U.S. SENATOR JOHN V. TUNNEY D. CALIF. ост, 8, 1973 BESSEMER ALABA 35020 ALABANON DEAR SIR: I AM A VETERAN OF WORLD WAR 2. I HAVE BEEN TOTALLY DISABLED SINCE 8/31/71. THAT LEGAL FEE OF $10.00 THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION WILL PAY A LAWYER TO REPRESENT A VETERAN IS A LAUGHING MATTER. HE HAS TO REPRESENT HIS SELF GET A VFW OR LEGION SERVICE OFFICER OR THE VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICER REPRESENTS A VETERAN. A VETERAN THERE FORE DOES NOT HAVE A CHOICE TO BE PROPERLY REPRESENTED. I THINK THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION ARE IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF A VETERANS RIGHTS. THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION IS NOT DEALING FAIR WITH VETERANS. I THINK BEYOND ANY REASONABLE DOUBT, I PROVED MY CASE BEFORE THE APPEALS BOARDIN MY STATE. MY CASE HAS ALSO WENT TO WASHINGTON, D.C. IF MY CASE WERE DECIDED IN A COURT OF LAW INSTEAD OF THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DECIDED IN MY FAVOR, INSTEAD OF AGAINS'T ME. IF THEY HAD DONE THE RIGHT THING I WOULD BE RECIEVING MEDICAL ATTENTION AND A DECENT PENSION. I RECIEVE $252.50 MONTHLY SOCIAL SECURITY. I RECIEVE $61.65 MONTHLY V.A. PENSION BENEFITS. THIS V.A. PENSION DOES NOT PAY FOR ALL MY DRUGS AND DOCTORS EACH MONTH. I HAVE ASKED FOR HELP IN MY MEDICAL CARE AND HAVE BEEN TURNED DOWN. RECENTLEY I READ IN THE PAPERS WHERE YOU WERE GOING TO LIVE ON A $1.25 FOR FOOD. THIS IS NOT COUNTING RENTS, UTILITYS PLUS DOCTORS AND DRUG BILLS. I DON'T HAVE TO ASK YOU HOW IT WAS. I ALREADY KNOW IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE. I READ IN THE NEWSPAPER ABOUT THE HUGE FEES LAWYERS WERE RECIEVING FOR NOTHING IN REPRESENTING MINERS IN COLLE CTING THEIR BLACK LUNG BENEFITS AT LEAST THATS WHAT YOU SAID AND I AGREE WITH YOU TOO. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS THE RESULTS OF A BILL TI THAT WAS PASSED BY SENATOR JAMES ALLEN OUR OWN ALABAMA SENATOR. SENATOR TUNNEY I KNOW OF PEOPLE WORKING FOR THE MINES BUT TOP SIDE COLLECTING HUGE BENEFITS THEY NEVER WENT IN A MINE. I KNOW OF OTHERS THAT HAVE NOT WORKED IN A MINE IN 20 OR MORE YEARS, YET THEY ARE RECIEVING HUGE CASH SETTLEMENTS PLUS LARGE MONTHLY PENSIONS BENEFITS. DON'T GET ME WRONG IF THEY ARE ENTITLED TO IT I THINK THEY SHOULD RECIEVE IT. THIS IS WHY I AM ASKING YOU TO TRY TO GET AN INVESTIGATION STARTED IN THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION, FROM THE TOP ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM. SOMETHING IS WRONG SOME WHERE I BELIEVE WE VETERANS ARE SUPPOSE TO BE RECIEVING MORE HELP THAN WE ARE NOW RECIEVING. I DON'T THINK A VETERAN IS BEING TREATED LIKE HE SHOULD BE TREATED. THEY SAY THEY ARE DOING ALL THE LAW WILL LET THEM. I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE CONGRESS WOULD DO THIS TO MEN THAT HAVE FOUGHT FOR THEIR COUNTRY. I THINK WE ARE BEING TREATED LIKE DOGS. I HATE TO SAY IT BUT ITS TRUE. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH THE SENATE AND HOUSE OUR V.A. PENSIONS WERE CUT ( 12 MONTHS) AGO.. THIS SAME BILL WAS BOTTLED UP IN CONGRESS THEN IN COMMITTIES AND NOT REPORTED OUT WHEN WE RECIEVED A 20% SOCIAL SECURITY RAISE. IS THIS THE TYPE PEOPLE REPRESENTING DISABLED VETERANS IN CONGRESS NOW. I AM NOT ASKING FOR A REWARD, CHARITY, GRAITUDE. I AM DEMANDING THAT THE U.S. SENATORS AND U.S. REPRESENTATIVES IN OUR CONGRESS AND LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST THAT OUR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES STAND UP AND ASSUME ITS RESPONSIBILITES TO ITS VETERANS AND DISABLED VETERANS., OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AGAIN I WANT TO REMIND YOU THE MEN THAT FOUGHT IN THE WARS IS WHAT HAS MADE THIS A GREAT NATION, YET THESE SAME MEN ARE TREATED SO SHABBI. P.S. I AM SO MAD MY BLOOD IS BOILING AT THIS TREATMENT WE VETERANS ARE RECIEVING. hot and duly lost No. Eng knows The Honorable John Tunney United States Senate Dear Senator Tunney; Raleigh N. c. 7607 I have read with interest reports on your concern with the conduct of some members of the law profession. My experiences with lawyers and courts in Kentucky prompts me to Unbelievably I have never