The Good Fight (an update)

It would be easy to assume that I spend all day doing nothing but lifting weights and dropping snarky memes all over the internet, when and if those opportunities arise.

But believe it or not, there is something more important afoot. Also, why would you spend anytime thinking about how I am spending my time? Get out of the house.

In any case, as some of you know my wife and I are now senior care givers. My uncle, who had been living in Palm Springs, is now in a senior center that is a mere 1.3871 miles from our house in Culver City. But who's counting.

As you might also recall, I am fervently working to secure him with some much-needed senior aid and assistance from the VA. Currently, the VA only doles out money to veterans who have served during times of combat. No right thinking person would deny them that money -- an $1800/month stipend.

Nor would any right thinking person deny some form of assistance to veterans who had the good fortune of serving when our country was NOT at war, which by the way isn't often enough.

Am I seriously taking on the VA?
Yes.
Yes I am.

It is a task for which I am naturally built. Requiring stamina, a high tolerance for pain, and the ability to turn a phrase in the pursuit of persuasion.

Have I succeeded? Not in the least.

I have no delusions about this undertaking. This is an ultra-marathon and I have barely gone past the starting line. And cannot even see the first water break table. But oddly enough there has been progress.

Weeks ago, I FEDEXED a letter straight to the top, to Robert Wilkie, Secretary of the VA. I have little regard for chain of command and have always believed in going over people's head. That's right, I'm a "can I speak to the manager's manager?" type of person.

Years ago I did that with the CEO of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac and convinced them to bend a rule in my favor so I could bail my sister in law out of a condo on which she was upside down.

Surprisingly, the VA called me back. They called me back twice!

I spoke with Jackie, an executive assistant to Mr. Wilkie, who agreed this was an issue worth consideration. But that it had to be done at the Congressional level.

It's the classic DC bureaucratic shuffle. And frankly, it was to be expected.

And so I began writing letters to my representative Karen Bass. And to Congressman Ted Lieu, who is the very visible representative in the adjoining district. He's also a veteran.

I also enlisted my friend Pete Turner, who has his own podcast, and is a seasoned combat veteran with multiple tours in Afghanistan. Pete is taking up the cause with me and has begun writing letters to his Orange County reps.

This week I got a phone call from Congressman Lieu's office. I was informed of the Mission Act, which extends benefits to injured vets, but still falls short of a tiered system for ALL who gave time to their country.

That means more phone calls will have to be made. And more letters will have to be written.

And when that's done, I can get back to the snarky Trump memes.