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VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION
MINUTES OF April 7, 2008 MEETING
415-554-6036
President Levin called the meeting to order at 6:10 p.m.
Commissioner Cauley led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Commissioners present: Regalado Baldonado, Jill Buck, John Caldera, Veronika Cauley, Renie Champagne, George Gibbs, Chris Gruwell. James Guglielmoni, Wallace Levin, Michael Thompson, Robert Varni, Edwin Wilkerson, Bud Wilson & Raymond Wong. 14 present. Deputy City Attorney Wayne Snodgrass, Dara Wong, Margaret Champagne & Ralph Gibson were also present. Comm. Baldonado was not present at the March meeting & he was excused.
Comm. Cauley moved approval of the March minutes, with a 2nd by Comm. Wilson. When President Levin asked if there were any corrections or additions to the March Minutes, Comm. Caldera reported that his February report on his activities were not listed in the minutes. Comm. Levin stated that in the two decades that the commission has been in existence no other commissioner had ever presented a report of their personal activities & that this was not a commission requirement. That his personal report was not commission business. A motion was made by Comm. Guglielmoni, with a second by Comm. Wong that listing reports of the personal activities of individual commissioners did not have to be recorded in the minutes. The motion passed by a vote of 13 to 1, with Comm. Caldera voting no.
Commission minutes of the March meeting were approved. Comm. Buck moved approval of the April agenda, with a 2nd by Comm. Guglielmoni. Motion passed.
COMMISSION GOALS & PLANS - Comm. Levin reported that we had many items pertaining to Comm. Caldera & that we should start with a report from Comm. Gruwell. He reported that he was given a copy of a Board of Supervisors proposed legislation drafted by the City Attorney pertaining to the Veterans AffairsCommission. The legislation would cut the Commission from 15 members to 11 members, would cut the women members from 3 to 1 & everyone on the Commission would have their terms end on Aug. 1, 2008. Comm. Buck asked how did this legislation come about & who was responsible for it? Comm. Buck & Comm. Wong asked who did this & why was it done without the knowledge of the members of this Commission? Comm. Levin requested that the commissioner or commissioners that gave birth to this legislation identify themselves. Comm. Caldera reported that he wrote a letter to the Mayor in January informing him of his unhappiness with the way the commission treats the matter of attendance. That he also met with a couple of Supervisors to convey his disapproval of the way the Commission treats the issue of Commissioners attendance. That at the third meeting he attended in April of 2007, he had raised the issue of attendance. That he had met with two members of the Board of Supervisors to complain about this issue & that he got one of the Supervisors to request the City Attorney to draft this legislation. Comm. Cauley reported that this sort of action should have been brought before the commission. Comm. Buck drafted a letter from the Commission to the Board of
Supervisors requesting that they reprimand Comm. Caldera & that they remove him from the Commission, because of the actions that he has taken against the Commission. She read the letter & the letter was passed around & was signed by 11
members of the Commission. Comm. Gruwell felt that the Commission should be made larger not made smaller. Comm. Varni voiced his support for the letter drafted by Comm. Buck calling for the Board of Supervisors to remove Comm. Caldera from the Commission & he was against the proposed legislation changing the size of the Commission. Comm. Caldera reported that the Bicycle Commission had a problem having a quorum because that Commission was too large. They solved the problem by making the Commission smaller. That 5 commissioners had poor attendance during 2007. Comm. Cauley conveyed to Comm. Caldera that she was upset with him because he went behind the back of the Commission & if he is so unhappy with the Commission she did not understand how he can sit in the same room with us. That he was working against the Commission & we have never had this kind of a problem prior to him being placed on the Commission. Comm. Guglielmoni asked how many times in the past 15 years have we not had a quorum. Comm. Wilkerson reported that 8 years ago when he was President at one meeting we did not have a quorum. Comm. Buck reported that at least she brought her letter before the Commission & that she did not sneak behind the back of the Commission, before bringing it to the attention of the Board of Supervisors. Comm. Champagne asked Comm. Caldera who appointed him the Attendance Clerk? Comm. Wilson conveyed to Comm. Caldera that he appears to be unhappy with many of the things that we do as a Commission & since he has joined the Commission we have had nothing but disruption. That he is not a team player & that he should resign. Comm. Gruwell conveyed his concern about requesting that a commissioner be removed from the Commission. Comm. Levin requested that Comm. Caldera give the members of the Commission copies of the letters that he sent to the Mayor & the Controller & that he inform the Commission when he met with members of the Board of Supervisors. Comm. Caldera reported that he met with them during the week after our March meeting. Comm. Buck moved that we send a letter to the Board of Supervisors conveying the Commissions concern as to the actions of Comm. Caldera & requesting that he be removed from the Commission. 2nd by Comm. Wilson. The motion passed by a vote of 11 to 3. On the issue of the proposed Board of Supervisor legislation that would cut the Commission from 15 to 11 members, cut 3 women to 1 & end the present Commissioners membership on Aug. 1, 2008. Comm. Gruwell moved the motion against this legislation, with a 2nd by Comm. Buck. The motion passed by a vote of 13 to 1, with Comm. Caldera voting against the motion.
