REMARKS
Call for increased veteran advocacy and budget allocation in NYC
1:56:33
ยท
136 sec
Council Member Robert Holden emphasizes the urgent need for increased advocacy and budget allocation for veterans in NYC. He calls for a coordinated effort from all veterans to make their voices heard and pressure council members to prioritize veterans' issues in the budget.
- Holden highlights the disparity in treatment between veterans and newly arrived migrants
- He expresses frustration with the mayor's response to veterans' issues
- Ryan Graham points out the fragmentation within the NYC veterans community
- The need for grassroots-level organization and unity among veterans is stressed
Robert Holden
1:56:33
Yeah.
1:56:33
But for Hawaiian, now is the time to make noise and to be the squeaky wheel.
1:56:38
We need we need every veteran to to to talk to their council member to make this a priority because it's not, you know, we're gonna miss the opportunity.
1:56:47
This is gonna be my last budget in the council to try to get some more funding for veterans and DVS and more programs.
1:56:55
But when you're when we don't have a a groundswell, and we we really need to coordinate that, not only from the the VAB, but also from just the DVS, from from all members, all veterans around the city coming and testifying at the budget hearings to to get a piece, you know, bigger piece of the of the, the budget for veterans because it is lacking.
1:57:19
And I brought that I brought up the migrant situation, how our veterans are being are sleeping on the street or in in less than ideal conditions while people who didn't serve our country weren't even citizens, haven't been paying taxes because they just got here, they're getting hotel rooms.
1:57:37
That to me is and that's what I used in as some of the analogy last year and it didn't work.
1:57:45
Fell on deaf ears.
1:57:47
I hope that the mayor and I again, I brought it up and, you know, we had one hearing already on his, his budget and, I wasn't very hopeful that I I got through because I got an answer that was totally unacceptable from him.
1:58:03
So So I'm gonna keep bugging him, but I need
James Hendon
1:58:06
You need support
Ryan Graham
1:58:07
at the bigger level.
1:58:08
I know we've had this conversation before.
1:58:10
I, and I'll say it, the veterans community as a whole in New York City is very fragmented.
1:58:17
So, I mean, if if there's an issue, say, veteran street vendors or, homeless vets, if we wanna hold a, you know, some sort of a press conference in the steps of city hall, maybe you might luck be lucky to get, like, 20 to 30.
1:58:29
But then when you have other bigger issues, say, like, say, like, the, the influx of migrants or funding for, I don't know, whatever else, you're you're gonna see 100 of people.
1:58:44
But it's it that's my opinion is we really need to get down to the grassroots level.
Robert Holden
1:58:49
But but the commissioner mentioned this, and he mentions a lot at hearings.