States should never target veterans for cut backs

The State American Legion was forced to make layoffs.

by Heather Sawaski
Saturday, June 13, 2009 at 7:33 p.m.


UPPER PENINSULA -- Changes could soon coming to the way U.P. veterans apply and receive their VA benefits. Last month, Governor Jennifer Granholm signed an Executive Order, slashing $300 million from the current state budget--including a 5% cut from the Department of Military and Veteran's Affairs. That's around $2 million.

That works out to be about a 25% cut from the State Veterans Affairs Grant, which funds American Legion programs across Michigan.

"We've been bringing in a lot of money into the state, taking care of a lot of veterans in the state," explained State Legion Adjutant Patrick Lafferty. "And now that the state, in their financial difficulties, reduced our budget and reduced our grant by 25% which has caused us to lay off service officers and cut services."

The most damaging cut, Lafferty says, is the loss of the only U.P. Mobile Services Officer--the person who made home visits to assist elderly veterans in filling out paperwork to receive their VA benefits.

"Without that," said Legion Director of Veteran's Affairs John Nelson. "we have great fears that the older veterans will actually be ignored and his claims will be lost."
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Aside from the fact veterans in every state are a minority among the vast population, equal to one percent of the nation's population, some may think Veteran's Services is an easy target to hit in budget cut backs. What the hell are they thinking? Are they thinking at all?

There was an event in American history called the Revolutionary War. The Patriots were a minority in the original colonies. Aside from the fact this nation became a nation because of them, the survivors of it became, you guess it, veterans. Throughout the history of this nation a minority group of men and women stepped up and said they would serve the nation in a time of need. After the establishment of Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and National Guards, they again stepped up and said they would fulfill any need the nation had at anytime and any place. Volunteers from every state in this nation filled manpower in times of peace. In times of war, again, more stepped up to serve and some were forced to under the military draft. They all served side by side, just as heroically and just as this nation expected of them.

Budget cuts were not a factor in their deciding to go where they were needed and the nation deemed worthy of them risking their lives. They were not worried about budget cuts when they fought in the nation's wars. They believe in the promise we gave them believing we appreciated the fact most of them were just teenagers out of high school but would live out the rest of their lives as veterans.

While the leaders of the states contributing these men and women had representation voting to authorizing sending them, what were leaders doing in the states these men and women came from? Did they ever think of the responsibility they would have to them after? Were they planing on any services these veterans would need for the rest of their lives as veterans? Were they paying attention at all?

Police officers and firefighters, another target of budget cut backs, at least have the security of disability when they are wounded in service to the cities, towns and states and they at least get pensions that were planned for all along. After all it's only right to take care of the people that take care of the rest of the people screaming loudly they are tax payers. They face the same difficulties in the budget process, but at least someone planned for them.

As bad as the rest of us have it when our services are cut, we whine about having to pay higher taxes forgetting they are paying higher taxes as well, have children in the same schools, drive the same roads and on the same bridges, have the same bills to pay and gas to pump. The difference is, they are the ones also doing the jobs we rely on. While we can vote out the people in charge, we cannot vote out a veteran. Nothing will ever change the fact they risked their lives.

Did anyone ever plan on the veterans coming home from Afghanistan and Iraq? Was funding increased in all the states they came from? Was staffing increased to levels the veterans would increase by? Did anyone paying the taxes ever wonder where the money to take care of them would come from when they were so busy waving their flags sending them to go? Why is it that the aftermath of war we are all so "patriotic" about never seems to enter into anyone's mind?