September 30, 2009 - In 2006, VCS launched an aggressive campaign to force VA to reveal the enormous scope of the human costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.

We know the situation at the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) keeps getting worse. According to a new report, VBA "lost" up to 141,000 veterans' disability claims. That is unacceptable.

VCS fights for all our veterans - we are shining a bright spotlight on VBA to put an end to decades of serious problems, including the wanton delay, denial, and destruction of veterans' claims.

I am writing you because VCS urgently needs $5,000 in contributions by September 30 to meet our monthly fundraising goal. We are in your corner, fighting with our veterans so we all have fast access to VA healthcare and disability benefits.

VCS Continues Stunning String of Victories for Veterans:

* VCS raises awareness about problems at VA.
VCS was quoted in more than 300 news articles, including CBS, ABC, CNN, ABC, The New York Times, Army Times, Associated Press and more.

* VCS shares facts with Congress.
VCS testified several times before Congress promoting progressive and pragmatic solutions for veterans and VA.

* VCS sues VA to bring real reform.
VA admitted there was a suicide epidemic and opened a suicide prevention hotline.

* VCS research exposed patterns in VA delays.
Our Freedom of Information Requests revealed that one-in-four veterans wait more than a month to see a VA doctor and how our veterans wait six months for an initial VA claim decision plus another four years for a VA claim appeal decision.

* VCS Testified in Support of Veterans to Congress.
VCS advocacy led to Congress adding $1.8 billion in emergency funding to hire thousands of new VA medical professionals plus thousands more claims processors.

These are real results for our veterans and their families. Please donate $100 by September 30 so our advocacy continues expanding.

VBA on a Crash Course Toward Catastrophe
While VA hires new leaders and receives more money from a supporting Congress, some bad news looms on the horizon as the situation at VBA continues on a crash course toward catastrophe. Two recent VA Inspector General (IG) Reports plus recent press reports about the Post-9/11 GI Bill reveal how VBA, a sub-agency of VA, spirals out of control. Here's what we know:

First, VA's IG reviewed a sample of the more than 11,000 claims that sat collecting dust on VBA shelves for one year or longer. This month, VA's IG concluded that inefficient VBA workload management was responsible for losing files and a string of other problems.

The harm? Eight months of preventable delays while veterans faced foreclosure, eviction, and other grave financial hardship. That's right, VBA's large centralized offices cause VBA's systemic failures.

Second, in another investigation, VA's IG reviewed VBA's computer system that should keep track of the physical location for every veteran's VBA claim file. This week, the investigation revealed an estimated 440,000 veterans' claim files were not in the right place. More than 141,000 of those may be "lost." No wonder so many veterans suffer so long at the hands of an uncaring and entrenched VBA leadership consistently fighting against reform.

Third, VBA's implementation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill crashed on the rocks. On September 16, VCS asked VBA to disclose statistics about the program so it could be objectively assessed. VA provided reporters with the gloom and doom stats a few days later. Shortly thereafter, VA Secretary Shinseki ordered VBA to provide veterans with a $3,000.00 in advance payment while VBA dug out from an avalanche of hundreds of thousands of education benefit applications. While VBA's staff eagerly want to do a good job, they lacked the time and leadership to successfully implement the GI Bill.

The failure of VBA's leaders to monitor VBA activity forced Shinseki to step in and provide urgently needed leadership. The disturbing irony here is that VBA acts immediately to provide relief for GI Bill applicants, but VBA leaders remain absolutely unwilling and unable to act on behalf of the one million veterans waiting endlessly for a VBA disability claim decision.

PLEASE ASSIST VCS TODAY

VCS urgently needs your help today to sustain our successful efforts. Last week, CBS News "60 Minutes" interviewed VCS about rampant systemic leadership failures at VBA. The news segment about VBA should air in November.

Our high-profile publicity and accountability are only possible because of your strong support VCS.

If you want cutting-edge advocacy that keeps these issues in the news, in front of Congress, and, more importantly, resolved with progressive and pragmatic solutions, we need your help today raising $5,000 by September 30.

Please click here to set up a tax-deductible monthly gift to VCS today.

Thank you, Paul Sullivan