Now's not the time to award veterans
In the best of times, it would be a reasonable idea, albeit an expensive gesture to Ohioans who served their country in recent wars.
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Clearly these are far from the best of times, perhaps even the worst times, confronting the state of Ohio in generations.
That's why we can't understand why Ohio lawmakers, including our own state Rep. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark, and Gov. Ted Strickland are spending time contemplating one-time bonus payments to all Ohio veterans.
If passed, the bill would award veterans of the Persian Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan wars $100 for each month he or she served, up to $1,000 each. Veterans who served elsewhere in the world would be awarded $50 per month, up to $500 each.
The cost would be $106 million up front but could reach as much as $200 million.
"The state of Ohio for all of our recent major conflicts has always provided a military bonus for our recent military conflicts. No one is in disagreement that these veterans are deserving of this," Hottinger said.
We agree our veterans should be thanked and revered. They also need the best possible medical care and services, although that's clearly a federal government responsibility.
But we disagree on awarding optional bonus payments at a time when the state faces at least a $7 billion budget deficit and the governor suggests a worse-case scenario of 25 percent budget cuts.
What's really amazing about this issue is the Democratic governor's threat to veto Hottinger's bill providing one-time bonus payments. According to a published report, Strickland opposes using the state's rainy day fund as Hottinger's bill requires and wants to borrow the bonus money in 2009, when his party controls the Ohio House.
Why are our politicians so worried about this issue at a time when Ohio might be closing prisons, raising tuition significantly and cutting school funding? We don't have a good answer.
A cynic might suggest voting for or sponsoring a veterans bonus would look good on future campaign flyers. Or maybe our leaders still are coming to grips with the economic challenges towering over state government.
Spending $106 million on anything discretionary right now would be a mistake, no matter how worthy.
Ohio's leaders need to focus 100 percent of their time and energy on solving our current crisis and returning our state to more prosperous times. Perhaps that's a better way to honor our veterans' protection of our country and state.
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When is a good time to make the awards, after the veterans die, then it can be the thought that counted......if you can't afford to make the payment maybe the award should be a tax rebate either from state income tax or from property taxes, then it would not require the state to "borrow" the funds. Color me ignorant but as a totally disabled veteran from a near by state who grants me free property taxes and free college tuition for my children due to my status as a totally disabled service connected veteran, I am grateful to my fellow neighbors and their gratitude and generosity. I spend what money I have on vacations in state, I donate to causes in South Carolina, in return for their appreciation of my service, I try and repay it by trying to pay it forward in return, with ways I can.
Being good citizens and serving in the military especially now, when it is all volunteer, and we are in 2 wars, being grateful and expressing the idea with a few dollars is not going to bankrupt the state, and most veterans will be grateful and pay back more than you ever "give them". Just my two cents.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Now's not the time to award veterans
