Oregon War Veterans Blog

Oregon Legislature Cuts National Guard Budget While Troops Deploy

Salem, OR - OWVA is saddened by the Oregon Legislature's decision to cut the Oregon Military Department/National Guard (OMD) budget by more than 16% while 3,200 Oregon National Guard troops deploy to Iraq this year.

"I am so sick of hearing 'we got your back' by politicians in Oregon who voice their support for our military in pubic forums, but in committee and session hearings cut their support so drastically," said Greg Warnock, Director of Oregon War Veterans Association.

During the budget vote by the Oregon House, Representative Tim Freeman (R-Roseburg) - the only member to voice his opinion on the budget bill - said, "I voted yes on this bill in committee, and will vote yes on this bill today. But, I think it is unconscionable that we could be passing a budget with such drastic cuts, while we are in a war with Oregon Troops deployed." 

Most of the troops deploying to war zones this year have been there two or three times already, and some have been there four times. Each of these families has suffered for many years while in the deployment cycle, and needed more help than ever from the legislature, especially for their emergency family fund support.

During the 2009 legislative session, OWVA asked for $850,000 to properly fund the National Guard's family emergency assistance fund. The legislative sub committee which oversaw the military budget process this year only authorized $250,000 to fund the emergency fund. After OWVA's loud complaints to the legislative leadership, they decided to raise the fund contribution from $250,000 to $450,000, which is still a decrease from previous years.

In the past two biennia, the legislature gave the fund $500,000. But, during each of those biennia the Oregon Military Department ran out of funds for emergencies within 18 months, so OWVA asked for more money this session. This year, the Oregon Military Department/National Guard has deployed more troops to war than at any other time since WWII.

This is a legislative FAILURE, in our opinion, and a tragedy for our military families. Military members, who have endured multiple years of deployments and subsequent financial hardships, cannot continue to support their families with even the most basic housing and utility costs. Many of them have already used up their home equities to subsidize their income, cashed in their savings accounts, sold assets and depleted other family resources just to survive the previous 18-24 month deployments. Some of these families will undoubtedly become homeless while their heads of household are dodging bullets and IEDs in Iraq.

During the next week, the directors and supporters of OWVA will more thoroughly review this legislative session's treatment of Oregon's veterans and military members by reviewing all of the veteran related bills, and will publish their review online and as a press release.

 

OWVA Director Emails Legislative Leadership About Not Yet Hearing Important Bills

The following email was sent to Oregon's legislative leaders, in an attempt to express how important it is to help the Oregon National Guard in their time of extraordinary need:


Dear President Courtney, Speaker Hunt, Senators Burdick and Carter, and Representatives Buckley and Barnhart:

Our constituents have been hounding us for more information regarding our legislation to assist the Oregon Nation Guard Emergency Fund funding, and Oregon Youth Challenge Program.  We have not been critical of the legislature so far, and would honestly like to keep it that way.

Since 2005, the Oregon National Guard has received funding for their Emergency Fund, which, as you know is critical for their operations, both at home, and also in the battlefield, where our guys don't have the energy to worry about the financial constraints placed on their families (3,200 of them) while they are dodging bullets and IED's.

OWVA wrote SB921, which will satisfy ORNG's emergency funding needs for the next biennium. But, this bill has not seen the light of day yet.  How can we as Oregon Citizens, and you as our leaders realize how much in Federal money the ORNG brings into the State for all of the non-military related special projects sponsored by this legislature, and then purposely decide NOT to fund their most critical programs? 

As you know, the National Guard's budget has been cut deeper than any of the other major agencies - but for every dollar in their budget, they bring in more than 190 dollars.  To us, this seems to be more than an oversight by Leadership, but is an abuse our National Guard.  It seems to us, and to our constituency, that you folks are using the National Guard for financial gain, but will not help them when they need it the most.  Amazing.

Since I know that you do not read lengthy emails during session, especially at the end it - I will be very brief about our other issues.

SB920 will save the Oregon Youth Challenge from impending financial disaster, and do it with a simple solution.  A 2.0 ADM is all they need to make this program the best in the country.  By the way, the Federal match for this program will be 50% beginning next year.  How can we let this program fail?  We have a meeting with Senator Verger about this bill on Monday, and would very much appreciate your support to move the bill ahead.

SB917 is a placeholder bill (can be amended in two days) to fix the TRICARE tax benefit fiasco from 2007.  The orignal bill (HB3201) was supposed to help military families get sufficient healthcare by encouraging providers to enroll as TRICARE providers.  TRICARE is the ONLY medical program for ORNG families.  Without providers, they have NO health care.  I can give you many anecdotes about how important this is.  The solution is relatively simple too:  take out the Dept of Rual Health as the administrator of the tax program, and let the providers simply apply for the deductions and credits from the Dept of Revenue.  The middleman is unnecessary and problematic.  Not fixing the TRICARE problem in Oregon will keep families from a health care service that would otherwise be available to them. 

Did you know that if they qualify for TRICARE they do not qualify for other low income health programs?  Even if they have no providers through TRICARE?  This means that the military families whom you have publicly sworn to "watch your back" will lose all access to affordable health care.  (Isn't that an important issue for this legislature?)

OWVA has been sending out regular press releases and Twitters to our constituents and the general public.  It is important (as we face the end of this session), that you help get these bills moving and fund the National Guard programs as requested.  We want our next few press releases to be excited about how well the legislature is "watching your backs," while our troops are deployed.  Time is running out.  Please help.

I would value an email, or phone call from each of you, or even a meeting explaining how you plan to resolve these issues, or if you plan to move these bills forward. 

Very sincerely,

Greg Warnock
Oregon War Veterans Association