IAVA | April 12, 2016
Read: Guest Blog: Gov. Cuomo broke his promise to veterans
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On Veterans Day last year, Governor Andrew Cuomo promised to include a pension buy-back for veterans who served honorably during “peacetime” periods, including Afghanistan, Kosovo, Bosnia and Somalia.
Having twice vetoed peacetime buy-back legislation known as the “Veterans Equality Act,” Governor Cuomo promised on Veterans Day 2015 to finally support the legislation. “The Governor and legislative sponsors plan to work over the next two months to refine the proposal for introduction in the next budget,” Cuomo’s office said in a press release at the time.
That gubernatorial promise to the vets was broken with the new budget announced recently. Any reference to the pension buy-back was AWOL from the budget!
This is a prime example of why voters are so angry during this election cycle. They are fed up with politicians who dangle the worm and hit you upside the head with a bat.
I should mention that Mayor Wilhelm de Blasio submitted memos opposing the buy-back legislation prior to Cuomo’s two vetoes.
Voters and, hopefully, our veterans are done with “insiders,” and are supporting “outsiders” during the current election cycle.
Originally published in silive.com.