I have a huge bone to pick here, and unfortunately it's with one organization which I thought was actually out to help vets. Years ago, after returning from Iraq, I searched and searched for a place to fit in, a place to find friends with similar experiences, a place who understood me. I thought I found this with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). They had a whole "Facebook for Vets" thing going on known as the Community of Veterans, chat rooms, easy access for vets to make friends and contact each other if they needed help with something, or just wanted someone to shoot the shit with. I met many really cool people on this site, and still talk to most of them today... however, for the most part, we've all kind of come up with our own conclusions about the IAVA and their fearless "leader" Paul Rieckhoff. Something wasn't sitting right with us, and without even talking to each other, pretty much came up with the same idea - Something just isn't right about Paul, and he's using the organization for his benefit. I'll go though a few things, and you let me know, am I and others wrong for thinking this?
1. "We've got your back" - well, we have some of your backs
IAVA is always shouting "We've got your back", in other words, they have our back right? A place to get help, meet people, etc? Yet IAVA holds several events every year, and unless you're buddy buddy with those at the top of the association, good luck ever meeting any of them. Veterans day, their Heros Gala, several trips throughout the country, Storm the Hill - all IAVA sponsored events, however 99% of their members will never attend, or be invited to any of these events. They claim to have "rigorous" application and interview processes, but when you look throughout the years, they consistently invite the same people to these events, no matter where they're at, and they'll pay for the trip! Flight, food, hotel, don't worry, we've got your back guy... we like you! Their sponsored events are usually held in only a few cities throughout the country, San Fran, LA, NY, Miami, Dallas... if you don't live within driving distance from any of these places, well, tough shit... got forbid the organization shows support to veterans desperate in "not so popular" destinations like Michigan, Oklahoma, Georgia, Illinois, etc. I guess the palm trees don't grow there, so why the hell waste your time going? Hey Paul, who pays for your trips? Oh yeah, all the donations you get to help the organization huh... I guess your trips help the IAVA don't they?
2. "The IAVA and it's 130,000+ members support *fill in the blank* bill", explains IAVA's founder and executive director Paul Rieckhoff
Paul Rieckhoff has a bad habit of saying stupid shit like "the IAVA and it's 130,000+ members and supports completely support this bill." One that comes to mind particularly is the Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal. As I've said, I've been a member for years, and you know, I've never been asked how I feel about things. When a big issue that affects military or veterans arises out of DC, usually members get the same response from the IAVA - "Don't say anything, we are still considering the issue". I think the correct response from the IAVA would be "Hey, here is a member survey of current issues in DC, we would like to know what our members think before the organization makes a statement on it". DADT isn't the only thing that's come up, on several occasions Paul has used the IAVA's membership numbers to push his ideas and personal issues. For an organization so hellbent on keeping things digital, as a part time web developer, I personally know it's not too difficult to make a quick survey and do an email push to the member base... the great thing about a lot of these survey programs is, they even crunch the final numbers for you too! So in reality, their overpaid "member coordinator" only has to open the program, write a few questions, and publish it to one of their many domains on the web. Normally things like this don't make much of a difference in things, but anything over 100,000 is a little hard to ignore, so people do take note of it, and it does have an effect on things that happen in our nations capitol... and I'll give IAVA props for making a hell of a presence on capitol hill.
HEY PAUL, QUIT FUCKING PUTTING WORDS IN MY MOUTH AND GET SOME ACCURATE DATA BEFORE USING THE ORGANIZATIONS MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS TO GET YOUR POINT ACROSS.