yet had a reply from that group, who are more concerned with their cash income than with justice. My former wife fled the United States with a minor son, and in defiance of the courts reluctant order to return him to the court's jurisdicition has kept him in Honduras and refused to let me see him. Despite a court order finding her guilty of contempt, her Kentucky lawyer, one of 4 she had, 2 of whom I had to pay, filed suit through a fellow Kentuckian practicing law in the western part of North Carolina, for alimony payments. My lawyer in this county contacted the lawyer in the western part of the state and explained to him that I had not resided at any time in that county, but was a bona fide resident of this county. None the less the Kentuckian lawyer in the westen part of the state took the case to court, my lawyer got a change of court to here---and I got a bill for $450! My ex-wife failed to return a single item of personal property that her herd of lawyers and my one lawyer worked out. The judge when made aware of this dismissed it as being bric-a-brac! True enough- alifetime collection of scholarly books, gifts from foreign governments I have helped. The law profession is áverdue for a cleaning up and an increase in responsiveness to the people at their mercy, whether poor or middle class. Sincerely, October 13, 1973 Jamestown California 95327 Honorable John V. Tunney 1415 Senate Office Building Dear Senator Tunney: Recently I read an editorial in the Los Angeles Times wherein you are heading up a Committee investigating the practices of attorneys in the United States. I also understand that your Committee will be taking testimony from various individuals who have had both positive and negative relationships with attorneys. I would be most interested in submitting to your Committee my personal views in describing some unusual methods and ethics that attorneys have used insofar as prisoners are concerned. I am an inmate in a California prison, the Sierra Conservation Center is a medium/minimum facility, located in the Sierra foothills. During the period of time I have been incarcerated I have had a number of dealings with privately retained attorneys and public defenders. A number of things relating to retainers and their payment would interest you along with the "deals" that are made. Sometimes the dealings a inmate has with an attorney is truly tragic! Large amounts of money is paid to a lawyer, for a specific service and due to the communication problems, often time no services are rendered whatsoever by the lawyer. Then you have the radical attorney who is more interested in exploiting the prisoner and fomenting riots and disturbances. This I have all been witness to, Mr. Tunney, and I would be greatly interested in passing along to you my experiences and the experiences of others. I have a number of solid facts, with documents, records and transcripts. I would be most interested in speaking or corresponding with you or a representative of your Committee. You may contact me at the above address. Very tryly youps), This letter is addressed to you in your capacity as Chairman My view is that there is a serious need for consideration To a considerable extent, the "middle class" is unable to Lawyers' fees are necessarily rising because of rising costs, taxes, and so forth, to the point where the small businessman finds it difficult to pay for all the services he needs, not only legal services, but accounting services, and other professional services associated with the operation of his business. The status and image of lawyers has certainly not been helped Honorable John B. Tunney Page 2 Today's lawyer, who obtains recognized standards of efficiency, proficiency, and ability, has to be upgraded. That is something the ABA is trying to do and I am in favor of all the efforts of those who urge passage of a strong "National Legal Services Corporation Act." The purpose of this letter is to suggest that your committee explore not only the needs of "poor people," but the needs of the middle class and small business people for professional services of a high professional caliber, without that being done on any socialistic basis. |