http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=16&a=465586
By Heather J. Carlson
8/16/2010
Frustration about denied benefit claims dominated discussion during a
town hall forum on veterans' issues on Monday night hosted by 1st
Congressional District Rep. Tim Walz.
Dennis Dejno was one of many who spoke about problems getting his
medical needs covered by the military. A Vietnam veteran, Dejno said
that when he first filed a claim to get help with anxiety, depression
and post-traumatic stress disorder in 2002, it was a daunting
experience that involved extensive medical reviews.
"It was very intimidating. So intimidating that when I walked out of
there, I said, 'I am never going back,'" he said.
So when the government denied Dejno's claim, he gave up and decided
not to appeal. Seven years later, Dejno decided to try again to get
benefits but said it has been a tough experience.
Walz said the stories of Dejno and others highlight the problems with
the current veteran claim system, which he said treats veterans in an
adversarial way instead of trying to work with them.
"When you fill out your tax return, they accept it and assume you are
not lying and they come back and audit," he said. "But when a veteran
comes in with an injury, they assume they are lying and wait for them
to go all the way through the audit."
Walz, a Democrat from Mankato, cited a long list of bills he has
supported in order to boost benefits for veterans and their families.
They include a tax credit for businesses that hire returning
veterans, and a measure that would grant full veteran status to
individuals who serve in the Minnesota National Guard for at least 20
years, even if they have not been called up for federal active duty.
More than 50 people turned out for the forum at Rochester Community
and Technical College. It was a friendly crowd, with many of the
veterans praising Walz for his work on veterans issues. The forum was
a far cry from the tense reception Walz and others faced a year ago
at town hall meetings centered on the federal health care bill.
The campaign of Walz's Republican opponent Randy Demmer questioned
Walz's decision to hold a town hall on veterans' issues but not one
on the economy. Demmer's campaign manager, Jason Flohrs, said Demmer
agrees with Walz on veterans' issues. But he said he would like to
see a town hall on an issue where the candidates disagree.
"We've got to be talking about the jobs. We've got to be talking
about the economy," he said.
He also questioned why Walz would schedule the town hall when local
National Guard soldiers are out of town at Fort Ripley doing military drills.
The struggle to get benefits
The bulk of the town hall discussion centered on the struggle
veterans face to get access to benefits. Jane Chilson said she has
been fighting to get military benefits for her husband, Gale Chilson,
who served in the Korean War and was diagnosed with Parkinson's
disease. His doctors say he has what appears to be toxin-induced
Parkinson's disease similar to what happened to some Vietnam
veterans exposed to Agent Orange. But while the federal government
has recognized the link between Parkinson's and the Vietnam War,
Chilson said they have been told that there is no interest in doing a
study on Korean War veterans because they are old and a study would
take too long and be too costly.
"A veteran is a veteran until he dies. And don't tell him he is too
old for benefits," she said.
Another issue is simply making sure veterans living in rural areas
have access to care. Fillmore County Veterans Service Office Nathan
Pike said he is hoping his county wins one of the competitive grants
so that it can afford to buy a new minivan to take veterans to the
V.A. Clinic in Minneapolis. Otherwise, he said he will have to turn
to local veterans organization for help because of limited funds.
Taxed bonuses for 'Red Bulls'
Paul King served with the Minnesota National Guard's 1st Bridge 34th
Infantry Division known as the "Red Bulls" and saw his tour of duty
extended to 22 months, including 16 months in Iraq. But Guard members
ended up having to wait more than two years after they got back
before receiving overdue bonuses for their extended tour of duty.
And, once they got those bonuses, they found out that they were
taxed. King said he saw his $10,000 bonus dwindle to $3,000 even
though he made that money overseas and it should be tax free.
He asked,"What's being done to resolve the issue?"
Walz said the bonus issue was extremely frustrating because Congress
had intended for the soldiers to be able to keep all of that money.
Then the Internal Revenue Service made the decision it was subject to
tax. Walz said that he will continue pushing for Guard members to get
those tax dollars back but said it is difficult once the IRS makes a
determination adding, "We're not very hopeful."
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