Support Our Troops more than just a bumper sticker

We have a pretty poor track record of helping our nation’s veterans. That’s why a proposed change in how veterans services are offered in Wisconsin is a bad idea. Currently, under Wisconsin statute, each of the state’s counties must have a locally staffed veterans service office. This is the place veterans go when they are in need of services. These offices were created back in the 1920’s as a way to ensure veterans got the help they needed weaving their way through all the government bureaucracy. But now some lawmakers in Madison think that is no longer necessary. A bill being proposed would end the requirement that each Wisconsin county operate its own veteran’s services agency. The bill would also roll back some of the services these offices provide, while consolidating more power within the state office of Veteran’s affairs. This is not the kind of help veterans need. Giving them an 800 number won’t provide the help they are looking for. And this won’t save taxpayers a lot of money. Budgets for county veterans service offices are typically less than a half percent of a county budget. But more importantly, fewer local veteran’s services offices means less help for veterans. Someone needs to tell the lawmakers supporting this change that “Support our Troops” is more than just a bumper sticker.