Col. Pat Stogran, CAN's New Vets Ombudsman

[Nemo888]

Agreed. The story in the Citizen really hurt DND's credibility. Bad weekend to be working the Public Affairs desk.

I wonder how the spin doctors will deal with this? It sounds like, "Yes we knew about this for years. But we wouldn't dare speal about it because we were pansies more interested in a promotion than the troops welfare." How do you turn that back into a recruiting poster photo op?

 

[dogger1936]

I have heard multiple views about this at my workplace. Some said a heavy handed approach would accomplish nothing. My personal view is the Col did what I would do. After getting shot down so many times and accomplishing less than what I wanted I would have to change tactics. Not only does this get it into the media (which as we know can go either way) it shows the troops that some of these "bureaucrats" ARE trying to fight for them...but are getting blocked.

Either way this goes thank you Col for your service to us.

now on the side of attacking VAC  I can say I have found them rude/ crude at their assessments. I.E telling my combat arms brother "so your telling me you sit around watching coronation street like a woman" during a re assessment of quality of life. And many other horror stories.


Me personally have found them very friendly and helpful. I have had no problems with VAC PERSONALLY however I have a huge problem with the new veterans charter.

 

[Nemo888]

This guy makes me feel like all my comments should be written in crayon.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Government+holds+responsibility+vets/3431153/story.html

Government holds responsibility for our vets

The Ottawa Citizen August 23, 2010

Re: 'Our heroes are suffering,' Stogran says

in shot at Tories, Aug. 18.

We note ombudsman Pat Stogran's concerns for our veterans' needs. In listening to Stogran's comments, we are reminded that all members of our armed services, including the reserves, may, at any time and at no notice, be placed by our government in harm's way and may, as a result, forfeit their lives or suffer incapacitating injury or illness such as our soldiers and veterans who have served in Afghanistan and who are now the subjects of Stogran's concerns.

Our Canadian Forces are the ultimo ratio regis of the government of Canada -- the last power of coercion available to enforce its sovereign writ. The essential role of the military is the controlled application of the maximum force under an unlimited liability.

The unlimited liability of the soldier, sailor, or airman must be matched by an unlimited responsibility on the part of the government to ensure members of the Canadian Forces have the right tools in terms of equipment and highly trained personnel to carry out the mission as directed by the Canadian political authority.

Further, in the event that the service man or woman becomes incapacitated by injury or illness or is killed, the government's unlimited responsibility extends to fully providing for the welfare of the veteran and his or her dependents.

We would therefore expect the government to ensure that public servants set aside their penny-counting attitude when serving the needs of our veterans and their dependents. Our great nation owes our veterans nothing less.

Alain Pellerin, Ottawa

Executive director, Conference of Defence Associations

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Government+holds+responsibility+vets/3431153/story.html#ixzz0xR7NZlU6

 

[dapaterson]

The Conference of Defence Association's missive would have been much more welcome earlier in the debate.  Popping up now suggests that they are not interested in leading, but rather in following whichever way the wind blows.

 

[Bin-Rat]

Mr. Minister of Veterans Affairs - you seem to like to quote this "69 %" figure who "like" the lump sum option over the monthly pension.

Here's some questions for you:

1) Who and where are those 69%? - I have yet to meet a single one of them ... at least one who has served in this millenium's conflict;

2) Were just those Vets who would be affected by the "lump sum" over the "monthly pension" polled and our Cold War counterparts? Or

3) Did your Department send this survey/poll to WWII Veterans and those from Korea as well? And, if so,

4) Exactly what "question" did your bureaucrats actually ask them? Was it something like:

    a) If you were injured today, would you rather receive a lump sum payment or a monthly pension? or

    b) If DVA were to offer you today a lump sum in lieu of your monthly pension, which would you take?

5) With all due respect to our WWII Vets and our Korean Veterans --- I know what I'd choose in response to a question like the above if it were posed to me and I was in my late 80s. If the question was such as the above, I know exactly who those "3 out of 10 not happy" people are - today's Vets. Is that how you skewed the numbers of this 69%??

I certainly suspect it is.

You want to look after our Veterans Sir?? Then re-instate their monthly disability pensions and ensure they are looked after in a respectful and dignified manner for the rest of their lives. After all, their injuries - earned at their expense on behalf of Canada - will affect them each and every month for the rest of their lives ...

Installments!!?? Give me a freakin' break. Invest it!!?? Give me a freakin' break.

Hmmmm - here's my choice (hypothetical): Buy myself a handicapped accesible vehicle & pay off my house and renovate it for the wheel-chair ramp and all the other things necessary so that I can live daily with some concept of mobility and semblance of order and dignity ... but starve afterwards because I can't work for the rest of my life and have to heat it, have hydro, eat, etc etc.

Nope that grand old 250K doesn't quite do the trick now does it?? Invest what??

Found this post On www.veteranvoice.info which A Gentleman posted the link to this report  http://tinyurl.com/2375nom

# Results and Analysis by Review Question

    * Q1 – Did you receive any financial advice related to your lump sum payment?
    * Q2 – Disability Award Spending Choices
    * Q3  How well do you think that you used your lump sum payment?
    * Q4 – If you had a choice, would you prefer to receive your lump sum payment with the same dollar amount as a single payment or as payments over time?
    * Q5 – Are you aware that there are other services through the New Veterans Charter such as rehabilitation, health benefits or earnings loss benefits?

 

[dogger1936]

I called VAC today reference permant impairment allowance. The had no idea what I was talking about.
After a 15 minute on hold experience they told me only the national level could even tell me what it was all about. The only thing she could find was that it was 3 levels:

lvl 1 1500
lvl 2 1000
lvl 3 500

all these funds are taxable and although the disability is deemed permant this is ONLY when your going trough vocational rehab.

So anyone using PIA as a leg to stand on as being a fair thing is full of it.

 

[The Bread Guy]

This from the Canadian Press:

Former Canadian soldiers don't want the voice of war veterans silenced just yet.

A petition is circling some legion halls that urges the Conservative government to keep popular veterans ombudsman Pat Stogran on the job awhile longer.

The Tories have said the retired colonel's three-year contract won't be renewed this fall.

But the petition makes it clear the veterans want Stogran to stick around. Among other things, it calls on the government to "renew the mandate of the Veterans Ombudsman, Col. Pat Stogran"

The petition will be sent to Parliament once it makes its way through the legions ....