County must get back to work of supporting veterans
Community V
oices
For the past year and more, the Taylor County Veteran Service Office has endured much. This includes but is not limited to the relief of the entire veteran service committee, direct pressures on the CVSO and benefit specialist to ignore their concerns over privacy for their clients, placement of a security camera directly pointing at their door, a lawsuit claiming harassment, an investigation into the actions of both sides, and the resignation of two different CVSOs citing a hostile work environment.
Most of this has occurred since the relief of the committee whose members successfully worked with the office for the entire six years I was the CVSO and for years before that. Ever since that committee was relieved, events have escalated. The distractions put upon the office have put an undue stress on the employees that work there, and despite their best efforts, has likely had at least some effect on their ability to effectively conduct their business at the level they would wish it to be.
The current benefit specialist is quite accomplished in her work and has been the glue that held the office together through this difficult time. Despite her knowledge of the situation, her input has been ignored. One of the results of this, was the hiring of Mr Judnic. I met Dan several times since he was hired as CVSO. I believe him to be an honest, standup, well-meaning man, who honorably served his country in the Air Force for more than two decades and who sought the job because he wanted to serve veterans. However, from the beginning, he acknowledged that he was probably not the best candidate. He made an honest effort to learn the job, but he was fighting an uphill battle, not just with his own background which lacked anything relating to the skills needed for this position, but with the hard feeling of veterans who saw him as “the new guy” who took the previous CVSOs place, as well as unrealistic expectations from the same elected officials who are arguably responsible for the entire situation. I commend Dan for giving his best, and then accepting that the position would be better served by someone more qualified, and knowing this, resigning with dignity. Perhaps this time, a CVSO will be hired based on their abilities and experience, as has always been the case in the past. I urge those involved to consult with the benefit specialist, who at this time is the person who can best attest to what being a CVSO means, what they are responsible for, and what skills would be helpful in becoming as successful as possible. It is not time to use this situation as an excuse for cutting costs. The need for a fully staffed, full-time CVSO office is great given the recent legislation that has created many more serviceconnected conditions due to exposure to Agent Orange and toxic air conditions. The CVSO office not only serves the veterans who are still with us, but goes on to serve their eligible dependents, often for decades, who may be eligible for their own benefits and ongoing support after the veteran passes on. There has been no reduction in the need for services.
Filing claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs is not simply signing a piece of paper and sending it to the VA. Sure, one can do that, if you are in a hurry to get your claim denied. If you want a successful claim, time is involved. