Proud VetAmerican Governments While California has one of the world’s strongest economies and is a desired destination to visit and or live, veterans do not receive their dues in the golden state. California has a veteran population of over two million people. There are states in the union with far less veterans that go above and beyond that of California in efforts to support our nation’s heroes. States like Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina all take care of their veterans way better than the nation’s most populous and prosperous state, California. California has too high of standards for certain benefits such as disability license plates from the DMV, as well as lowered DMV fees for those who have received a Purple Heart. The housing crisis in California is well known, yet when it comes to veterans it is magnified significantly. Texas has many housing incentives to entice veterans to take up residency in the lone star state. California is so expensive that even those coming home from war cannot afford an entry level starter home. Another issue that plagues California is the homeless problem. Many of our Vietnam and desert storm vets along with OIF and OEF vets are living on the streets because our state government has failed them. The young men and women transitioning from military life bring many skills and needed attributes to the workforce and communities at large. The law makers and decision makers of the great state of California need to do their duty and ensure these veterans have a leg up on civilian assimilation and have every available resource at their fingertips in order to continue pursuing their American dream.
According to an article found on smartasset.com, titled “The Best States for Veterans”, California is the second worst state for our nation’s veterans. California has the third highest veteran unemployment rate in the country and ranks the tenth worst in VA facilities per 10,000 veterans. Calvet.ca.gov claims that 1.8 million US veterans reside in California, making up eight percent of all veterans. It is also stated the every year over 30,000 additional vets will call California home upon leaving the military. With all these veterans within the borders of California it is essential that they are taken care of and legislation needs to be in place to ensure they do not fall in to the cracks of bureaucracy and political nonsense. The last state mid-term election did not have any significant initiatives or propositions in place to address the current status of California’s veterans. In fact, the only election of recent times that has even addressed the issue our nations vets has been that of President Trump during his 2016 campaign. But that hasn’t trickled down to California’s political radar. Even though California is well known for its liberal political stance we can all agree that these young men and women put their lives on the line for the very country that owes them a chance to give back to society. No matter what the color the state is. Since this is a state issue, the 2020 election will have little to no effect on the state of veterans living in California. Other states have shown us the way, just as California has demonstrated what not to do. Purple Heart recipients should be able to get specialized license plates and have their DMV fees reduced, for life. The VA home loan is simply not enough and California can afford to wave fees and set aside grants and or land for troops returning home from combat. Texas has special parking spots for veterans. This simple yet honoring gesture goes a long way both to the veteran and the community as a whole. Hunting, fishing, and parks fees should come to a discount for those who served. Besides they were the ones defending this nation to begin with. The homeless issue is no short task but with all the great minds and capitol, California is long overdue in tackling this issue. Just visit any large city in California and there are thousands of vets living in worse conditions than that of their time at war. Let that sink in. California is a worldwide destination that has an economy that rivals any developed nation on the planet. From the beautiful beaches to the enormous redwoods, or the snowcapped mountains of the Sierra Nevadas to world famous Yosemite, California has something for everyone and with all the taxes being funneled into Sacramento it is hard to imagine that the ones who need it most continue to go without. The small things add up and goes along way. Our nations veterans don’t want a hand out, rather an equitable chance from the state with most to give. We all value the California lifestyle, it’s time California values our vets.
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JEAmerican Governments Within the last ten years, California’s cost of living has vastly increased. This is apparent within the Bay Area and Central Valley housing market. With home and rent pricing exceeding the national average, thousands of Bay Area residents are being forced out. The increases in the housing market has left various communities within the Bay Area vulnerable. A community that is directly affected by these changes is the veteran community. With the rising cost, some veterans are not able to live in their current homes. By providing the necessary legislation, tools and community support California can remain the homes to thousands of veterans.
