This just in from our Houston Correspondent, WGM:

Part 4 of 38 CFR concerns itself with what is wrong with us, how much its worth and what we need to qualify. It’s reaching its sixty seventh birthday and is looking a little rough around the edges in 2012 inflationary dollars. It also views Vets from the perspective that their training and IQ qualify them for little more than common laborers such as ditch diggers and service station attendants. Therefore adequate remuneration (read compensation) for injuries/diseases should be based on the minimum wage… of Botswana.

We were supposed to see some changes on this. Much was promised aeons ago. I always envision Gene Hackman in Superman saying “Promises were made and gifts were exchanged. What’s the problem?”

Here’s the GAO report that set the forest on fire.

W had this to say about that:

Actually I am surprised that GAO even came out with the report at this time. I think they do it so often on the same subject. Same bat phone, same bat channel! Fingerpointing amongst the NSOs? Where have we seen this before? Who are all of these so-called stakeholders anway?

I have to add here that I misread stakeholders as steakholders and kept asking W to send me some. (They barbecue a lot down there).

“For example, they noted that it could be difficult to achieve consensus for specific design elements among the diverse set of stakeholders. Also, VA’s capacity to administer these approaches-—which could increase the complexity and/or number of claims—-is questionable.”

Now, because of all the focus on “Git ‘er done” by 2015, any revision of the regulations controlled solely by Uncle Eric is impossible in the near term. 2020 is looking more realistic-at least until 2020 when it will be announced that-for sure, positively, it’s gonna happen- that the launch date will be NLT 2025. You as Vets, of all people, should realize they are like, you know,  suuuuper busy down at Vermont Ave. cooking up all manner of new shindigs for the vA troops in far-flung places like Orlando and Honolulu. Revisions to 38 CFR, while important, are lower priority than what hors d’ oeuvres to serve at the Meet and Greet for the new VLJs next week. Besides, insightful legal opinions cannot be parsed over cheap non-Russian vodka or knockoffs of Tanqueray gin. Asking them to sacrifice in the name of Vets would be uncivilized and be the ruin of the system.

Anything less would be uncivilized. Veterans are so full of themselves it embarrasses me sometimes. Justice is not cheap and should best be accomplished on a full tummy.