Local News and Commentary

Llano Tea Party Website: http://www.llanoteaparty.org/

Llano County Veterans Service Officer

On or about June of this year the Llano County Veterans Service Officer position became vacant upon the resignation of its incumbent, R.G. Floyd. At the time it was reported Mr. Floyd thought the position needn't be filled because, for the most part, those needing to file claims could just as easily do it themselves i.e. fill out the necessary forms and mail them in to the appropriate agency and thereby save the county money. The County Judge, Wayne Brascom, seemed inclined not to fill the position as did the rest of the Commissioners Court.

When I shared this information with several County Veterans Service Officers I knew in Texas, they darn near gagged.

In most instances, the veteran who needs help with filing a claim is by definition, disabled or his family filing a claim on his or her behalf is elderly and not acquainted with government filing processes – that's why so many need help in completing and filing their income tax returns. To say that there are forms available that are easy to fill out and mail in is somewhat disingenuous. This is a service the county should provide its citizens – particularly in a county that has the highest average age in the state and the majority of its citizens are either veterans or family members of veterans.

Of course it would also help if it major effort was made to inform citizens that the county has a veterans service officer, his name, where he's located, his hours of availability and contact information so that appointments can be made – either at his/her office or elsewhere.

Texas law requires counties having a population of 200,000 or more to have a veterans county service officer with an office separate and distinct from other county offices and staffed by at least one full-time employee. Granted, Llano County doesn't have a population of 200,000 or more but,

“In a county with a population of less than 200,000, the commissioners court, by a majority vote of its full membership, may maintain and operate a veterans county service office if the commissioners court determines that the office is a public necessity to enable county residents who are veterans to promptly, properly, and rightfully obtain benefits to which they are entitled.” Texas Government Code Section 434.032 (b)

Not just anybody who has an in with the County Judge can fill the position, however. By law, a person filling the position of county veterans service officer must:

“1) be qualified by education and training for the duties of the office;(2) be experienced in the law, regulations, and rulings of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs controlling cases that come before the commission; and(3) have the service experience specified by Subsection (c) or be:(A) a widowed Gold Star Mother or unremarried widow of a serviceman or veteran whose death resulted from service; or (B) the spouse of a disabled veteran who has a total disability rating based either on having a service-connected disability with a disability rating of 100 percent or on individual unemployability.(c) To meet the service experience requirement of Subsection (b)(3) a person must have:(1) served on active duty in a branch of the armed forces of the United States;(2) served for at least four months or have a service-connected disability; and(3) been honorably discharged.(d) An officer serves at the pleasure of the commissioners court.” Texas Government Code Section 434.033 (b).

These requirements aren't as onerous as they may seem. Many citizens of Llano County could easily meet them if the job was only posted so that interested individuals would know about it and apply.

Should the Commissioners Court be obstinate in not filling the position with its own county service officer because of claimed budgetary restraints (although with Parker's folly of a county boat ramp that can only launch glider planes and the unnecessary construction of a new facility to house the 2nd Precinct Commissioner's office, I don't know how they could say that with a straight face), there's another alternative:

Sec. 434.034 of the Texas Government Code provides in pertinent part: “The commissioners courts of any number of contiguous counties, by a majority vote of the full membership of each commissioners court, may agree to jointly establish an office and employ a veterans county service officer. The agreement must stipulate the amount of compensation and travel and other expenses to be paid by each county.”

This provides a method whereby Llano County can have a veterans service officer at the least possible cost to the county. What's being done to get us there? As a title of an earlier article of mine stated, “Llano County Veterans Deserve Better”. The ball is now, and has been in the Commissioners court.

And remember Klee's Law: "Don't be afraid to take a big step. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps." (David Lloyd George)

IS IT TIME TO FIRE CONGRESS?
by Bill Hussey

Do you think it’s time to Fire Congress? Have you had enough yet? Are you as angry and concerned about what is happening to our country as I am? Are you tired of our Government’s non-stop assault on our Constitution, free market system, and the private sector people who make the country work? Have you had enough of this out of control spending and trillion dollar budgets? What about increasing unemployment—except for government jobs? What about ramming government run health care down our throats in the face of overwhelming American opposition? What about our of control spending, congress not listening to the American people, lack of common sense solutions and our wide open borders?
Our elected representatives are totally non-representative of their constituents—you and me—the people who elected them & pay their salaries.

Career politicians of both parties care more about their perks, their power, and their own reelection than they do about our country.
 
It is time to fire the career politicians who are destroying our nation, take the special interest money out of politics, and start holding our elected officials accountable. To learn how you can help, go to www.GOOOH.com.
 
GOOOH stands for ?GET OUT OF OUR HOUSE? – our House of Representatives. Pronounced as “GO.”
GOOOH is not a third party; it is a nonpartisan plan to evict all 435 politicians from the U.S. House of Representatives and to replace them with every day citizen legislators. It will take the special interest money out of politics, break the stranglehold the two parties have on our system, fire the career politicians, and hold our representatives accountable.
 
Yes, We the People can fire every one of them, but we need your help. Your Country is counting on you. Contact GOOOH’s District 11’s representative at goooh-tx-11@gmail.com or go to www.goooh.com for more information and become a member.

Editor's Note: Mr. Hussey is President of the Llano Tea Party.