like God is in heaven going 'Oh no! The guy I voted for didn't win!'

I actually take comfort in the fact that no matter which person is sworn into office in January, it's the one that God established to be President of the United States .

So what does this mean? Well, whether you can vote or not, whether your candidate won or not, whether you kept up or not...really doesn't matter in the big picture. This is our responsibility:

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

What usually happens when the 'wrong' person gets into office is we moan, complain, make jokes, and do everything else but what we are supposed to do...which is pray.

So...are you praying? Even if the election outcome is different than you want? I've seen a lot of passion and emotion with this election, going forward, are you willing to direct that into your prayer life?

Remember...God ultimately elects our President, and our ultimate responsibility is not to flame our opponents on Facebook or blog away our sorrows.

We must pray-

-that God will turn the heart of all presidents and kings and rulers to Himself.

-that our President will rule fairly and justly.

-that God will accomplish His perfect will through those He placed in authority.

-that we will properly submit to our government regardless of whether or not elephants or donkeys are running the circus.

That...is how we rock the vote!

Head: What you need to know about this truth

All authority on earth is established by God, therefore our responsibility is to pray for those in charge.

Heart: What you need to feel about this truth

Feel confident that God is in control of our government and our nation. If we all worried more about our prayer life than what's going on in the Oval Office, we might see the changes we desperately need!

Hands: What you need to do about this truth

Commit yourself to praying every day for those whom God has placed in authority over us.

If you've enjoyed this Soul Fuel, you can use this link to forward it to a friend
If this email was forwarded to you by a friend, sign up for your own FREE subscription at this link.

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A wise Proverb from an old Preacher in the 1800's.

To:
"AO Awareness & Info" , "Veterans For Change" , "Veterans Info"

Thoughtful Proverb for the Day

* You cannot help the poor, by destroying the rich.

* You cannot strengthen the weak, by weakening the strong.

* You cannot bring about prosperity, by discouraging thrift.

* You cannot lift the wage earner up, by pulling the wage payer down.

* You cannot further the brotherhood of man, by inciting class hatred.

* You cannot build character and courage, by taking away men's initiative

and independence.

* You cannot help men permanently, by doing for them what they could and

should, do for themselves .

It was NOT Abraham Lincoln-- but a preacher. in the 1800's

Very, very wise words, written years ago and we still don't get it.....

Why do MOST People think the Government owes them a living.

Soldiers of Faith.

You stay up for 16 hours
He stays up for days on end.
You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.
You complain of a 'headache', and call in sick.
He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.
You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.
You make sure you're cell phone iin your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.
You talk trash about your 'buddies' that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.
You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He patrols the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.
You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.
You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He doesn't get to eat today.
Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.
You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.
You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months.
You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.
You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.
You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.
You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.
You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.
You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.
You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He does exactly what he is told even if it puts his life in danger.
You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.
You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He tries to sleep but gets woken by mortars and helicopters all night long.
If you support your troops, send this to 7 people. If you don't support your troops well, then don't send this out. You won't die in 7 days, your love life won't be affected, and you won't have the worst day ever.You don't have to email this. It's not like you know the men and women that are dying to preserve your rights.
REMEMBER our Troops, and do not forget them LATER
Lest we forget -
KEEP THE CHAIN GOING