THE FORGOTTEN VETERAN S BILL

Transcription

1 RPA LEGISLATIVE CORNER REPORT : RPA and Alliance of Public Retiree Organizations of New York reports August 10, 2018 Report Veteran s Supplementation Bill : S-6505A --- Senator Larkin / A Assemblyman DenDekker I HAVE APPROPRIATELY NAMED THIS BILL THE FORGOTTEN VETERAN S BILL 2017 Legislative Session bill history Gov. Cuomo had vetoed the Active Veteran s Bill twice, two years in a row including once on Veteran s Day! Then Gov. Cuomo made it known that he wanted one bill presented to him to cover all the Veteran s once and for all. So when Gov. Cuomo signed the Active Veteran s Bill (S ) into law on May 31, 2016, which was presented as a combined bill for the active Veteran s including all FORGOTTEN VETERAN S lo and behold at the late night signing of this bill, A LINE WAS DRAWN ( No one will take ownership for doing this ) THROUGH OUR VETERAN S SUPLEMENTATION PORTION OF THE BILL EFFECTIVELY REMOVING OUR BILL WHEN THEN GOV. CUOMO SIGNED THE ACTIVE VETERAN S PORTION OF THE BILL INTO LAW! The active Veteran s Bill COMPLETELY omitted all of our retired New York State Public Employees who were Honorably Discharged FORGOTTEN VETERAN S that were never afforded the opportunity to buy back their service time as credit towards their public pensions and are still unable to get any sort of recognition for their service and sacrifices. Many of these Veteran s are now living with life threatening, battle related chronic health conditions like Agent Orange exposure, battle related PTSD, drug and alcohol dependencies and so many of these AMERICAN HERO S bear the physical battle scars of being wounded in the Line of Duty while faithfully serving and protecting the citizens of the United States and in particular New York State. SHAME ON GOV. CUOMO FOR IGNORING FORGOTTEN VETERAN S!! WHEN GOV. CUOMO SIGNED THE ACTIVE VETERAN S BILL INTO LAW ON MAY 31, 2016, GOV. CUOMO BLANTANTLY SHOWED AGAIN HIS TOTAL AGGREGIOUS DISREGARD FOR ALL OUR NEW YORK STATE RETIRED AMERICAN HEROS OUR FORGOTTEN VETERAN S! GOV. CUOMO CLEARLY SHOWS HIS COMPLETE DISRESPECT AND DISREGARD FOR ALL VETERANS SERVING FROM WORLD WAR TWO, VIETNAM, KOREA, ALL OTHER CONFLICTS OR ACTIVE SERVICE OF ANY KIND, WHETHER COMBAT RELATED OR NOT SERVICE TIME, BY NOT GIVING THESE VERY DESERVING VETERANS ANY TYPE OF PENSION SUPPLEMENTATION FOR THEIR HONORABLE SERVICE,

2 PAIN, SUFFERING AND SACRIFICES THAT THESE FORGOTTEN VETERAN S MADE FOR THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES AND ALL NEW YORK STATE CITIZENS IN PARTICULAR! IT S UNCONCIONABLE, INEXCUSEABLE AND ABSOUTELY WRONG TO NOT RECOGNIZE ALL VETERAN S, ESPECIALLY THE NEW YORK STATE RETIRED FORGOTTEN VETERAN S FOR THEIR SERVICE AND PATRIOTISM! 2018 Legislative Session bill status Starting in January 2018 careful consideration was undertaken with regards to all our active legislative bills that the Alliance had submitted in the Senate and Assembly Legislative Session. Our purpose was to determine the potential of success for any of our bills with passage in both Houses and getting any bill signed into law. After numerous discussions with our membership organizations, various legislators and political advisors, we laser focused our energy, time, efforts and resources this year to get our FORGOTTEN VETERAN S BILL passed in both the Senate and Assembly and hopefully to get Gov. Cuomo to sign it into law during this 2018 election year. I must recognize and express my gratitude to all the Alliance Member Organizations, their members and everyone who worked so hard, tirelessly, diligently and above all responded in a very resounding way to my Call to Arms to utilize telephone calls, s and Faxes to voice your concerns