Veterans as for more money
From Missouri Digital News: https://mdn.org
MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

 MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News
MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

 MDN.ORG Mo. Digital News Missouri Digital News MDN.ORG: Mo. Digital News MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News
Help  

Veterans as for more money

Date: November 15, 2007
By: Fanna Haile-Selassie
State Capitol Bureau

Intro: Missouri veterans tried to persuade a house committee to bring up a piece of legislation which would allow more money to veterans organizations. RunTime:
OutCue: SOC

For the sixth time, Missouri veterans met with the house committee for veterans services.

They want to see a one eighth sales tax that will generate more revenue for veteran programs.

Currently, the Missouri Veterans Commission gets most of its money through the Missouri Gaming Commission.

But some vets, like Dewey Riehn, say the money is not enough to provide the kind of resources they need to help a new generation of war veterans.

Actuality:  RIEHN.WAV
Run Time: 00:14
Description: There are people that are surviving injuries in this war, that in every conflict past they would have not survived in.  And when they come back, then they bring those daily living critical needs back.

Beside providing new veteran facilities, some would like to see more Fisher houses built for veterans receiving medical treatment and their families.

From the state Capitol, Fanna Haile-Selassie, KMOX News

Intro: As more Iraqi soldiers come home, research shows these vets are bringing home a lot of mental problems. Some Missouri veterans want legislation that will guarantee more money for our veterans. RunTime:
OutCue: SOC Many Missouri veterans are asking for a one eighth sales tax to help generate more money for the state's vets. One of the reasons for the added aid is because the growing number of Iraqi veterans coming back home with severe problems that are different than the country has seen in previous wars. The chairman of the house committee for veterans services is representative David Day. He said he recognizes the need for some additional money, but resulting problems from different wars is normal.
Actuality:  DAY.WAV
Run Time: 00:20
Description: We had heard testimony from some young returning soldiers who said that they didn't feel like the service organizations or veterans organizations understood their problems. And I went and talked to a Vietnam vet who said he felt the same way when he came home, and then I talked to a world war two vet who said he felt the same way too. 


Day said the estimated amount of money from the one eighth sales tax would be about 80 million dollars a year.

From the state Capitol, Fanna Haile-Selassie, KMOX News.