3. "This year we are pushing this in our political agenda"
Yes, every year IAVA has a political agenda, and they actually ask their members about a "select few" issues veterans face that should be addressed... well, let me reiterate that, IAVA picks the issues, and sends that member survey we were talking about a minute ago, they take those numbers and put the issues in order, then release their political agenda during their annual "Storm the Hill" campaign. I personally thing something like homelessness among veterans is a pretty pressing issue, but IAVA would rather worry about trying to pass jobs bills, which we know from history, never fucking work. Now having things you want passed or brought up in DC isn't a bad thing, but the IAVA has a nasty habit of getting one or two of their issues supported by a congressman or senator, then they forget about it. A couple years ago the big issue was revamping the VA benefits system, get it away from the paper system, and on to a digital system, while streamlining the disability/compensation process... bet you all forgot about that huh? So has anyone in DC, the rest of the country, and the IAVA. Mark my words, once this jobs bill passes, the IAVA will claim victory, then forget about it.. until they get enough of an outcry from their members, then they'll bring it up again, get a bill sponsored, and leave it - much like this horrible "GI Bill 2.0" bullshit which hurt more vets than it helped... way to go IAVA Legislative team!
4. IAVA refuses to start regional or state chapters
Why? I'm sure IAVA members would love to be able to actually meet other members... I have a wild theory, Paul doesn't want to give up any power in the organization. If the IAVA started state or regional chapters, they would have to have state or regional directors to look of their areas, and any issues in those areas would be brought up to the national director, and he would actually have to listen. With the power broken up across the country, he wouldn't be able to claim his entire membership body "supports" or "rejects" a certain political move in DC, he would actually have to listen to other people, and lets face it, if he did claim an entire organization thought one thing, and one particular part of it didn't, he would have to answer to it. It's much easier to keep the power of the organization in the hands of one person, then he can use his numbers, the veterans who joined, however the hell he wants.
5. IAVA still isn't a VA registered service organization?
Why not? WWP is, VFW, AL, VVA, all are, and they'll all help vets of any generation with VA issues, so why isn't the IAVA? I thought this organization is there to help vets? So why not cut back some of those ridiculously high salaries you're paying the employees, and hire some VA service reps, and register with the VA to help with things such as claims and appeals. I'm willing to bet if you did, a lot of people would be a lot happier! Do you want the joy of claiming to help vets without doing the dirty work? Do you want to bitch about how the VA claims process is, without experiencing it? What's the deal? please, I'd love to hear the answer to this.
6. Pauls political views are his views, and screw you if you disagree
Paul has ranted on Facebook and Twitter several times over things congress and the senate are doing, but seems to have a one track mind. He thinks by crying out that they are cutting veterans services and/or benefits, he'll help his cause, whatever that cause is. We all know our country is pretty much screwed at the moment, and it's been asked several time, at what point do you give up your rights as a United States Citizen to keep your rights as a veteran? Face it, veterans are both, and if we have to temporarily cut back on some bennies to save my rights as a citizen, then by all means, save the country... because there's no point in having these benefits for being a veteran if you don't have a country to have those benefits in. Disagreeing with Paul though is taboo, he and his cronies will rip you apart if you disagree with him... might as well change his name to Jesus, or Zeus or something.
7. "Non-Profit" ? - employees make more money than any other "non-profit" employee in the country!
At what point should one lose their non-profit status? When a membership coordinator (whatever the fuck that position does) makes $75k/year? When the Executive Director makes over $150k/year? The IAVA doesn't do enough to warrant these extremely high salaries, but yet they still scam the money somehow, and I'm sorry for those who actually pay in. I used to make a damn good salary in the Bay Area in California, about $70k/year, and it was more than enough to live comfortably, in fact, after rent and bills, I still had about $2000/month excess income - so the excuse that NY and DC are expensive areas to live is bullshit. A lot of these positions could be telecommute positions, but they refuse to do that too... after all, in the grand scheme of things, for more than 200 days a year, the IAVA is a strictly digital organization, so the need to go to the office every day, just to sit on a computer, is pretty needless.
Paul, I challenge you to respond to this blog publicly, and anything that might poke a bit of your conscience, change it. Quit misleading us and using us to fulfill whatever your agenda is. If you really have our backs, prove it with actions, not words...