and desires to convince and get Assemblyman Abbate to agree to move our bill out of his Assembly committee, where this bill was stalled. More details outlined on this later in the play by play details in this report. VERY SADLY, I MUST REPORT THAT OUR FORGOTTEN VETERAN S BILL GOT SHOT DOWN IN THE NEW YORK STATE DEMOCRAT CONTROLLED ASSEMBLY LEGISLATIVE PROCESS ONCE AGAIN, INVOLVING SOME OF THE MOST POLITICALLY MOTIVATED, DIRTY, LOW DOWN BILL KILLING TACTICS AND ACTIONS, BY THE DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY IN THE NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY BY USING BACK ROOM, UNDERHANDED TACTICS BY MEMBERS OF SPEAKER HEASTIE S STAFF TO STOP OUR BILL ON JUNE 19, 2018 AND REMOVE IT FROM ASSEMBLYMAN ABATTE S BILL AGENDA! Before I proceed I must give an enormous amount of credit and appreciation to SENATOR Larkin, his Chief of Staff and all his office staff for going above and beyond to rewrite the original version of this bill, which would have covered Retired Veteran s as written only up to a cut-off date of The amended bill ( S6505A ) corrects this deficiency and makes the new cut-off date inclusive of all The Forgotten Veteran s from World War Two and now covers up to the effective date of the Active Veteran s Bill of May 31, I also have to commend ASSEMBLYMAN DenDekker, his Chief of Staff and staff members for working with Senator Larkin and submitting the newly amended Veteran s supplementation bill version in the Assembly and getting a new Assembly bill number ( A10324 ) assigned. Assemblyman DenDekker is also a supporter of Veteran s as well. The Alliance mission is very simple NO ONE RETIRED VETERAN AT ALL IS TO BE EVER FORGOTTEN, LEFT BEHIND OR NOT RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR PATRIOTISM AND HEROIC SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES AND ESPECIALLY THE CITIZENS OF NEW YORK STATE! OUR VETERAN S EARNED THIS HONOR AND WE MUST FIGHT TO GET THEM THIS OVERDUE HONOR! NOW THE INVESTIGATION AFTER A COMBINED THOROUGH INVESTIGATION BY MYSELF, ALONG WITH KEVIN HASSETT, RPA PRESIDENT, BOTH OF US BEING TENACIOUS RETIRED POLICE OFFICERS WITH MANY YEARS OF INVESTIGATIVE EXPERIENCE, IT'S OUR DUTY AS PRESIDENTS OF TWO

3 STATEWIDE RETIREE ORGANIZATIONS, DEDICATED TO FIGHTING THE FIGHT FOR ALL NEW YORK STATE RETIREES, TO UNCOVER AND THOROUGHLY OUTLINE THE FACTS FOR ALL RETIREES TO READ AND PROCESS APPROPRIATELY THEREBY BECOME PROPERLY INFORMED VOTERS ON ELECTION DAYS. FACTS UNCOVERED OUR JOINT INVESTIGATION RESULTED IN OUR UNCOVERING THE ALL THE LIES, VERY DIRTY TACTICS THAT WERE IMPLEMENTED, USED AND TOOK PLACE IN ORDER TO STOP OUR VETERAN S SUPPLEMENTATION BILL FROM ADVANCING OUT ONTO THE ASSEMBLY FLOOR TO BE VOTED ON, WHICH ARE BEYOND COMPREHENSION. MUCH TO OUR DISMAY, AFTER ALL THE HARD WORK TO MOVE THIS FORGOTTEN VETERAN S BILL. THE SAD REALITY AND THE TRUTH IS THAT THE ENTRENCHED POLITITIANS IN THE NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE AND GOV. CUOMO HAVE NO SCRUPLES, HAVE NO COMPASSION, HAVE NO PATRIOTISM AND HAVE ONLY ONE AGENDA THEIR OWN POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT ARE FIRST AND FOREMOST ABOVE ALL ELSE AND ALL THE RETIRED PUBLIC EMPLOYEES ALONG WITH FORGOTTEN VETERANS ARE MEANINGLESS TO THEM! UNDISPUTABLE, FACTUAL, PHYSICAL EVIDENCE NEVER LIES, UNLIKE THE POLITICIANS WHO LIE CONSTANTLY. