Noteboom The Law Firm

VA Hires One of Its Harshest Critics to Help Keep Itself in Check

Alex Horton had just returned stateside from Iraq and a 15-month deployment when he wrote a scathing, 1,000-word blog focusing on the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) failures. At the time, Horton's GI Bill money was being held back, and it was money he was relying on for such necessities as rent and books.

His blog accused the VA of being "rotten" at its core and plagued with "obscene scandals, misappropriations, and misdiagnoses." When he sought help from his VA counselor, he was met with the same lack of compassion he felt flowed from the VA.

Though Horton's blog was anything but hospitable to the VA, the department must have seen some value in his words, because instead of responding to his blog they hired him. His new job is to continue to write about the VA in the same terms he was before so he can keep them in check and on their toes. 

The VA has a very distinct reputation as being archaic, out-of-touch with the younger generation of veterans, and bureaucratic on a level that interferes with successful interaction.

Hiring Horton is part of the VA's attempt to try to distance itself from that reputation. Engaging on the Internet and being open to the opinions of its harshest critics (when their views have merit) will allow the VA to better relate to the younger generation. This is new territory for the VA in many respects.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.