On Friday, May 19 the VA Disability
Commission held a controversial
vote to go forward for the
collection of SSDI data from
the Social Security Administration
for interagency program review
and analyses in their pursuits
of reviewing the VA Comp & Pen
system as missioned last year.

The vote was carried, 11 to 2,
in favor of doing the data
collection. I was at that vote
in person for the entire 2-day
session.

The Motion which was at the
crux of the vote, was revised
a total of 3 different times
with the final version placed
up on the big screen for all
Vet advocates to see.

Changes were made up until
the final minutes, and the
Commissioners hinted at the
fact that they were considering
the idea of merging the SSDI
benefits program together with
the VA Comp & Pen program
so that veterans of the future
will only have to fill out
a single application for
both, and perhaps if eligible,
receive the SSDI from a
fast-track ruling even if the
Comp & Pen side cannot be
awarded at that time.

The Commission mostly speaks
in the context right now,
of the all new Seamless Transition
effort and automated filing
system which is partially
up and running and will surely
face upgrades in years ahead.

In this respect, the SSDI
and Comp & Pen merge could
be an incredibly good thing
for Veterans of the future.
As disgruntled as many of us
are who are STILL trapped in
the system as old cases, we
should get on board and try
to support the newer ideas.

But my concern in particular
is this: "So what are ya gonna
do about the illiterate and corrupt
ADJUDICATORS ???"

HELLO ----- Earth calling the
General Accounting Office!!!!

Obviously merging the SSDI
and Comp & Pen under the same,
obsoleted, dysfunctional, useless,
broken, not-working VARO
Adjudication Offices is NOT
exactly a plan, now is it??

Advocates who can continue to
attend the hearings should
focus time and time again
on the old and existing cases
which are STILL trapped for
all eternity inside the
broken system.

There are STILL no new
Adjudicator accountability
laws or misconduct laws
or even an Adjudicator
complaint system where
Veterans can file a claim.
So why would any of us
wish to jeopordize our
SSDI eligibility to a
VARO Adjudication Office
who already virtually NEVER
gets it right ??

We should use caution on
this matter as we confront
the Commission time and time
again to add clarity on
what they plan to do to
fix the Adjudications Offices
around the country.

We have to also use caution
to not allow ourselves to
be schmoozed, sucked up into,
or "bought" with fame and
fortune to sell out the
entire Veterans community
if the Commission tries
to sucker us into a discussion
that the VARO Adjudication
Offices really don't matter
or are not important.

Believe it, they are and
we want to know exactly who
it is that will fix it.