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE ALWAYS SUPPORT THE TRUTH AND EXPOSES THE REALITY, DECEPTION, PERSONS RESPONSIBLE AND THEIR DELIBERATE ACTIONS USED, WHICH ULTIMATELY DETERMINED THE OUTCOME OF OUR BILL BEING INTENTIONALLY PULLED OFF THE COMMITTEE AGENDA ON JUNE 19, 2018 AND RENDERED OUR VETERAN'S SUPPLEMENTATION BILL INACTIVE. I WILL NOW OUTLINE PLAY BY PLAY HOW OUR BILL FOR FORGOTTEN VETERAN S WAS SUBWAYED BY SPECIFICALLY DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY LEADER CARL HEASTIE S STAFF AND OTHERS WHO ARE DENYING AND BLAMING EVERYONE ELSE BUT THEMSELVES, AS THEY REFUSE TO TAKE OWNERSHIP FOR THEIR USE OF INTENTIONAL DIRTY TACTICS AND ACTIONS ALONG WITH TOTAL DISREGARD TO OUR RETIRED HERO VETERAN S! The Alliance and all its member organizations worked so diligently to get Assemblyman Abbate to finally commit to, promise and agree to move our Veteran's Bill out of his committee during his committee meeting on June 19, Assemblyman DenDekker who is on Assemblyman Abbate's committee is also the Veteran's Supplementation Bill Sponsor. I spoke to Assemblyman Abbate's Chief of Staff late that morning and was reassured that the Veteran's Bill would move out of committee that afternoon and as a sidebar...assemblyman DenDekker was prepared to fast track the bill to the floor for a vote as the LEGISLATIVE SESSION WAS TO END THE FOLLOWING DAY ON JUNE 20, Late the afternoon of June 19, 2018 I was informed that our Veteran's Supplementation Bill was pulled from Assemblyman Abbate's bill agenda and sidelined without reason given. After numerous telephone calls to many Legislators and Chiefs of Staff, I was able to determine that two females who were called Legislative Councils attended Assemblyman Abbate's committee meeting and removed our Veterans Bill from the bill agenda for unknown reasons. My investigation began in earnest to find out what had happened and at whose direction. Long story short...these two females whose names I was able to obtain are actually part of Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie's staff and I proceeded to call them at his LOB Speakers Office in Albany. When I finally got one of them, whom shall remain unnamed for the time being on the telephone, she denied even being at the committee meeting and having anything to

4 do with the removal of our Veteran's Bill from the Bill Agenda that day. Now as we all know a good Police Investigative Officer never asks a question to which he doesn't already have the answer and in many cases the evidentiary proof of the answer. This alleged female Council lied to me, then was fumbling for words and ask me if she could place me on hold for a few minutes, to which I graciously agreed to. After about 3-4 minutes she picked up the telephone and in a very " CURT WAY TOLD ME SHE HAD TO GO AND HUNG UP THE TELEPHONE ON ME WITHOUT ANY REASON GIVEN "!!! Now I don't have to tell you that I don't tolerate disrespectful people, be it male or female, especially political hacks who work for the dysfunctional Legislature in Albany. I made numerous attempts to re-contact this woman and all to no avail as she would not take my calls. Subsequent investigation confirmed all of the above and then as Kevin Hassett, RPA President and I found out that both of us with our perseverance had apparently struck a huge spinal cord nerve emanating out of bottom side of staff members at Speaker Heastie's office and others. Then to top it off a staffer, whom shall remain unnamed, told Kevin Hassett that we had it all wrong and that it was Senator Larkin, our primary bill sponsor in the Senate, who pulled the bill back, along with a lengthy pack of lies to Kevin too which Kevin called him out on!! So I immediately did a telephone follow-up with Senator Larkin's Chief of Staff, a lovely woman who works very well with the Alliance and who was shocked and appalled at what Kevin and I were subjected too. In a very thoughtful reply she advised me that the Senate didn't do its part either that day, as our bill was scheduled to move out onto the