New York Bill Will Allow The DMV to Indicate Veteran Status On Licenses and IDs

Kristina Derro
Veteran Advocate

 

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently signed legislation which allows New York State's Department of Motor Vehicles to add a mark indicating veteran status on both driver’s licenses and or non-driver IDs. This legislation allows veterans of the United States Armed Forces to request the veteran status mark on their identification, if so desired.

 

The veteran designation on driver's licenses and other forms of ID is desirable for many reasons, one of which is that many local businesses on New York state offer certain discounts on ticket prices and other items to military veterans. The legislation will allow veterans to show their status in a convenient manner, without having to carry additional forms of ID.  The law takes effect in a year, and in order to obtain the veteran mark, applicants must submit proof of honorable discharge to the DMV.

Governor Cuomo stated that veterans have made "invaluable sacrifices" for the state of New York and for the nation and that, in turn, the government wants to do something for them “We are proud to help distinguish them as veterans.”

New York Senator Greg Ball, who co-sponsored the bill, stated that identifying veterans in order to offer services and support is an ongoing issue and he hopes this designation mark will help expedite that process and allow government officials to help connect veterans to a variety of services available to them. The bill was first proposed by Bill Linder of Copiague, Lt. Commander, U.S. Navy (retired).

Though the emblem is just one small mark, it is hoped that veterans will feel the move as a way to acknowledge their sacrifice.

Kentucky currently offers the veteran mark, as does Missouri, where DMV officials report that they have received positive feedback from the veterans who opted to have the emblem placed on their license. They hope more veterans will take advantage of the emblem.

In Kentucky, Governor Steve Beshear directed the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to work to issue new licenses with the emblem without charging for them, allowing vets to get their new license without having to wait until the next renewal period.

The emblem consists of the word "VETERAN" printed vertically on the right border of the driver's photo.  Until the law takes effect, the DMV plans to revise application forms to manage the requests for the veteran status mark. The review of honorable discharge documentation must now be processed manually at the DMV, adding to the backlog at offices statewide.

Legal Training

By:  James G. Fausone

Kristina Derro, of Legal Help For Veterans, PLLC, was a panelist at the “First Annual Veterans’ Legal Assistance Conference” for the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.  The program was focused in helping lawyers serve those who have served.  The topics covered included veterans law update, researching military documents, development in PTSD, MST and TBI, veteran treatment courts and veteran housing resources.

Attorney Derro is a frequent lecturer and author on veteran disability topics.  No higher honor exists than when a law school asks an attorney to train other lawyers.  Kristina is a subject matter expert and has the ability to communicate complicated regulatory and legal matters in an understandable fashion. 

The program in Detroit on October 25, 2012 is just another example of her skill set.

Jobs for Vets

Brig. Gen. Carol Ann Fausone (Ret)

Veteran Advocate

 

Last week, four of the largest U.S. manufacturers announced their plans to start training military veterans for factory jobs. General Electric Co (GE), Alcoa Inc, Boeing Co and Lockheed-Martin Corp said they will all provide financial support to the “Get Skills to Work Coalition,” which will initially train 15,000 veterans to be hired by the four companies.

The program will get its start in January at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College in Ohio, near a major GE Aviation factory, and be rolled out to nine more U.S. cities over the course of 2013. While the founding four companies already employ a combined 64,000 veterans, there are more jobs out there that need filling. It is estimated that 600,000 manufacturing jobs in the U.S have gone unfilled due to lack of skills training and companies being unable to find workers for high-tech, high-speed factories.

Combine the vacant 600,000 manufacturing jobs with the 1,000,000 oil and gas industry workers nearing retirement and you can see why the “Get Skills to Work Coalition” is a program that is headed nowhere but up.

To learn more or see the original article, please visit: http://news.yahoo.com/manufacturers-unveil-plans-train-veterans-factory-jobs-150357581--sector.html

Gov. Snyder Signs Walsh Bill Establishing Business Court

Paul Bohn, Esq.

 

Circuit courts around the state will now include a dedicated business court.  John Walsh, Speaker Pro Tempore of the Michigan House of Representatives, sponsored House Bill 5128 creating such court.

Governor Rick Snyder signed the bill into law on October 16^th and it is now Public Act 333 of 2012.

The law establishes a business court in every circuit court with three or more judges.  This new court has jurisdiction over cases involving business or commercial disputes when the amount in controversy exceeds $25,000.

