Q&A
Potential recommendations to the mayor about VAB
0:44:27
ยท
4 min
Council Member Holden and Commissioner Hendon discuss potential recommendations to the mayor regarding the Veterans Advisory Board (VAB) and funding for veterans' services.
- Council Member Holden suggests recommending a budget for VAB to the mayor.
- Holden mentions his previous request to the mayor to increase funding for the Department of Veterans Services (DVS).
- The discussion touches on the need for resources to improve communication with veterans and address issues where NYC veterans lag behind national averages.
- Commissioner Hendon expresses a preference for funding veteran organizations directly rather than just increasing the DVS budget.
- The debate highlights the tension between providing resources for VAB and DVS versus directly funding veteran-serving organizations in the community.
Robert Holden
0:44:27
Alright.
0:44:27
So, Toni, let me ask you something.
0:44:29
I'm a put you on the spot here.
0:44:32
What recommendations would you make to the mayor about VAB?
James Hendon
0:44:40
I think that the for VAB specifically let me think.
0:44:49
Because I I would say the same thing I mentioned as far as appointments.
0:44:51
That hits both the speaker and
Robert Holden
0:44:52
the mayor.
0:44:53
So something where we're up on a house with colonel appointments.
0:44:55
I got one.
0:44:56
How about a budget, mister mayor?
James Hendon
0:44:58
The and it's Or VAB.
0:44:59
This this same thing too where we gotta be clear when we talk budget for 1, we're talking budget for all, and so not against it.
0:45:06
I'm just making I don't know.
Robert Holden
0:45:07
I don't get that.
0:45:08
Wait a minute.
0:45:09
Budget for 1?
0:45:10
We're talking about VA.
0:45:11
No.
0:45:11
It's
James Hendon
0:45:11
where it's it's the precedent.
0:45:13
It's very similar to the community board suggestion to mister Shiller.
0:45:16
They can have a budget.
0:45:17
Say it again.
Robert Holden
0:45:18
Community boards have budgets.
James Hendon
0:45:19
No.
0:45:19
No.
0:45:20
No.
0:45:20
I'm talking about having telling each of the 50, you know, 9 community boards, you must have a committee for a subcommittee on veterans.
0:45:29
Oh.
Robert Holden
0:45:29
Oh.
0:45:29
You see
James Hendon
0:45:30
what I mean?
0:45:30
It's it's kinda when it's, like, it's a precedent piece of it where Well, that's I agree with the spirit of it.
0:45:34
I just wanna call out the this other dynamic.
0:45:36
It's No.
0:45:37
I
Robert Holden
0:45:37
I could you know, we we're we're trying to do legislation where the city council could mandate that each community board have a veterans, committee, which is not like the, you know, the the if we're gonna try to get veterans to self identify, it's a good way.
0:45:53
It's a good start.
0:45:55
And if we want more veterans on community boards, if they certainly can can help and they they they bring, a sense of stability to to the, the community boards, that I think that we should that should be legislation.
0:46:10
The borough president should do it, you know, they should do it on their own.
0:46:13
They shouldn't need legislation.
James Hendon
0:46:15
I agree with you.
Robert Holden
0:46:16
But I would say
James Hendon
0:46:17
it could be seen
Robert Holden
0:46:17
as But but I think the recommendation, my my question is what would you bring back to the mayor?
0:46:22
I would like you to bring back to the mayor because I did, that the mayor should fund your agency quadrupling.
0:46:32
And you know what his answer was when I I I asked I asked him a question on his, he had a a Zoom, meeting with the council, and I said, you know, your agency is a 5,000,000 essentially a $5,000,000 budget, the smallest in the city of New York.
0:46:48
And I said, we we should increase that budget because you can't even communicate with veterans to do a mailing, to do something, to to, you know, actually reach out.
0:46:57
And we are lagging like you said, many hearings, you say at every hearing, that New York City veterans are lagging behind the national average on so many issues, so many programs within the VA.
0:47:12
So if we're not our veterans are lagging behind the national average, then we need to increase the budget.
0:47:19
And you know what the mayor said to me?
0:47:20
And and he he kinda said that we shouldn't have to do the work of the of the VA in the in New York City, which was, I thought, appalling and I I criticized him on that.
0:47:31
I said that's ridiculous.
0:47:32
You know, we we're talking about our veterans and our our residents of New York City and have served our country and if we can give so much to people that didn't serve our our country that were weren't even in our country up till a few weeks ago, and we're giving them we're giving, migrants money, a lot of money from the city council and from the mayor's office, that we should be able to increase your budget.
0:47:59
So I I'm gonna challenge you, commissioner, to get to the mayor and say, let's at least fund VAB.
0:48:07
And it's not talking about we're not talking about 1,000,000, we're talking about 1,000 of dollars that they they could have a budget and they could make we can make their lives easier.
0:48:17
So, I would ask you to do that.
0:48:18
I I I
James Hendon
0:48:19
feel like this is I'm thinking this is deja vu because it's the same similar question last hearing, and I think you as I'm taking it in, my response would be this, as far as, you know, asks for the mayor.
0:48:28
It's same ask as far as for the council too.
0:48:30
Fund the organizations.
0:48:32
In other words, I don't I'm not just thinking about it in terms of fund the VAB.
0:48:36
I'm I'm with you on that.
0:48:37
It's fund like, we've got some very good veteran organizations doing good work out here, and what can we do to reward that as it continues?
0:48:43
In other words, it's I always say if it's a dollar on the table between me and one of our people doing things out in the street, give it to our people.
0:48:49
We need it, but they need it too.
0:48:51
I mean, at the end of the day, 6,400,000, which is the entire budget, that's I know that's small compared to a 112,000,000,000, but you've got better nonprofits out here living hand to mouth right now for whom you know, I just wanna
Robert Holden
0:49:02
Yeah.
0:49:02
That's fine.
0:49:03
So if
James Hendon
0:49:03
you ask me, like, if I We're not talking
Robert Holden
0:49:05
about a large No.
James Hendon
0:49:06
But but I just wanna say, like, that's my my ask would be put the money on the table, but didn't have to go to DDS.
Robert Holden
0:49:11
Alright.
0:49:11
Just the Put
James Hendon
0:49:12
it to the community.
0:49:13
That's what
Robert Holden
0:49:13
I'm saying.