More than 50 veterans and advocates for them stood on the steps of City Hall earlier today to decry the proposed budget cuts by Mayor Bill De Blasio to the newly created City’s Department of Veteran Services (DOV).
The proposed budget for 2018 would cut the DVS budget by over $300,000 going into the new fiscal year. Currently the DVS budget for Fiscal Year 2017 is $3.95 million and it will go down to $3.63 million for Fiscal Year 2018.
“Any attempts to cut back on those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that I can speak freely should be fought back with resistance. I stand here today with all of these veterans, who serve so that this City Council and all of us standing here today can be free. I will fight with all of my fiber and my voice as public advocate to stand for all of those who have truly made America great,” said Public Advocate Letitica James.
Though this decrease in the DVS budget of less than 10% sounds minimal, many veterans feel it is going to come at the cost of critical veteran services.
“I’ve gotten to learn every aspect of veterans affairs that is needed to become economically stable by one way or another by job training, education, or making the linkage between employer and potential employee. Trying to to get veterans their claims it is money that you need for rent and food, and if you don’t have that, you definitely become homeless,” said Alexander Pas, a veteran of the Vietnam War and an advocate for veteran services.
The DOV was officially created in April of last year after the mayor signed a city law creating the first City agency dedicated to veteran affairs, according to the NYC government website.
Since its inception the DVS has been able to end chronic veteran homelessness, reduce veteran homelessness by 90%, establish a city-wide presence with four satellite offices (Bronx, Queens, Staten Island and the College of Staten Island) and has begun to work on the VetsThriveNYC Whole Health & Community Resilience program, according to the Mayor’s press office.
De Blasio sent assistant press secretary Raul Contreras to the press conference to explain that the DVS budget has not been reduced, but it is the funding to one-time expenses paid for start up costs that are no longer needed that caused the reduction.
“The budget for DVS’s first year as an agency includes one-time expenses associated with starting the agency including computers, phones, desks, chairs, office supplies, community outreach event equipment (including camera, projector screen and event tent), display cases, banners, signs, and consulting services that were only needed during the first year to help organize and structure the agency. The DVS budget in subsequent years does not include these expenses and funding for the core services DVS provides to veterans is unchanged,” according the fact sheet.
Nonetheless, Reverend Michael Faulkner, who is a Republican mayoral candidate for this year’s race, stressed the importance of supporting veterans and providing them with the best services possible.
“A city as large as New York with a budget of $84.7 billion to call for cuts in that small budget already to benefit veterans that have served so long and so hard to for this country, is a shame. A sham. When we’re spending $11 million to defend the Mayor’s own legal battles, we can do more. As mayor of the city of New York, I can guarantee you that we will have an increase [in the DVS budget], we will honor our vets and those who have served NYPD,” said Faulkner.
Faulkner was referring to De Blasio and his administration being the target of a federal investigation in regards to the administrations fund-raising practices, according to the New York Daily News. Taxpayers will foot the $11.65 million dollar bill to pay for legal representation for any NYC employee who is being investigated in the probe. The mayor is accused of doing favors for donors who contributed to the Mayor’s nonprofit among other things.
The city budget for Fiscal Year 2018 must get approved by the City Council by June 30, which will hold budget meetings over the coming months.
