I am asking Concord representatives to not support House Bill 636 (establishing a Department of Military and Veterans Services). This is a bad bill for veterans.
The sponsors are trying to sell it as a bill that will benefit veterans and it is anything but. The major veterans organizations here in New Hampshire (VFW, DAV, American Legion) do not support it, nor do most of the voting members of the State Veterans Advisory Committee.
The reasons we are against the bill are pretty straight forward: It will add another level of bureaucracy for veterans to wade through to get benefits, and the initial $600,000 to $1 million to set up this office will benefit only two people, the commissioner and his or her deputy.
The adjutant general has floated an alternate plan that the majority of VSO/SVAC do support – and that would be putting the Office of Veterans Services under the adjutant general division. It is less expensive and would meet the requirement of the bill as the adjutant general is the military here.
Additionally we have heard that this would give “veterans a seat at the table.” I am not sure what table exactly but we already have that seat with over 100 members of the Veterans Caucus in the House and SVAC representing veterans.
Please do not believe them when they say that a vote against this bill is a vote against veterans – it is exactly the opposite. A vote against HB 636 is a vote for veterans.
PAUL LLOYD
Concord