floor for a vote from the Third Reading, for unknown reasons, and that it's the policy of the Senate to send all unfinished bills back to the respective committees so that they can be resubmitted for the next legislative session. She also stated that there is no connection or actions between the Senate Committees and the Assembly Committees during the movement of any bills through each houses committees. Although if a bill gets successfully passed in both the Senate and Assembly then the sponsoring Senator and Sponsoring Assemblyman will work together to get the Governor to sign the bill into law. This should be a wake-up call to all retirees how much your CORRUPT Legislators in Albany respect and honor retirees for their dedicated service to New York State especially ignoring all our patriotic hero's..." OUR FORGOTTEN VETERAN'S ". We need to make this right on Primary Election Day and on the General Election Day and vote these pompous asses out of their cushy offices and replace them with caring, honest, people-oriented legislators who will do the people's business, not just their personal agendas and do what they are elected to do...the right things for all retirees, especially " THE FORGOTTEN VETERAN'S "! Remember the last great legislation passed for all retirees was 18+ years ago when then H. Carl McCall helped retirees with our first and only COLA! FYI...PLEASE NOTE THAT PARTY AFFILIATIONS PLAY ABSOULUTELY NO PART IN OUR JOINT INVESTIGATION AND MY REPORT TO ALL RETIREES... ONLY THE CONCRETE FACTS OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED, WHO DID IT AND THE END RESULTS OF THOSE ACTIONS OR LACK THEREOF. ALL KEVIN AND I ASK IS THAT YOU READ THE FACTS AND THEN PROCESS THEM AS YOU SEE FIT PERSONALLY IN YOUR OWN MIND BEFORE GOING TO THE VOTING BOOTH. WE HAVE DONE OUR JOBS TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY BY EXPOSING THE CORRUPTION AND POLITICAL DYSFUCTION IN THE ALBANY LEGISLATURE AND SITTING GOV. CUOMO'S OFFICE THAT DIRECTLY AFFECTS ALL NEW YORK STATE RETIREES. REMEMBER AN INFORMED VOTER WIELDS GREAT POWER IN THE VOTING BOOTH DURING PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTIONS... KNOWLEDGE IS POWER AND THE PRESENT

5 LEGISLATURE DOES NOT WANT THE VOTERS TO KNOW THE TRUTH NOR DOES GOV. ANDREW CUOMO WHO SLOGANS ARE THE MOST ARROGANT I'VE EVER HEARD! LIKE WHEN GOV. CUOMO USED " MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY " IN 2013 DEMANDING A 30 YEAR PENSION PAYMENT CONTRIBUTION DEFERRMENT PROGRAM FROM COMPTROLLER DiNAPOLI, WHO FIRMLY STOOD HIS GROUND AGAINST GOV. CUOMO OR " I WILL NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER " RECENTLY CONCERNING GRANTING PAROLES THE RIGHT TO VOTE BEFORE THEIR TERM OF PAROLE IS COMPLETED, IN WHICH BOTH THE SENATE AND THE ASSEMBLY SAID " NO " TO GOV. CUOMO WHO THEN INVOKED " EXECUTIVE ORDER " TO GET HIS WAY. ALL GOV. CUOMO CARES ABOUT IS STRONG ARMING CITIZENS INTO VOTING FOR HIM TO ENRICH HIS PERSONAL AGENDA! THIS HAS TO STOP NOW AND CAN STOP AT THE VOTING BOOTH ON THE SEPTEMBER 13, 2018 PRIMARY ELECTION DAY AND THE NOVEMBER 6, 2018 GENERAL ELECTION DAY. RETIREES MUST BE THE CATALYIST FOR US TAKING BACK NEW YORK STATE FROM THE CROOKED POLITICIANS RUNNING THIS STATE NOW AND FOR THE FUTURE! RETIREES CAN AND MUST HOLD THESE INDIVIDUAL POLITICIANS RESPONSIBLE AT THE BALLOT BOX ON THE SEPTEMBER 13, 2018 PRIMARY ELECTION AND THE NOVEMBER 6, 2018 GENERAL ELECTION, ESPECIALLY THE GOVERNOR'S RACE. PLEASE DON'T BE COMPLACENT...GET ALL YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS, RELATIVES, NEIGHBORS AND EVERYONE OUT TO VOTE FOR CHANGE! FINAL FACTS TO CONSIDER BEFORE VOTING IN THIS PRIMARY & GENERAL ELECTION : 1 - THE VETERAN'S SUPPLEMENTATION BILL HAS BEEN SUBMITTED FOR 20+ YEARS! 