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OHIO'S GOVERNOR FORMS COUNCIL TO STUDY
VETERANS'
SERVICES -- "We as a state have an obligation
to do everything
possible to make sure that our veterans receive
the services
and support that they need and deserve."
Story here...
http://www.chillicothegazette.
com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=
/20070531/NEWS01/70531001
Story below:
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Governor signs order to study veterans services
By STEPHEN
MAJORS
Associated Press Writer
COLUMBUS — Ohio does a poor job of connecting veterans to available
services, and a new council will study how to better help them collect
disability benefits and pension payments, Gov. Ted Strickland said
Wednesday.
Strickland’s goal is to eventually form a cabinet-level veterans
department to drastically improve the federal government’s ranking of
Ohio as 43rd among the states for veterans use of the services. The
federal government assists injured veterans with disability benefits and
veterans of certain income levels with pensions.
“Unfortunately many veterans and their dependents are unaware of many
benefits either on the county or the federal level,” said Doug Lay,
director of the Franklin County Veterans Service Commission.
An executive order Strickland signed Wednesday requires a 22-member
Veterans Study Council to look into how the state can pull more aid from
the federal government. With better organization, the state could pull
in up to $500 million in available benefits, Strickland said.
“Ohio has a very rich history when it comes to our involvement in our
nation’s defense and we have had and continue to have many of Ohio’s
sons and daughters serving in the military,” Strickland said. “We as a
state have an obligation to do everything possible to make sure that our
veterans receive the services and support that they need and deserve.”
Strickland, a Democrat, said legislative leaders appeared supportive of
the commission during an earlier meeting. The governor would prefer
legislation creating a cabinet office, but is unsure whether it is
required, said Strickland spokesman Keith Dailey.
Republican House Speaker Jon Husted would be involved in the commission
meetings, but is not yet addressing the formation of a cabinet-level
department, said spokeswoman Karen Tabor.
Such an agency would be the 23rd cabinet-level agency under Strickland.
Strickland doesn’t know why Ohio — which has the nation’s sixth largest
population of veterans — had lagged other states in securing federal
money for veterans. More than 1 million veterans live in Ohio, and
thousands more military personnel are serving currently.
Roughly 9.8 percent of Ohio veterans receive either disability
compensation or pension benefits, or both, Dailey said. The national
average is 12.1 percent.
The governor already has an Office of Veterans Affairs, which advises
him on veterans issues and oversees county-level offices.
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Larry Scott --
