CINCINNATI — As WCPO continues to take a closer look at the operations and commissioners of county veteran service offices, it's become clear veterans in the Tri-State have concerns about several issues — including representation.
“The younger veterans ... we don't have a voice in any of the decisions that are made that affect us,” said Steven Staniford. “I think there’s definitely a time for change.”
Staniford is a 100% disabled veteran and is calling on the Hamilton County Veterans Service Commission members to not only bring on a younger post-9/11 era veteran but to reevaluate how they spend and serve veterans.
Hamilton County VSC member-at-large Bill Froehle called the issue a generational gap.
“Maybe needs to be looked at and tweaked and changed for the betterment of everybody in this particular era,” Froehle said.
Those two aren’t the only veterans who see this as an issue. Ohio Rep. Brian Stewart represents the people and veterans who live in Ohio’s 12th District.
“Honestly, when I saw your report, I said this is exactly why I introduced the bill. This is why we need it,” Stewart said during a one-on-one interview with WCPO 9 News anchor Craig McKee.
House Bill 69 would require the appointment of at least one post-9/11 era veteran to every veteran service office's board of commissioners.
“I really do believe that if you had if every county had at least one voice, you know, that's in their 20s or 30s or 40s. Instead of, you know, the overwhelming majority of those voices being you know, folks from an earlier generation, you're just gonna get more of a very means a viewpoint,” Stewart said.
The Ohio Revised Code says appointments to the county Veterans Service Commissions are done so with nominations coming from several veterans service organizations like Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, American Legion, DAV, Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A., the Vietnam Veterans of America and Korean War Veterans Association.
Merle Pratt with the AMVETS Department of Ohio Service Foundation Board responded to WCPO’s request regarding support of HB69, saying the service organization doesn’t support the bill. He also sent an email to Rep. Stewart saying, "AMVETS legislature committee feels at this time that testifying in support of the bill would not be received well with our membership and the veteran community."
Attorney Michale Moses, who says he represents the Ohio State Association of Veterans Service Commissioners and the Ohio State Association of County Veterans Service Officers on legislative matters, advised in an email to WCPO that neither group supports the bill, submitting written testimony of their opposition.
“It's interesting because the opponents will say, well, we've hired veterans service officers to serve that are from the post-9/11 generation, I think it's good, but those aren't the people making the decisions about where money is going to go,” Stewart said.
That decision falls on the commissioners, who come together once a month to discuss operational needs, changes and even whether some veteran requests for financial assistance should be granted, among other things.
“And my point has been if it's good enough to have if you believe that it's important to have a post-9/11 veteran in the office serving post-9/11 veterans, then why isn't it just as important as the post-9/11 veteran at the table when we decide what the policies are going to be, what benefits we're going to cover, what sort of funding levels are we going to allocate to, utility assistance as opposed to, you know, medical transportation or vice versa? Those are the kinds of things that I think a post-9/11 veteran brings to the table. That's important.”
Opposition and proponent testimony took place on Dec. 5th on HB69. You can read the bill and testimony by visiting the Ohio Legislature page.
Along with the aforementioned groups who oppose the bill, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Cuyahoga County Veterans Service Commission, Morgan County Veterans Service Office, Lorain County Veteran Service Commission, Sandusky County Veterans Service Office, Disabled American Veterans, Department of Ohio, Vietnam Veterans of America, Buckeye State Council, Ohio Judicial Conference are among others who provided opponent testimony.
The Hamilton County Veterans Commission monthly meeting is set for Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. at its office at 230 E. Ninth St., 1st Floor, Room 1100, Cincinnati, OH, 45202.
If you have a veteran story to tell in your community, email homefront@wcpo.com. You also can join the Homefront Facebook group, follow Craig McKee on Facebook and find more Homefront stories here.
