Assemblymen Jake Ashby (R,C,I,Ref-Castleton) and Mark Walczyk (R,C,I,Ref-Watertown), both of whom served in the United States Army Reserves, held a “Voices for Veterans” event at the American Legion Post 61 in Watertown where they, alongside their colleagues in the Assembly Minority Conference, called for the immediate restoration of Gov. Cuomo’s planned $5.68 million cuts to veterans’ services.

Gov. Cuomo’s proposed 2020-2021 Executive Budget takes aim at initiatives that range from helping soldiers manage PTSD and mental health challenges, to enabling veterans to find job-training and successful careers, to improving access to VA services and quality health care.

“Our veterans and their families have sacrificed so much to serve and protect our great nation. They have more than earned our support – this is why I am fighting to restore $6 million in funding for veterans programs,” said Ashby, the ranking Minority member on the Assembly Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. “Every year the governor tries to chip away at funding for veterans – funding that provides mental health services and critical help with the transition to civilian life. We won’t let him get away with it. New York must restore its support and commitment to veterans now.”

The largest cut proposed is to the wildly-successful, popular Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran Peer-to-Peer Program. The governor’s budget eliminates more than $4 million from the counseling program that allows veterans to connect with other men and women who have served in the Armed Forces and are facing challenges similar to their own.

“The Front Yard of America is home to numerous veterans and active duty service members, and Fort Drum is an integral part of our region. The Front Yard of America is home to some of the best of us, and keeping these leaders in the region and state will only help us continue to ‘climb to glory,’” said Walczyk. “What matters most is not how we treat our soldiers when they’re overseas, but how we care for them when they come home. I’ve seen firsthand the impact the Joseph P. Dwyer program is having within our community. This funding needs to be restored and I’ll fight hard for it.”

“The governor’s proposal to cut veteran services in his Executive Budget is breaking faith with one of our most important communities,” said Assemblyman Robert Smullen (R,C,Ref-Meco). “As a Retired Marine Corps Colonel, I understand the pride that Watertown has for its service members from the 10th Mountain Division whom I served with in combat. Today, I am advocating for the veteran services that are crucial for those who have sacrificed for our country. It is my hope that our governor will stop playing politics and restore this funding for our veterans. It is important to look at communities such as yours that have expanded and gained so much because of our military. We must always be Semper Fidelis - Always Faithful, to those who served. As budget negotiations continue in the coming months, a top priority of mine will be seeing this funding restored.”

Among some of the other veteran-related programs facing funding cuts are:

• Helmets-to-Hardhats: $200,000—Assists post-9/11 veterans’ transition into careers in the building trades.
• Clear Path for Veterans: $200,000—Serves as a key source for veterans in upstate New York to access resources and programs including professional skills and training development, peer and wingman services and K-9 therapy programs.
• NYS Defenders Association Veterans Defense Program: $500,000—Provides training, legal assistance and support to provide representation of veterans and service members involved in the criminal or family court systems.
• SAGE Veterans Project: $100,000—SAGE advocates and offers services that help lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender older adults who are veterans of military service improve their access to the VA and other veteran services, as well as support their overall health and wellness.
• Legal Services of the Hudson Valley Veterans and Military Families Advocacy Project: $200,000—Provides assistance with applying for veterans benefits and representation before the Board of Veterans Appeals and in federal court, at no cost to veterans, when benefits are denied.

The Conference is also pushing to codify the expansion of the MERIT scholarship program for Gold Star Families by enacting it into law. After public outrage about the scholarship being threatened last year, the program was temporarily saved due to an executive order. Members of the Assembly Minority Conference are pushing for the scholarship to be properly passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor.

Assemblyman Ashby has been co-hosting events in regions across New York state with Assembly Minority members. The next “Voices for Veterans” event will be held at the New Hartford American Legion Post #1376, 8616 Clinton St, New Hartford, NY 13413 at 11 a.m. tomorrow, February 20.