| Happy Veterans Day. For those veterans who think Texas Republicans are here to help you, think again. Texas Governor Rick Perry, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, and Speaker Joe Straus have joined with Republicans at state agencies to call for massive cuts to state agencies. Rick Perry, in particular, has made it a point to rail against government jobs. That counts, as well, for those few people who help our veterans navigate the bureaucracy of veterans benefits. From the Austin American-Statesman, "State agencies offer up 9,800 jobs to close budget shortfall" The Texas Veterans Commission would lose 21 jobs , including three employees who help the families of wounded veterans find jobs. Thirteen of the eliminated positions — nine of which are now occupied — would be claims counselors who help veterans apply for medical and pension benefits with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. A veteran's chances of maximizing his or her federal benefits go up considerably when aided by the counselors, who can navigate the VA's labyrinthine bureaucracy and speak its distinct language, said Victor Polanco , a veterans counselor at the VA clinic on Montopolis Drive. "It can be cumbersome," he said. Eliminating all 13 claims counselor positions would have the effect of reducing federal benefits to Texas veterans and their families by $88 million over the two years, and the state would lose $3 million in sales tax as a result, the agency estimates.
Family values, indeed. |
