Cancer Victim Wins $1 Million, but Can't Get It
Rules Say Prize Must Be Stretched Over 20 Years
And nobody ever thought about the possibility of a situation like this arising, or did they?
Now New Yorkers may already know about this. If you do I hope you've contacted Albany with a few questions. I'm going to be up in Syracuse tomorrow, till next week, for my folks 65th wedding anniversary, and while there I plan on making a few calls myself.
But Schenk's dream-come-true soon turned into a nightmare. When he contacted the New York State Lottery about paying him the money in a lump sum, he learned that the rules of that particular game mandate a payout over 20 years, providing him only $50,000 a year. And he's been given only 12 to 18 months to live.
Well New Yorkers, you have what finally sounds like an Activist Governor, after all these years, hit him and the legislature with jammed lines!
Another action needed for Veterans, todays, from IVAV. It came in an e-mail call so I'll pass along the whole E:
Troops Need Counseling. Tell Congress.
A few days ago, we told you about the 2007 IAVA Legislative Agenda, which gives Congress 31 actions they can take to really support troops and veterans. Now, we need your help to make it work.
Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Barack Obama (D-IL) have introduced S117, the Lane Evans Act, which would address one of IAVA's Legislative Priorities: establishing mandatory mental health screenings for all returning combat veterans.
This bill would ensure ALL our troops get the counseling they need when they return home from war. The Lane Evans Act has bipartisan support -- but to get it moving, you need to let your legislators in Washington know that you stand behind it.
It only takes five minutes to make a difference for our veterans. Call your two Senators and your Representative today, and urge them to support the Lane Evans Act.
Click here to get your legislators' phone numbers. Below is a rough outline for what you can say when you call:
Script for Calling Your Representatives
"Good Morning/Evening.
My name is (Your Name) and I am calling from (City) .
I encourage (Name of your Senator/Representative) to stand with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, by passing S. 117 - the Lane Evans Veterans Healthcare & Benefits Improvement Act.
I believe that every returning soldier needs and deserves access to mandatory mental health counseling.
Thank you and have a good day."
Send a loud and clear message to Congress - tell your representatives you want them to stand with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Pass this on to three friends, and tell them to do the same. We're not relying on big-money TV ads or lobbyists - we're relying on you, our friends and supporters, to help create real change in Washington.
Thank you for standing with us.
Sincerely,
Patrick Campbell
Veteran, Operation Iraqi Freedom
Legislative Director
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
P.S. This week, IAVA is bringing a delegation of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to DC to meet with the legislators who can create real change in Washington. We're going to be blogging from the road every day during our trip. Check IAVA Blog for details.
1 comment:
I encouraged my Congressional delegation to vote against S. 117 - the Lane Evans Veterans Healthcare & Benefits Improvement Act.
It may seem strange that a serving Veteran and National Guardsman might oppose this bill. I do. While I do believe that every returning Soldier needs and deserves access to mental health counseling and that it should be provided compulsorily, I'm mindful that the VA has never been fully funded and this activity would naturally fall to them. In this light, S. 117 amounts to an unfunded mandate which would deprive other, just as deserving, Veterans of treatment, and further increase already unconscionably long delays.
I asked them not to fall into the "patriot trap," that just because it's for Veterans its a good thing. This bill trades on the desire to support the troops, but is particularly poorly thought through in it's execution. Full funding of the VA, would be the correct course to take and a better use of the Congress' time. Then if we think we can add more, so be it.
In addition, S. 117 contains requirements for a raft of reports on the use of Veterans' benefits. This further exacerbates the funding problem and steals time from administrators already working beyond capacity. Supporters of the bill never mention this added and unnecessary burden.
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