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VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION
415-554-6036
MINUTES OF Feb. 4, 2008 MEETING
President Levin called the meeting to order at 6:10 p.m.
Commissioner Champagne led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Commissioners present: Regalado Baldonado, John Caldera, Veronika Cauley, Renie Champagne, Wallace Levin, Michael Thompson, Robert Varni, Edwin Wilkerson, Bud Wilson & Raymond Wong. Commissioners Jill Buck, George Gibbs, Chris Gruwell & James Guglielmoni were not present. 10 present & 4 not present. Comm. Buck, Gibbs & Guglielmoni were excused. John Gallagher, Dara Wong & Margaret Champagne were also present.
Commission agenda for Feb. & the minutes of the Jan. 2007 meeting were approved.
PRESIDENTS REPORT - Comm. Levin introduced John Gallagher who is now working at the San Francisco County Veterans Service Office. He served with the Marine Corp. & was released from active duty in 1999. Asian Week newspaper plans to do a story about Asians on commissions. They requested a photo from Comm. Wong & Baldonado.
VICE PRESIDENTS REPORT - Comm. Varni reported that the Community Committee to save the JROTC Program are holding meetings & are planning many efforts to keep the program going.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
COMMISSION GOALS & PLANS - Comm. Levin attended the American Legion
War Memorial Commission meeting on Feb. 4, pertaining to the War Memorial Trustees Veterans Building Seismic Upgrade Plan. He conveyed his concern about how the veterans will be able to move from the Veterans Building, where will the veterans possessions be stored & where will they meet. He hoped to get them to pass a resolution on this issue.
EMPLOYMENT, HEALTH, & WELFARE - Comm. Thompson reported that the Veterans Employment Committee (VEC) will present on May 14th the 18th Annual Job Fair at Fort Mason. They are sending out 2000 invitations to business firms inviting them to attend
LEGISLATION EVALUATION - Comm. Wong reported on Assembly Bill No. 1814. This bill would allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to give funds directly to veteran service organizations to help veterans with their benefit claims. This would be in addition to the County Veterans Service Offices, which are financed by the State. At present the veteran service organizations provide their own funds to pay for their benefit aid to veterans. He also reported on Speaker Nancy Pelosi statement praising the release of the $3.7 billion in additional veterans funding provided by Congress.
NEW BUSINESS - Comm. Cauley, who has been very active in Project Homeless Connect, Mayor Newsom's city program that helps the homeless. They have major events every few months. She has presented a plan to Project Homeless Connect to do an event that would be strictly for veterans and that the event would be held at the War Memorial Veterans Building. The members of the commission supported this great project and the commission will work with Project Homeless Connect to make this happen. Comm. Cauley was commended for this program.
MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY - Comm. Levin reported on the Memorial Day Ceremony. The first action is to contact all of those that supported and participated in prior ceremonies, so that the support for this year's event could be evaluated.
NATIONAL VETERANS GROUPS - Comm. Wong reported that VFW District 15 would have their Voice of Democracy Award Ceremony at Mercy High, on Feb. 8.
ANNOUNCEMENTS - Comm. Caldera reported that the American Legion Dept. of California would start their Rehab Fund Drive to aid veterans on March 1st.
OLD BUSINESS - Comm. Caldera requested a report on the Veterans Day Parade & the Memorial Day Ceremony. Comm. Levin & Champagne made an effort to explain how the events are planned. Both events are funded by the Grants For the
Arts, Hotel Tax Fund. Veterans put the programs together for the city & the Mayor.
Comm. Varni voiced his concern about the Veteran's Building & the need to review the documents that explain the rights of veterans in the Veterans Building.
HONORS REPORT & ADJOURNMENT in memory of the 4,300+ Americans killed in Iraq/Afghanistan, the homeless veterans that died in San Francisco during the month of January, Dr. Ted Winn, Owen Hyland, Donald Gordon & David
Barton.
Minutes submitted by Wallace Levin.
