AMY PAULIN IN THE NEWS
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Local Dignitaries Assemble to Expand Benefits to Cold War Vets
The Town Report
by GREG MAKER
Assemblywoman Amy Paulin is on a crusade to get equal benefits for all veterans who served the United States of America. On Monday morning in Eastchester, she teamed up with county legislators Jim Maisano (R-11th District) and Vito Pinto (D-10th District), Miss New York Alyse Zwick and various veterans to urge Governor David Paterson (D) to sign a bill giving all veterans, specifically those who served in the Cold War, equal rights when they return home.
Currently, under New York State law, veterans are grouped into three categories: those who have served in combat, those who served during wartime but saw no combat and those who served when there was no war going on. Each category comes with different benefits. The bill would put all veterans into one category.
“The benefits are given out by dates instead of recognizing that the jobs they performed are the same,” Paulin said. “One of the first measures we had was to call attention to the fact that once you take that risk of entering the military you have put yourself in harm’s way and you deserve to be recognized by the government when you get back.”
Westchester County passed a law in late 2008 for veterans’ benefits. If the governor signs the bill, the County Legislature will have to adopt a new law to correct the language of the current one. Governor Paterson had until July 23, after press time, to make a decision.
The legislation will raise property tax exemptions for Cold War veterans, making it equal to those of other veterans. The legislation also includes benefits to veterans who live in owner-occupied co-op units. Maisano, a Marine Corps veteran who served from 1984 to 1988, told a story of having dinner with 10 marines who served in the 1980’s and found out that not all of them were given benefits under the current law.
“The law didn’t correlate to real service time,” Maisano said. “It was flawed.”
Pinto, who served in the U.S. Navy from 1962 to 1970, agreed.
“I feel strongly that veterans should be recognized no matter what time period they served,” Pinto said. “There is no better deed than service to your country. People in the military are always ready to be called into service.”
Miss New York Zwick, 23, an Eastchester resident, who has been visiting military families and military hospitals, said she is proud to live in a community that goes the extra mile to honor and support veterans.
“Although everyone I met supports our troops in theory, they often don’t know how to get involved,” Zwick said. “I firmly believe that when Americans offer to give their lives for our freedom it’s crucial that we step up to give their lives back to them when they return home.”
Commander of the Eastchester VFW Robert Foster summed up why all veterans should be entitled to the same benefits by reciting a passage from an anonymous writer.
“A veteran is someone who signed a blank check to the United States of America up to and including their life,” Foster read. “These checks were all cashed. Some were all paid, in full. Without their willingness to serve we would not enjoy the freedoms we have today.”
According to the office of Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, Governor Paterson signed the bill for Cold War veterans into law on July 24.