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Veterans March On Lansing!!!By Kevin Rex Heine, Section News
(Promoted by Nick...)
(cross-posted from Tea Party of West Michigan) This post is in follow up to my post from a week or so ago about Governor Granholm going too far. At tonight's meeting of the Kent County Veteran's Honor Guard I learned that the various veterans' organizations in Michigan have organized a full-blown march on Lansing to protest both Executive Order 2009-22 and Senate Bill 250. (This has been in the works since the executive order was issued.) I don't know what plans any of you may have for Thursday afternoon, but I would certainly appreciate a show of force in support of my brothers-in-arms. The protest rally is planned for Thursday, May 21, 2009, at 3:30 PM on the front steps of the State Capitol Building in Lansing. A transcript of their flyer follows the break:
Since 1927, the State of Michigan provides appropriations to Veterans' Service Organizations to provide the Veterans of Michigan advocacy in obtaining and retaining veteran benefits. On 05 May 2009, the Governor issued Executive Order 2009-22, mandating budget cuts for the current operating year. Due to this order, Veterans' Service Organizations were cut 25%. This has a severe impact on the ability of Veterans in this state to obtain assistance in applying for benefits, as many of these organizations had to downsize staff and operations.
Additionally, there is current legislation pending, Senate Bill 250, which will drastically change how Veterans in the state will obtain assistance in receiving benefits. Section 707 would effectively eliminate the state appropriations provided to the VSOs, and create a state Veterans Affairs Office. In this time of economic difficulties and budget cuts, members of the Legislature wish to create another bureaucracy and add another level of red tape. The Veterans' Service Organizations have historically provided superior representation. This is dramatically demonstrated by the amounts of recoveries the VSOs have reported over the years. These recoveries demonstrate new benefits dollars received by the Veterans of the State of Michigan, and do not include the monthly benefits veterans are already receiving. In the last fiscal year (2007 - 2008), the VSOs obtained recoveries of $331 million. Very few programs that the state funds can show as substantial a return as the VSOs can. For every dollar in state grants, the Veterans' Service Organizations brought in $85 to Michigan Veterans. Please rally with us in our fight to retain Veterans' Rights. We will meet at 3:30 PM on Thursday, May 21, 2009, on the front steps of the State Capitol Building in Lansing.
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