It is really amazing when Senator Wells will stand before the Veterans Council and say we really must all work together. I think the following will demonstrate that we the veterans do work together and it is the Senate and House military committees that fail us. The Coalition priorities last session was the Beckley VAMC nursing home and the tax on military retirees. Take a look I may have missed something! M E M O R A N D U M TO: James W. Spears Cabinet Secretary MAPS FROM: Larry Linch DATE: August 30, 2007 RE: Vet Summit ________________________________________ Secretary Spears after the comments made at today’s meeting concerning the Veterans Summit held on July 16, 2005, I thought I should up date you on the 10 items the committee decided needed to be addressed by the administration. Governor Manchin promised that if elected, there would be a Veterans Conference to discuss West Virginia Veterans issues. This Summit was held on July 16th 2005 at Jackson’s Mill in the West Virginia Building. The Summit was conducted by James W. Spears Cabinet Secretary Military Affairs & Public Safety. 1. Insure an adequate budget and funds for the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide quality service to West Virginia veterans, their survivors and those being discharged from active duty. ( Each year the Governor has recommended the budget request made by the Division. In addition additional funds were provided to establish the Veterans Bonus office. Additional Veteran Service Officers have been employed at the Charleston Field Office, do to the increased work load and a veteran service officer was employed at a new office established at the Barboursville Veterans home). 2. Initiate a study to determine the need for a National or State Cemetery in southern West Virginia. (The Governor established the Veterans Cemetery Committee and there report will be made to the Governor in October 2007.) 3. Support the Public Service Commission ruling placing a fair and reasonable cost of placing a Veterans grave marker in cemeteries through out the State. ( This issue has been resolved and the PSC ruling on compensation for the placement of Veterans grave markers.) 4. Support the Federally proposed 120 Bed Nursing Facility on the grounds of the VA Medical Center in Beckley. (Governor Manchin and all of West Virginia’s Congressional Delegation are on record in support of this nursing facility.) 5. Provide adequate funds for training Veterans Counselors in the Division of Veterans Affairs in the changing Rules and Regulations in Veterans benefits as passed by the U S Congress and the State Legislature. (Within the Division’s budget are funds for this training. In addition the National VFW has awarded the Division a $10,000.00 grant for training and equipment. They will also be sending five of our Service Officers to there national VFW training conference.) 6. Provide full tax exemption for all Military Retirees with over 20 years service to encourage enlistments, retention of personnel residence in West Virginia.( This legislation should be revisited, as many of you recall this bill always died in the House Finance Committee, and now with a Veteran as Chairman of Finance we may have a more favorable out come.) 7. Fully support needed funds for the Veterans Home at Barboursville and the State Nursing home at Clarksburg to insure adequate funds for operation. Increase the payoff by making the Veterans Scratch Off tickets more attractive to purchaser.( The Governor has recommended the requested general funds for the operation of the nursing home and the veterans home to the Legislature. The Veterans Scratch Off Lottery ticket is averaging $952,000.00 per year of income for the Veterans lottery account. Lottery officials state this is the most consistent selling scratch off ticket.) 8. Obtain adequate an needed funds to upgrade the Veterans Memorial, To correct and add names including those dying in the 21st century and the maintenance of the Monument.( Cultural and History was allocated an additional $300,000.00 in the 2006 budget to contract to have these corrections made.) 9. Initiate plans to support a 120 Bed Nursing Facility Center on the grounds of the Hunting VA Medical Center on Spring Valley Drive, Wayne County, West Virginia. ( I believe the original feasibility study on State operated Nursing homes recommended the next Nursing Home would be located in the Huntington area. After we have the Clarksburg home operational for a few fiscal years and as Director of the Division I know what our actual operational cost are, then we should begin the procedures to acquire another State operated nursing home.) 10. Establish the Division of Veterans Affairs as the Department of Veterans Affairs on level with other Departments and place a Department Secretary in charge. (The Director of The Division of Veterans Affairs attends all Cabinet Secretary Meetings and has direct access to the Governor and his staff.)
Posted on: Sat, 29 Jun 2013 01:10:38 +0000
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