Thursday, May 14, 2015

Board OKs Memo Opposing Veterans Bill

Board OKs Memo Opposing Veterans Bill
Eryn Dion
News Staff Writer

TEMPLETON  As a new bill designed to restructure veterans services across the state makes its way through the House, Veterans Service Officer John Caplis asked the Board of Selectmen this week to endorse a memo opposing the legislation — which would see veterans services condensed to 25 centers throughout the commonwealth.

“So from Boston to Pittsfield, there will be 25 separate centers taken from cities and towns primarily,” Mr. Caplis explained. “I really don’t agree with that whatsoever. That’s really going to impact veterans in the small communities.”

Introduced by Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D-Pittsfield, in January, H. 3319 has been making its way through the Legislature, though no formal action has been taken. The bill calls for the creation of a minimum of 25 districts to be established by a commissioner, who will also appoint one VSO to head each center with a minimum of two deputy VSOs providing assistance.

With a limited number of centers, Mr. Caplis said veterans with mobility issues and disabilities will fall behind under the new system.

“The service I provide here for the community is that I will go to them and sit at their kitchen table and discuss veterans services and whatever benefits they might have,” he told the board.

Mr. Caplis said VSOs across the state are asking their boards to draft similar memos opposing the consolidation.

Considering the significant increase over the last year in benefits being paid out to veterans in town, Selectman Kenn Robinson said having a local VSO has been a “positive factor” and that creating even broader regions would be “nonsensical.”

“To expand it even further out than what we had before with our previous region, we would lose even more veterans through the cracks,” he said.

Chairman John Columbus agreed, commenting that he’s seen similar regionalization efforts with school districts and housing authorities, often to the people’s detriment.

“I think the people that lose in that are the people consuming the services,” he said.

The board voted unanimously to draft a memo opposing H. 3319 to send to the House of Representatives, along with a personal letter to Rep. Susannah Whipps-Lee, R-Athol, asking for her opposition to the bill.


1 comment:

  1. Other towns need to look at their own status and ask questions like our selectmen did of our old VSO. If they get the answers ours did they need to do what Templeton has done and take care of their own Veterans like John Caplis does for our town. I can see if this bill goes through and we have to rejoin a center,one of 25 how the care and lack of one on one will turn Veterans away from getting what they need. John has done a great job and our Veterans now welcome him to help them out whatever way he can. With the new centers will there be a phone the Veterans can call day or night in a crisis and talk with someone who knows what they are going through? More like a answering machine is my thought.
    PLEASE Support our Veterans and our VSO!
    They stood for us now we need to Stand for them!

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