Veterans Benefit Bungling Charged

YPSILANTI - U.S. RepMarvin L. Esch, R-Ann Arbor says he will meet with high Veterans Administraron officials this week to discuss "outrageous bureaucratie bungling" that he says has plagued delivery of veterans' educational benefits. Esch said he was particularly upset at delays in the processing of benefits since he was a longtime advocate of the pre-payment syslem ed aPinsuring delivery of checks by the first of each month. "These delays are inexcuseable." said Esch at the Ypsilanti Congressional Town Meeting sponsored by the congressman to encourage public diseussion of community problems. "I intend - in fact 1 pledge. to do my utmost to put an end to this outrageous and continuing bungling." Esch, sponsor of two meas■ ures to increase veterans Ultra ni iiiv.iv.uov t - ■ benefits now pending before a I House committee, said he I tends to meet this week wilh I officials of the VA in an I tempt lo get cut the red tape I I now hampering delivery of I veterans' educational benefits. I Some inslances involve I llays in delivery of benefits for I living expenses and educationI al costs of at least two or Ithree weeks, but Esch said Ithat in one case a man, parIticipating in a program to ■ train mechantes, ha'd received I onlv one check since January, when he was apparenu.v i thorized to receive the benefits on a monthly basis. EsGli noted that an EMU student who was enrolled in the pre-payment program failed to receive his September check and that the October check arrived on Oct. 19 but contained a $15 error. The student finally recieved his November check on time Thursday. _.