The law continues the mission of making Michigan more attractive to businesses.  The establishment of a business court creates a speedier method of resolving disputes between businesses, ensuring job creators will not be tied up for years in court cases.

The Michigan Legislature has been striving to make Michigan a prime location for businesses looking for a new home.  This new business court will provide an effective and low-cost means by which business disputes can be resolved in a shorter period of time.

John Walsh, in addition to his duties as a Michigan Representative, is an attorney with Fausone Bohn, LLP in Northville.

To learn more or read the press release, please visit:

http://www.michigan.gov/snyder/0,4668,7-277-57577_57657-288525--,00.html

In State Tuition Fiasco

Jim Fausone
Veteran Disability Lawyer

At times we make the simple things too hard. Here is an example. A veteran is denied in state tuition status in North Carolina. She lived in the state for years and has paid taxes and owned a home. What caused the inability to qualify for the lower in state college tuition rate was because she was out of state in Iraq and in Texas. Both moves were necessitated because of active duty orders for herself or her husband.

Army Sgt. Perez believes her treatment demonstrates that University of North Carolina does not value military service. She finds it ironic that the administration at UNC at one time considered granting in state tuition status to illegal immigrants. It is reported that more than 5000 veterans are in the UNC system.

Perez appealed the decision to a 15-member panel at the school's vice chancellor's office, where her request was denied. She said she later learned that the denial was based on the fact that she had not paid income tax in North Carolina in the years in which she was in Iraq and Texas.

She said that her family could not afford the out of state tuition rates at UNC because the GI Bill only paid the in state rate, so she has enrolled at a private college instead.

The UNC appeal board wins the knucklehead award of the week. The decision makers at the University of North Carolina system failed to use any common sense.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/10/16/university-north-carolina-denies-iraq-vet-in-state-tuition-while-considering/

Mortality Rates

Brig. Gen. Carol Ann Fausone (Ret)
Veteran Advocate

 

According to a military trauma study presented at the 2012 American College of Surgeons Annual Clinical Congress, soldiers who sustained chest injuries in Afghanistan and Iraq have higher mortality rates than soldiers in Korea and Vietnam.

The study compared chest wound mortality rates from the Civil War (63% mortality), WWII (10%), Korea (2%) and Vietnam (3%) with those sustained in Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan that suffered chest wounds had a mortality rate of 8.3%, a 5.3% increase over Vietnam. The study did not include soldiers killed in action.

Why the increase?

Capt. Katherine M. Ivey, MD, a presenter of the study, explains that this number reflects the fact that more wounded soldiers are being removed successfully from the battlefield and finding their way to treatment in hospitals. “We have the capability now of moving sicker patients from theater to the United States that we didn’t have before,” stated Ivey.

With more and more wounded soldiers being excavated from the battlefield the mortality numbers are increasing simply due to the surge in treated patients. The 5.3% increase in mortality rates since Vietnam is a misleading figure. In truth, with improvements in battlefield triage, wounded soldiers that would normally return home in months are now being returned home in days or weeks.

To learn more or see the original article, please visit: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/251177.php

Military Presidential Preference

James G. Fausone

Veteran Advocate

 

According to a recent military poll, the vast majority of the U.S. military favors Mitt Romney over President Obama in the upcoming election. The reasoning behind the soldiers’ choice was unexpected however, as the 3,100 active and reserve troops surveyed all but ignored the war in Afghanistan as an issue of concern, and focused mostly on the economy and the candidates’ character.

The poll consisted of a secure email survey of active-duty National Guard and reserve members who are subscribers to the Military Times newspapers. As a whole, this population is older and more senior than the military at large, but represents the professional core of the all-volunteer force. When polled, the group identified ‘pocketbook’ issues as the most important and stated they had more faith in Romney’s tax plan helping them in that regard.

Despite the polls results, Obama has gained some recognition in the surveyed group due to the death of Osama Bin Laden, however the majority of the group felt that Obama mismanaged the handling of Libya after Moammar Gadhafi was removed, resulting in the death of a U.S. Ambassador.

“If you’re not an effective manager….you can’t run anything else,” Bowe, a Marine military police captain stated.

Military polls have been critical of Obama and his handling of the defense budget and national security strategy, while Romney has disappointed some with his lack of details regarding his plans.

Either way the military is paying attention. “I’ve heard them talk about the election quite a bit,” stated Bowe. “They’re more dialed in than some might think.”

To learn more or see the original article, please visit: http://militarytimes.com/news/2012/10/military-times-poll-romney-bests-obama-2-1-100712/