By Larry Jones and Katie Pirolt
July 2, 2012

Conference of Mayors Second Vice President Mesa Mayor Scott Smith served as moderator of a panel discussion on Serving America's Veterans during the June 16 morning plenary session. He told delegates he appreciates the sacrifice that our men and women in uniform make every day to secure our nation's freedom. Acknowledging the fact that our armed forces have already began downsizing and our troops are coming home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Smith said, "They deserve our support, and actually it is in our best interest to give them our support because what we have is a group of men and women who are committed, passionate, well trained and disciplined."

Auburn (WA) Mayor Peter B. Lewis provided mayors a different perspective on how cities should view veterans. As a mayor who has worked on veteran issues for many years, he said he has talked to many people about how to address the various needs of veterans. Over the years, his city has done a lot to assist veterans—named a veterans park, dedicated a building for veterans use, cosponsored a veteran levy bill in the county that raises $13 million a year to assist veterans. After his many discussions with local people and federal officials Lewis said his perspective has changed. "Veterans are an economic development asset. They are not a problem to be solved but an asset in revitalizing your communities." He cited several examples of benefits that veterans are entitled to when they return to local communities. After being discharged from military service, veterans are entitled to $30,000 in school benefits, housing allowances, and home loan benefits that can be used to rehabilitate vacant and abandon houses. When these dollars are spent in local communities there is multiplier effect. For every dollar a veteran spends on college, he said seven is returned into the community.

Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper told mayors that the assistance of veterans is an issue that all mayors should be involved in. She mentioned that this year Halandale Beach is sponsoring a bipartisan event in the city's Culture Center. "We've invited Senator Marco Rubio (FL), Representative Debbie Wasserman'shultz (FL) and a litany of groups that are going to bring resources together to help engage and re-engage our veterans in understanding what services are available to them." She also mentioned her continued support for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve; and Veterans Courts, which assist veterans with drugs and mental health problems.

Sumter (SC) Mayor Joe McElveen told mayors that 11,500 veterans are receiving some form benefits in his city and that veterans make up an estimated 20 percent of the city's population. The city is also home to Shaw Air Force base, which accounts for one third of the city's economy. Although the city has suffered from the recession, McElveen said veterans continue to find jobs because employers value their commitment and service. Caterpillar has built two plants there and Continental Tire is building a plant that will create thousands of jobs. The pool of veteran workers was one of the reasons for their decision.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Veterans Affairs John Garcia told mayors that the Department of Veterans Affairs is the largest integrated healthcare system in the country, serving 8.4 million veterans nationwide with 152 medical centers and over 800 community-based outpatient clinics, nearly 300 vet centers and mobile outreach that are in local communities. The VA also provides compensation and pension benefits for nearly 4.2 million veterans and about ten percent of them are 100 percent disabled. He told mayors that, "It's in your interest to help find those veterans and get them to file for their benefits. There are 24 million veterans in the nation and 65 percent of them have not filed for their benefits." He mentioned many other available benefits: life insurance covering 7.1 million active duty service members and enroll veterans at a 95 percent customer satisfaction rating; home mortgages that guarantee 1.5 million service members and veterans loans with the nation's lowest foreclosure rate of 2.25 percent; burial honors for nearly 120,000 heroes and eligible family members in 131 of our national cemeteries; and educational assistance — $10 billion annually, second only to the Department of Education.

Ismael "Junior" Ortiz, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans Employment and Training, told mayors that his role at the Department of Labor is to assist veterans in preparing for employment. He said when a people leave the military they are given a workshop that helps them put together a resume and information on how to search for a job. They also receive a gold card that entitles him to six months of intensive help in finding a job. He also mentioned they are given support in identifying civilian jobs they are qualified for based on their military training and experience. Ortiz urged mayors to get to know the veterans organizations in their area so they can partner with them in helping veterans get the help they deserve.