Veterans rally, call for more oversight

Veterans rally, call for more oversight
August 09 2012 LITTLE ROCK (AP)

Arkansas veterans rallied at the state Capitol on Thursday and called for more oversight of the agency that assists them after problems that include thousands of dollars of illegally collected fees and a report detailing $10 million in repairs that the Little Rock Veterans Home needs.

The group of veterans called for the improvements to the state Department of Veterans Affairs during an hour-long rally on the Capitol steps. Gov. Mike Beebe in May asked the department's director to retire over the department illegally collecting more than $580,000 in fees and has used money from the state's surplus to repay the veterans who were charged.

The department in June announced that the Little Rock Veterans Home would close as soon as its residents were moved to other approved facilities of their choosing. Veterans at the rally complained that years of neglect led to the facility's deterioration.

The Arkansas Building Authority earlier this week said it would take $10 million to bring the building up to state building and health codes.

"Our troops deserve a better place to fight their final battle," James Scholz, an Army veteran who lives in Little Rock, told the crowd.
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