TESTIMONY
Gene DeFrancis, Commander of the American Legion in Bronx County, on Advocating for Veteran Rights and Proposals for Community Safety in NYC
1:19:32
·
7 min
Gene DeFrancis discusses the contributions of veterans, criticizes veteran vendor regulations, proposes community safety measures, and argues for veterans' priority in resource allocation.
- DeFrancis represents the American Legion in Bronx County, emphasizing the significant contributions and sacrifices of veterans.
- He criticizes the modification of NYC veteran vendor regulations, claiming they undermine veterans' interests.
- Proposes the Safe Haven Program in NYC to utilize veterans' skills for community safety.
- Argues against the allocation of resources to the Fortune Society Just Home Project over veterans, emphasizing that veterans should receive priority.
- Calls for a continued partnership and dialogue with the city council to address veterans' issues.
Gene DeFrancis
1:19:32
Good morning, Chair Holden, New York City Council Members of the Veterans Committee and members in attendance.
1:19:37
My name is Gene De Francis, and I am the commander of the American Legion in the Bronx County.
1:19:42
Thank you for providing the opportunity to speak on behalf of our members.
1:19:46
And Bronx veterans.
1:19:47
Since its inception by Congress in 1919, the American Legion has drafted the GI bill, ushered in the modern VA, and most recently promoted the passage of the pact act.
1:19:57
The American Legion is the nation's largest and most powerful organization of US veterans and their families.
1:20:03
Today, it has nearly 2,000,000 legionnaire members.
1:20:06
I'm not going to detail in the nuances and different cultures and roles of each branch of service.
1:20:13
However, I will say the common thread of every American veteran is the desire for peace, freedom, and both security of self and family.
1:20:21
The American veteran is part of an all volunteer force and they do not join to harm others but to protect and serve.
1:20:29
As veterans, we have no say in which conflicts we engage in or where we are stationed globally.
1:20:34
We are property of the United States government.
1:20:37
We do what we are told or risk non judicial punishment or court martial.
1:20:41
Every veteran from cook to special forces knows the taste of the gas chambers we experienced in boot camp.
1:20:48
We know the bitterness of missing important dates, birthdays, weddings, and funerals.
1:20:53
We know what it's like to be told, what to eat, when to eat, how to eat.
1:20:59
We know the feeling what it feels like to be marginalized and surrender our freedoms.
1:21:04
We are broken down to be built back up as part of the cohesive team in our respective branch of service.
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This creates strong pillars of our community and city that strive for success.
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It is why we value our fellow veterans so much.
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Each of us is also trained in security and serve as sentinels to watch over our own and keep them safe.
1:21:28
Yes.
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Some have struggles that we are dedicated to acknowledging and approving, but at large, the American veterans are leaders.
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And a valuable asset to our communities.
1:21:38
I'm here today with my colleagues to remind the New York City Council of our value.
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The sacrifice and commitment we have made and continue to make to our community state and nation, and to ask that this city and nation honored their commitment and past agreements with our veterans.
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So when we ask for preference for housing and employment, some challenges ask if we think we are special.
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I'm here to say clearly and without hesitation, yes, we are.
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We may sacrifices that most of those who criticize veterans will never understand.
1:22:11
As commander of the Bronx County American Legion, many members have expressed their concerns over 2 particular issues that have gained our attention.
1:22:18
1, the new rules that New York City veteran vendors renegotiated in GBL 35a were modified in bad faith.
1:22:26
And not in their best interest.
1:22:27
With no clear organization to step up and advocate for them, these veterans were steamrolled with the new regulations.
1:22:34
We are here today to ask this committee to review this and reinstate the agreement made with these veteran veteran vendors in GBL 35.
1:22:43
A veteran vendor in your community, in your heavily trafficked parks and landmarks is an asset, and we must enhance this asset.
1:22:51
It is no secret that all our communities are struggling with safety.
1:22:56
Whether it is perception or reality, I will not debate this issue.
1:22:59
Our neighbors do not feel safe.
1:23:01
In the Alton section of the Bronx, we engage in what is called the safe haven program.
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Small businesses register with local precincts, and build a relationship.
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They are provided a sign in their store window that signals to the community that if they believe they are in danger, they can find safety at this location.
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For instance, if a child is walking home from school and feels they are being followed by a van, they can enter one of these businesses, knowing it is a safe location until Guardians or an authority can be contacted.
1:23:30
We have spoken to our members, and we offer the same proposal for our parks and throughout our five boroughs.
1:23:36
A safe haven for our community, and all we request in exchange is for experienced and registered veterans to vend This includes in parks and high traffic areas they were previously allowed to vent prior to GBL 35a.
1:23:50
But with open and cooperative communication.
1:23:54
This protects our veterans and guarantees their location so that our veterans no longer will have to sleep in their vehicles to secure their location in front of the Metropolitan Museum and protect our veteran vendors, especially our service disabled veterans from conflicts and oversaturation.
1:24:11
We ask our veterans will be protected and location secured in the event of too many vendors moving to a location creating an unsafe condition.
1:24:20
Our veterans will stay in their locations because they are registered with the city and the local precinct as a safe haven.
1:24:27
Our veterans will provide fingerprints and background checks so that they can assist anyone in danger, even added training to identify risks and threats to the community.
1:24:36
We are not police officers, and we are not suggesting we serve as vigilantes.
1:24:40
We are there to make a living wage and support our city while doing so.
1:24:44
We can serve as eyes and ears to keep our city's most vulnerable safe during the day and night in our parks and in our plazas where we are not obstructing traffic and providing a service to all New Yorkers and tourists alike.
1:24:57
The American veterans are heroes, and we are ready to serve and collaborate with the city we love.
1:25:04
I add that no veteran honorably discharged should be denied a vendor's license, and they should be processed and distributed properly.
1:25:11
Location should be secured and approved by proper channels, including the local precinct, serve as a safe haven partner.
1:25:19
Veterans safe haven vendors should be desired in all locations, including plaza and business improvement districts.
1:25:25
Veterans, especially older or disabled veterans, should be able to hear that location and continue to register and apply a helper.
1:25:33
Taxes and fees of the service is something we can discuss in future communication.
1:25:37
And lastly, I want to discuss the HHC approval of Fortune Society Just Home Project in the Bronx.
1:25:44
The American Legion will not sit by and allow unvetted on rehabilitated felons to receive resources and services before the veterans of the United States of America.
1:25:55
We acknowledge and know full well, people make mistakes.
1:25:59
They can be rehabilitated and can learn from these mistakes.
1:26:03
Many veterans have also found themselves on the wrong side of the criminal justice system.
1:26:08
The concern is that by just home's admission, and own words, they do not discriminate against the service based on the crime committed.
1:26:16
They include murderers, rapists, and violent offenders with no promise or guarantee that they have or will receive treatment and rehabilitation, where resources readily available with federal funding dedicated to servicing veterans there is zero logical or ethical reason that veterans do not receive priority for this location.
1:26:37
Our elected officials have approved this plan.
1:26:40
The community at large has overwhelmingly supported this proposal and has stated so in various public hearings.
1:26:46
Yet HHC Board has ignored this option and voted to approve the Just Homes program without considering other more effective options.
1:26:55
Our leadership has spoken with VA leadership who are in desperate need of more space.
1:27:00
They have gained community and elected officials support which I'll add just homes does not have.
1:27:07
We ask just homes to look for another location, which will allow us the resources we earned and HHC Jacobi Medical Center loses nothing.
1:27:16
And the community and veterans receive the option they deserve and desperately need.
1:27:21
I thank you for your time and the extra time and look forward to continued partnership and communication.