In California's 2018 state election proposition 1 was passed. This proposition authorized “$4 billion in general obligation funds for housing projects and housing loans for veterans”. Since the bill passed there would be an increase in the repayment of state bonds over the following 35 years and every year it would cost California’s $170 million. Democrats like Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom and U.S Representative Maxine Waters were some of the political officials endorsing proposition 1. The passing of proposition 1 is a beneficial factor for veterans looking for affordable housing, but it does affect every Californian. According to the Legislative Analyst Office, the bonds that are borrowed would be repaid by California’s general tax revenue. Out of the $4 billion dollars in bonds, $1 billion dollars would be directly allocated for Californian state veterans. For those veterans choosing to participate in the loan program “they would make monthly payments to the state which in turn would pay for the bonds” (Legislative). Proponents against Prop 1 argue that this bill would only serve as a supplement to housing construction and would not benefit Californians in the long run. As a result, the passing of this legislation increases the burden upon tax payers by increasing the amount of debt they still need to pay. According to the California 2018 voter guide, those who are in-favor the bill believes that it “...will help more than 55,000 people meet their housing cost” (Mitric). Proposition 1 does not just benefit veterans it also looks to aid all types of low-income residents. According to the Voter Guide of California, it supports “new emergency housing for homeless children and families, as well as building multi-family homes for working families” (California). By having these tools at the community’s disposal veterans and low-income families may think twice before packing their bags and relocating. Currently, the implication of affordable housing for veterans specifically is accessible in two Californian cities. The California Department of Veteran Affairs list two CalVet REN communities as Sylmar and Santa Clarita with Jurupa Valley and Palmdale coming soon (CalVet). The average four-bedroom house in Santa Clarita and Sylmar ranges between $330,000 to around $360,000. However, the CAL Vet REN (Residential Enriched Neighborhood) sells these homes in these areas from $266,000 to $286,000. The implementation of Proposition 1 also impacts the communities these veterans will live in. When comparing the prices of CAL Vet REN homes to the national average price of homes sold in 2015 the data is astonishing. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Lewis listed the average house in the United States sold for approximately “$378,900” (FRED). The average home is $100,000 dollars more expensive than the cheapest house being sold in Sylmar, California. It is important to note that there are still inexpensive options for that are below the national average. So California veterans are spending more on assisted housing compared to those in other states. The issues of affordable housing for veterans impacts every single American and especially those who are registered to vote. Many of our veterans willingly join the military and sacrifice their lives in order to preserve the liberties and freedoms of the American people. I am hoping to reinvigorate the American voter who does not care about politics, but those who care about preserving their freedoms and liberties. A vote from the people represents a thank you to those who risk their lives. The target demographic that would have an increased impact would be the younger voters age 18 to 29. Having support from younger ensures that our veterans are not being overlooked. MattCA Politics It seems as though California has been a destination for the residentially challenged for many years. However, since 2016 the state has seen an increase of about 17 percent in the number of homeless veterans. While Barack Obama was in office we as a nation made significant strides in resolving this issue. Obama attacked the issue of homeless veterans by partnering with Veterans Affairs and the Housing and Urban Development department. During 2016 it was announced that the number of homeless veterans was cut by more than 17 percent nation wide.The VA, through the HUD VA- Supportive Housing program, 114,000 veterans have been taken of the street. This program provides health care, temporary housing, and job training. This is an example of what can be done if government resources are directed towards that benefit our programs. Accrording to the United States Department of Defense “27 communities and two states have successfully eradicated veteran homelessness”. While this is great progress, we still have far to go on a local level.
This issue has been addressed in many elections, unfortunately not much has been done about. Many constituents believe that former Governor Jerry Brown did not do enough to solve this problem. Citizen have taken power into their own hands and approved Prop 2 and 63 have worked concurrently to help with homelessness in California. Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Kevin De Leon have worked in tandem to make sure that government funding is directed towards programs like No place Like Home program. With Gavin Newsom being elected as the new Governor of California, there has been some discussion about the topic of veterans homelessness. During Newsom’s time as Mayor of San Francisco he received a lot of media attention in relation to his policies on homelessness. Months after becoming Mayor, Gavin Newsom made the claim that he would eradicate homelessness in San Francisco within 10 years. While he claims that homelessness decreased by 40 percent during his time as Mayor, there was no city record of the cities homeless population the year he took office. Making this clam hard to confirm or deny. Regardless of the truth of that statement, many advocate groups had an issue with how Newsom went about solving the problem. With Gavin Newsom’s support the city of San Francisco passed Prop N in 2002. Due to the increase in drug use and emergency visits from the homeless population, Prop N sought to cut the amount of money the given to the homeless by more than half. In turn, the extra money would be put towards the building of low income housing and shelters. Later coined the “Care Not Cash” program, many constituents and media members looked at this as a very cruel solution to a problem. Essentially Newsom had taken the ability of these people to achieve upward mobility through their own means. They must now rely on the Government even more, hoping that this institutions are properly funded and staffed in order to give the help that these people require. Now Governor, Newsom has taken a similar but slightly different approach. He looks to give land owner tax credits for housing the homeless, as well as businesses the hire these individuals. Another way he looks to address this issue is through our prisons which I found interesting. We know that many homeless individuals fall victim to drug use, this often leads to short prison stints. This is an issue that ties in with our prison system. By increasing the support and services of drug programs in prison we can hopefully lessen the amount of drug use back on the streets. The good news is that California has made some positive steps regarding the issue. The city of Riverside began a program in 2013 that would promised to find a home for every homeless veteran in the county. As of today that have successfully accomplished this task. Using an approach similar to that of Gavin Newsom’s proposals, Riverside started a “Housing First” program to attack the problem. The Housing First program begins with an assessment of mental health as well as treatment for addiction. Many states across the country have taken components of the Housing First program to create their own proposals to end homelessness. One of the main reason Riverside was successful was because they actually received proper funding. Funding needs to be provided to all programs that seek to get our veterans of the street. Unfortunately, it has not been seen as a pressing issue even though this is a nationwide issue. While housing veterans may seem like charity to some, there is actually financial benefit long term for these counties. A report done in Los Angeles County found for every dollar spent in housing for the homeless, the Government saved $1.20 in social services cost. A resolution to the homeless veteran problem is not only the right thing to do, but also cost effective. |
AuthorUndergraduate student generated content. Blog posting and updating done by Kristina Flores Victor, Assistant Professor of Political Science at CSUS Archives
March 2020
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