veterans bureaucracy fosters dependency

8/7/2019 Veterans Bureaucracy Fosters Dependency

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Veterans Bureaucracy Fosters Dependency

Schenectady Gazette

August 13, 1988

It is time to overhaul the entire system for veterans services in this country.

The current antiquated bureaucracy does not work to the benefit or veterans,does not serve the country well, and caused more than anyone in their right mindwould spend.

The main obstacle to the needed changes is the leadership of veteransorganizations. Actually, it is the lack of leadership. They pretend to believe thesewhen they really are following the lowest common denominator. Membersbecome Commanders by repeating the same demands and worn-out solutionsfrom 30 years ago. They stifle creativity within their ranks and emerge asprotectors of the faith. The best comparison would be to a Soviet commissarensuring that the economy is guided by Leninist ideology as articulated 50 years

ago. We know the effect that attack on the Russians.

As a new generation of leaders emerges from the Vietnam generation, we canonly hope they will apply some common sense and refocus programs. Otherwise,they too will be guilty of theft of opportunity.

The Veterans Administration is a $27 billion monopolistic industry dependent on asupply of disabled clientele, and survivors-in-need- a supply it controls witheligibility criteria. It eliminates competition through an incestuous relationship

with veterans organizations and friendly Congressman who might havechallenged its actions.

The Veterans Administration expert providing veterans organizations with aneffective monopoly over the benefits money. Under federal law and no attorneycan receive more than $10 for helping a veteran pursue a claim for disability



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benefits. Furthermore, not even the US Supreme Court can review a benefitsdecision. The VA decides who may represent veterans in these claims, and hasturned that monopoly over to the veterans organizations. Congressman whomight otherwise consider changing these laws see veterans organizations as apatriotic constituency will help them get re-elected. The service organizationscertify the patriotism of the incumbents against insurgents. In return, thecongressmen deny new federal charters to alternative veterans organizations.This enables the traditional groups to continue their part of the monopolistictriangle. The VA and is free to do what it wants with no challenges.

What the VA mostly does is maintain a hospital-based program decades aftersimilar welfare programs have been deinstitutionalized. It pays the veteran to be

disabled and encourages them to seek higher and higher percentages of disability,the ultimate being unemployability. A higher percentage of disability, the higherthe monthly stipend. While the rest of our society is moving toward taking peopleoff welfare through employment programs, the VA maintains the status quo. Thiscreates an increasing dependency on the VA, further depressing once healthy andactive warriors. It promotes a downward spiral of self-medication through alcoholand drugs, a loss of self-worth and an obsession with memories of glory days.When they get paid for behavior like victims we should not be surprised that somany veterans find themselves this way.

In order to change the system, we need intelligent articulate leaders who aremore interest in serving veterans and than becoming commanders. They will needto go beyond the organizations to organizing. The Reagan Administration speaksof privatizing public services. We need entrepreneurs who will sort out what canbe done better and cheaper through contracting out. It is time to turn the VAhospitals over to the community, as the U.S. Public Health Service has. We need

to integrate veterans programs with other social service programs. In doing so, VAadministrators may learn new methods from other service providers. As it is now,the VA hospitals are a major training ground for medical schools. We veteransdeserve better.



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The best veteran leaders of tomorrow will be active in their community today.They will help veterans see that community needs are more important theveteran needs or needs, that we all move forward together. They will change thecall from give me to let s share. They will be willing to take risks to challengetheir own beliefs, to be less defensive about what is owed them. They will giveup the concept of unearned benefits. As of veterans are better than the poor,homeless, single parents or the mentally disabled. When we veterans begin to useour caste privilege to serve others, then others will be more willing to help us.Then we will be living what we joined the military to defend. Then maybe the 88percent of veterans who do not join the service organizations will come forth.There will be something worth participating in. Until then, veteran leaders cantake a 12% membership over the cliff by themselves. The rest of us want to makethis country a better place to live for all of us.

Edward Murphy, a Vietnam veteran and political activists is regular conservativeto the Saturday op-ed page.

veterans bureaucracy fosters dependency

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