REMARKS
Importance of veteran representation on community boards and budget allocation
1:54:19
ยท
134 sec
Ryan Graham, Vice Chair of the New York City Veterans Advisory Board, discusses the importance of having veteran representation on community boards and the current budget allocation for veterans' issues in NYC. He emphasizes the need for increased veteran presence on these boards to pressure council members into taking action on veterans' issues.
- Graham shares his experience serving on Community Board 10
- He highlights that veterans' issues are near the bottom of the city's budget priorities
- The potential impact of having veterans on each community board is discussed
- Graham suggests exploring private sector alternatives, such as partnerships with the New York Mets
Robert Holden
1:54:19
Is there a veterans committee on board, Tim?
Ryan Graham
1:54:23
Well, I was done with the board in 2020, but I believe not.
1:54:26
But Betty was very good.
1:54:29
She always targeted me out out of the 50 members of the board.
1:54:32
Ryan, you got something to say?
1:54:35
So I was like, no.
1:54:36
Not this time.
1:54:38
But definitely having committee on each board wouldn't be bad.
1:54:42
And like I said before, I I sort of misspoke.
1:54:46
I don't wanna say all city council members, but, like, I well, I know Vicky.
1:54:52
I'm sorry.
1:54:53
Councilwoman Baldino, chairman, you guys are very good, but majority of the city council veterans were at the bottom of the totem pole.
1:55:04
If you look at the overall city budget, we're just above community boards.
1:55:09
Community boards are at the very bottom.
1:55:11
They get, like, each board gets around $1,000,000 a year to kinda fund their staff, their district, people that basically run the boards.
1:55:21
So it it does say a lot.
1:55:23
I look at the numbers, and it does say a lot.
1:55:26
Sometimes, you know and and I think getting veterans on the board, each board, it it can work because what they'll do is they they sort of start pressuring the council members to actually take action.
1:55:38
I'm not gonna say which one, but where my specific VFW is located.
1:55:42
I'm not even from that area.
1:55:44
It it's it's a very, it's not a great relationship.
1:55:50
And but but you know what?
1:55:52
I look at other alternatives, the private sector, the New York Mets, Steve Cohen, his team, they've been fantastic.
1:55:59
Like I said, I could talk forever.
1:56:01
But, but, yeah, that ultimately what what I'll say is I I agree with quadrupling their their budget.
1:56:11
But commissioner Hendon, he did make a point before when he said, you know, kind of guiding that funding tow towards organizations, say, like the VFW and service officers, to kinda help out with claims.
1:56:23
That that's usually where stuff happens at the the ground level.
1:56:27
Veterans, they come out, usually their 1st 6 months to a year, they're they're in, like, no man's land.
Robert Holden
1:56:33
Yeah.