Anecdotes to Antidotes

pinger,

I agree it's the younger generation of disable Veterans who are really the ones who are feeling the brunt of it all.

I, like you have done my fair share of fighting for my benefits, however, for me, my fight was in policy, not so much with DVA.
Early on in my fight, I became better at understanding what was required of me, to result in being approved for benefits.
For me it was like a ladder, you know you start at the bottom, and work your way up.
DVA, in my case showed me respect in my attempt to climb this ladder of benefits, at each hearing they thanked me for my service, they were always willing to hear my situation, and were always willing to support me.
My medical statements were in complete order right from day one, but I still had to start at the bottom of the ladder, looking back at it all, it was the policy within DVA that caused me stress, not DVA itself.

Not real sure how the whole system works in today's world, but what I have been reading, it sure does not look like the system that I have experienced.

Oh there listening to what we say alright, implementations are put into place, even into law and policy (when hell freezes over:)...

But at the end of the day where are you or me...or any of us, brothers and sisters for being approved for the above?
It's not generally happening. Certainly not towards our "benefit of doubt"  My own? It took me 30 darn years of fighting. I've been fubar going
south but fortunate with some old pa benefits truth be told, but what about younger veterans? Say a 25 y/o if they have bug-a-boos...

What about those guys and gals? Where's the goc support in the here and now for them? That peeves me off. esp when politics show up.
pinger.

Window dressing, two words that makes good sense to me in describing their bottom line motives.

Why ? We must ask why do they choose to window dress ?

These new and so called improvements and accessibility to more benefits and support maybe a good thing, but these new measures implemented were not what Veterans had at the top of the list for improvements, any improvement is a good thing, therefore these implementations put forward as of late, were, as you state, window dressing to show that they are trying hard to embrace this whole notion of caring for the well being of all Veterans.

There simply not listening to what we are asking for, the window dressing is and old tactic used many times over, it has become common practice for a variety of different groups that count on the government for support.
In my view, until any government starts to hear, and understand what we are saying, there will always be that feud between us and them.

The implementations are put in place for the following reasons,  as you state window dress, and to implement them in such a way that does not require any further spending.

So again, I say, listen to what Veterans have to say, and make decisions based on what we are saying.

They can make decisions Trooper, but for many of us to get actually approved for the decisions they need to write into law is another matter.

As much as red tape is sop for some vac resources, It strikes me as dirty pool.
Cost cutting? Yes, that’s a given, but there is something very wrong going on there.

e.g. all the new and improved, accessibility to even more benefits and support the goc
touts is just pr window dressing for their bottom line motives.

For instance, giving veterans top priority to public service jobs, great! Oh and the announcement is so nice… here’s another one though…
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/04/11/public-service-cuts-jobs-canada_n_1418178.html  …the jobs don’t exist.

That rhymes with 100% access to a whole bunch of great new stuff but if the approvals
Are 0% where is one left? In an oxymoron and then some… hmm.

Talk is cheap (i.e. acva) Approvals are more relevant. Pinger.

Well what you have stated is truly what is going on what we as Veterans have to go through in the process of applying for our benefits.

Personally, I think for the most part, is one being the cost cutting measures that is put forward with respect to how well we are able to receive such benefits.
This, I think is at the top of the list.

The red tape involved is in my view, not really justified, sure they should be a process in place that ensures funds are put in the right place, and these funds should be well accounted for, but the red tape involved in our system, just complicates matters worse, and all of this red tape just adds stress to the Veteran who is already stressed out.

If the government was to actually listen to what the Veterans are saying, things would be so much better on both sides.
Veterans are not out for a winfall from the Canadian tax payers, we are just asking to be able to live our remaining lives with some security, we were medically discharged from our duties, we have a ton of medical paperwork to show the individuals who decide what we are entitled to, what is the problem ?
What is so complicated about that ?
Why all the unnecessary red tape ?
These issues should be addressed by our government, instead of having the courts address them.

I think instability between the GOV and Veterans is caused by a great deal of the GOC not listening to what we are saying, we should be able to communicate in a way that shows respect for each other, this fighting between us just does not look good, I am not saying that the Government should not have control, they are in control, they can still improve our benefits, and reduce red tape, and continue to be in control.
I say listen to what Veterans have to say, and make decisions based on what we are saying.

Rambling thoughts...

Something keeps crossing my mind lately more than before. It’s all the crap a lot of us have to go through in vac and goc circles.
It’s everywhere somedays, red tape, incompetence, and disregard. i.e. the process can become a new problem or could (DOES) make existing ones worse if not expedient.

But from a different slant and pov, where the stress (caused by the powers that be) in dealing with ones issue only makes it worse.
Depending… upon ones threshold, resilience, and… scruples... If were lucky we hook a horseshoe.

Be the issue physical, mental, or financial and in spite of the fact that “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven...”
But hey, my 10 might be your 1 or vice versa… could be true, but that only divides us when spoken.

I really “pinged” off Mark Campbell when I heard him speak. Loss of legs is one thing for him, but an apathetic goc bureaucracy is unacceptable and mind boggling.
Aka, a dismal cluster fracking failure…

What can we do? Support one another… inside and outside of this forum… truly,

We know who we are. Fair winds, Pinger.