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Rep. Walczyk ‘disheartened’ over governor’s cuts to help New York veterans

Posted 2/5/20

North Country Assemblyman Mark Walczyk, R-Watertown, “is raising serious concern” over a deep slashing of funding in the governor’s executive budget proposal for a number of programs he says …

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Rep. Walczyk ‘disheartened’ over governor’s cuts to help New York veterans

Posted

North Country Assemblyman Mark Walczyk, R-Watertown, “is raising serious concern” over a deep slashing of funding in the governor’s executive budget proposal for a number of programs he says aim to better the lives of veterans in New York state.

The 2020 Executive Budget has proposed to cut funding for nearly 10 veterans’ programs, totaling $1.65 million. One such program is “Helmets to Hardhats,” a program launched in 2003 to help 9/11 veterans make the transition into successful building trades careers. Over the past 17 years, Helmets to Hardhats has provided help to 3,000 veterans across the state who are working in the construction field.

“The governor’s decision to eliminate programs that assist and protect our veterans is offensive, and frankly, disheartening,” said Walczyk. “Spending $300 million on the Erie Canal, while cutting benefits to veterans is reprehensible, and a step backward. I’ll be fighting tooth and nail for these critical funds and hope the governor will reconsider cutting ‘Helmets to Hardhats,’ a real success story. This is one small way our state can say ‘thank you’ to our veterans. They deserve it.”

“It’s a fantastic program that gives the soldiers a venue to use their GI education bill to enter into a NYS apprenticeship program in the Building and Construction Trades, for any trade,” said Dale Stehlin, Field Representative for Bricklayers, Local 2, New York.

Another program facing a $4 million cut in the governor’s budget is the “Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Project,” which has provided mental health assistance to veterans who return from overseas. The program reportedly has been able to keep veterans out of local emergency rooms and jails.

“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.”

“This grant has enabled us to address the needs of veterans from the point of the veterans themselves, and not from the top down. It's become critical to their overall recovery and future productivity,” said Timothy Cryster, a veteran peer advocate for VETS Peer-to-Peer Outreach Center. “It is one of the only grants I have ever seen that can immediately adapt to a constantly-changing environment or the needs of our county agency partners to help better the lives of veterans and their families. The results are real. I'd like to thank Assemblyman Walczyk for his advocacy on this program and the need for these critical funds.”