Q&A
Proposal for funding VSOs through council member items
0:40:57
·
87 sec
Council Member Robert Holden proposes ideas for funding Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) through council member items, emphasizing the importance of supporting these organizations.
- Holden suggests allocating $50,000 per council member annually for VSO funding
- The proposed funding could be distributed as grants through DVS or the federal VA
- The council member emphasizes the importance of keeping VSOs open, citing their role as community centers
- Holden mentions an example of an American Legion post in Maspeth that was sold and is now empty, highlighting the loss to the community
- Commissioner Hendon expresses agreement with the spirit of Holden's proposals, indicating DVS's support for efforts to assist VSOs
Robert Holden
0:40:57
And it gets worse.
0:40:57
Yeah.
0:40:57
And I understand that.
0:40:58
But again, like I said, we can do both.
0:41:00
You know, we could if we get, if we help the VSOs survive a little longer or try to help them in small, small, you know, it's very small ways.
0:41:12
But, for instance, I have supported and proposed that each VSO, we could every year, they get, we get, a fund.
0:41:22
Let's say in the council, $50,000 could be for VSOs, member items.
0:41:29
So each member would get $50,000.
0:41:31
And we could give that to the different posts in a way of a grant through it could be through your office or it could be through, VA the VA even on the federal level.
0:41:42
But we could actually fund at least some part of our, you know, our discretionary money to to veterans to VSOs because they're so important to keep open.
0:41:52
And I have too many closed or too many sold.
0:41:55
And I have an American Legion post that sits there now empty, on my main, area in Maspeth.
0:42:03
So and that was sold.
0:42:05
And it's gone.
0:42:06
But it was a very it was the center of the community for such a long time for meetings and hearings and so forth and for, you know, cultural events.
James Hendon
0:42:14
Mr.
0:42:14
Cheah, I want to be clear.
0:42:15
We are we are locked up with you on the spirit
Robert Holden
0:42:17
of this.
Raymond Ponce de Leon
0:42:18
I just
James Hendon
0:42:18
wanna be clear about that.
0:42:19
So first That's what I was trying to get out of you.
0:42:21
We were locked up in the spirit of this, and I wanna be clear about that.
Robert Holden
0:42:24
No.