2 - WE HAVE A HEALTH PROTECTION BILL THAT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED FOR 20+ YEARS 3 - WE HAVE 5 OTHER COLA BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED FOR 20+ YEARS 4 - FACTUALLY SPEAKING...RETIREES HAVE NOTHING TO SHOW FOR BEING PATRIOTIC VETERAN'S, LOYAL NEW YORK STATE EMPLOYEES AND LIFE LONG NEW YORK STATE RESIDENTS, OTHER THAN PAYING THE HIGHEST PROPERTY AND SCHOOL TAXES IN THE NATION. DURING THE LAST 8 YEARS OF THE CUOMO ADMINISTRATION AND THE DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY ASSEMBLY, THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING FOR RETIREES AT ALL! 5 - GOV. CUOMO HAS FAILED TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL NEW YORK STATE POLICE OFFICER'S MEMORIAL CEREMONY IN ALBANY, TO HONOR THOSE POLICE OFFICERS WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE WITH THEIR LIVES SERVING AND PROTECTING THE CITIZENS OF NEW YORK STATE! GOV. CUOMO'S FAILURE TO ATTEND THIS CEREMONY IS UNCONCIONABLE, DISRESPECTFUL AND INEXCUSABLE ATTESTING TO HIS TOTAL DISREGARD TO EVERYONE. 6 - FACT IS THAT THE POLITICAL APPOINTEES RUNNING THE NYS PAROLE BOARD AND APPOINTED THERE BY GOV. CUOMO, HAVE PAROLLED MULTIPLE " COP KILLERS " RECENTLY! 7 - FACT IS GOV. CUOMO USED " EXECUTIVE ORDER " TO GRANT SOME 30,000 PAROLE'S THE RIGHT TO VOTE. GOV. CUOMO THEN INSTRUCTED ALL NEW YORK STATE PAROLE OFFICERS VIA A DIRECTIVE, TO MAKE SURE EVERY PAROLEE FILLED OUT A " VOTER REGISTRATION FORM " AND IF THE PAROLEE WAS UNABLE TO DO SO THEN THE PAROLE OFFICER WAS TOLD TO DO COMPLETE IT FOR THE PAROLEE AND ADVISE THE PAROLEE HOW AND WHERE TO VOTE!!! GOV. CUOMO HAS NO LIMITS WHEN IT COMES TO LINING UP VOTES FOR HIS PERSONAL AND POLITICAL GAIN WHICH IS UNCONCIONIABLE AT BEST! TALK ABOUT ABUSING THE POWER OF THE

6 OFFICE OF GOVERNOR, WHICH IS A HUGE ETHICAL VIOLATION OF THE PEOPLES TRUST IN ELECTED OFFICIALS AT BARE MINIMUM! GOV. CUOMO PREACHED TO END CORRUPTION IN ALBANY...ALL THE CUOMO INNER CIRCLE PERSONS HAVE BEEN INDICTED AND MANY CONVICTED OF FELONIES, YET GOV. CUOMO CONTINUES TO MAKE COMPLETLY POLITICAL PATRONIZING STATEMENTS AND USE FALSE POLITICAL RHETORIC. THIS IS INDICTITIVE OF THE REAL GOV. CUOMO PERSONAL AND POLITICAL AGENDA. I would go so far as to say that Parole Officer's directive to make every Parolee Felon fill out a Voter Registration Card, from Gov. Cuomo to the New York State Parole Officers, could and should qualify as " Official Misconduct in Office " by the Governor, additionally could and should be a violation of the New York State Election Laws... LET YOUR CONCIOUS BE YOUR GUIDE AND YOU BE THE JUDGE ON THIS ONE... RETIREES CAN AND SHOULD BEGIN THIS PROCESS OF DISEMINATING ALL THIS FACTUAL INFORMATION IMMEDIATELY, AHEAD OF THE SEPTEMBER 13TH PRIMARY ELECTION AND BEFORE THE NOVEMBER 6TH GENERAL ELECTION FOR GOVERNOR, BY PARTICIPATING 100+% BEFORE IT S TOO LATE! SNOOZE AND WE WILL LOSE OUR BEST AND ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO EFFECT CHANGE TO TAKE OUR GREAT STATE BACK FROM CROOKED POLITICIANS WHO HAVE MADE CAREERS OUT OF USING THE GOVERNMENT FOR PERSONAL AND POLITICAL GAINS, AS WELL AS OVER STAYED THEIR USEFULLNESS. WE SHOULD DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR ALL RETIREES AND OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURES! NO ONE WILL DO IT FOR US...VOTES = PEOPLE POWER FOR RETIREES... STAND UP AND BE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR - POLITICS AS USUAL ARE OVER UNITED WE WILL PREVAIL --- DIVIDED WE WILL FAIL Legislative Report respectfully submitted by, Bryant Kolner RPA Legislative Representative & President of the Alliance of Public Retiree Organizations of New York