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS - Comm. Gibbs reported that the veteran focused Project Homeless Connect Stand Down would be held on July 23rd, at the War Memorial Veterans Building . The East Bay Stand Down would be held on Aug. 7, 8, 9 & 10, at the Pleasanton Fair Grounds. (eastbaystanddown.org for more information) Comm. Levin requested that a motion be made to send letters of our support for the July 23rd Project Homeless Connect Event on July 23rd to the Mayor & the Board of Supervisors. Motion by Comm. Gibbs, with a 2nd by Comm. Guglielmoni. Motion passed.
USF ROTC – Comm. Varni reported on the University of San Francisco ROTC Awards Ceremony. Four members of the Commission attended the event & presented awards to the Cadets. Comm. Varni for the Association of the U.S. Army, Comm. Thompson for the Military Order of the Purple Heart & Comm. Champagne & Wong for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. USF has one of the best ROTC programs in the country, with many going into the Army Medical Branch.
LEGISLATION EVALUATION - Comm. Wilson reported on the Governor's Budget Proposal for a reduction of $260,000 from the California Department of
Veterans Affairs. This cut would hurt the counties ability for veterans' claims & outreach services. A motion was made by Comm. Guglielmoni, with a 2nd by Comm. Thompson, that the Commission is against the Governor's proposed $260.000 cut in funds to the Department of Veterans Affairs Budget, because it would hinder the ability of the County Veterans Service Offices to service veterans. This information should be passed on to the Mayor & the Board of Supervisors.
MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY - Comm. Levin reported that the Memorial Day Ceremony planning is moving along. The 91st Division & the Presidio Trust are the main supporters of the event. He reviewed the groups that are going to participate.
NATIONAL VETERANS GROUPS - Comm. Guglielmoni & Comm. Wong reported on their 4 day March visit & meetings with our elected Federal Officials, during the National Veterans Organizations event in Washington D.C. Both the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) & the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) spoke at Federal Hearings. They are attempting to get 58 billion for veterans. The present G.I. Bill does not presently meet the needs of returning veterans. The needs of women veterans will double during the next 5 years. California veteran's population is now 2,203,727. Which is the largest veterans population in the nation.
ANNOUNCEMENTS – Comm. Wilkerson had located & donated 4 walkers to the Veterans Administration Hospital for the use of veterans.
Comm. Caldera reported that the 4,000 Lights 4 Life Memorial on March 24th was a success, with the event co-hosted by the Bob Basker Post 315, Veterans For Peace Chapter 69, Alexander Hamilton Post 448, Gold & Blue Star Moms.
Comm. Guglielmoni reported that the Monterey Veterans Rehab Center will bring their boat up to the Bay Area for two weeks. Last year they took 450 veterans out on the Bay & this year they hope to take 1000 out.
Comm. Wong reported that the VFW Loyalty Day Program would take place Sunday, April 27th in the Veterans Building.
HONORS REPORT & ADJOURNMENT - Comm. Levin reported that unfortunately we reached the 4,000 killed in Iraq during March & that we should adjourn in memory of the 4,400+ Americans killed in Iraq/Afghanistan and the homeless veterans that died in San Francisco during the month of March.
