WINNEBAGO COUNTY (WIFR) – A community leader says some area veterans are being forced to sell plasma to make ends meet, and now the Veterans Assistance Commission (VAC) is calling on the Winnebago County Commission to make good on their financial commitment.
About two weeks ago, VAC proposed a $1.6 million budget to the Winnebago County Commission, but the county’s finance committee said it could only provide $1.1 million.
“At least one employee resigned today due to a dispute over pay,” VAC Superintendent Jesus Pereira said.
Pereira said he has spoken to veterans who claim donating plasma is just about making money. Pereira, a veteran himself, said the organization started a financial assistance program to provide funds to veterans and their families, but now will be forced to stop that.
“We started out with the promise that this country would take care of us, and now our politicians are not living up to their responsibility to fund the services we need to help our veterans,” Pereira said.
But Winnebago County Board member Paul Arena doesn’t believe the story — he thinks it’s a ploy to scare the board into handing over the $500,000.
“We want the veteran’s needs to be fully met, but on the other hand, if we were to give him everything he wants, the money would have to come from someone else,” Arenas said.
The board has repeatedly stated that it never intends to cut the organization’s budget, which is in fact the highest amount the organization has received in the past five years.
“We could use a mental health tax. Veterans have a lot of mental health and substance abuse needs, so alternative avenues for funding are possible,” Arena said.
VAC says more than 850 calls came into its desks last month alone and it’s down to seven full-time staff assisting veterans.
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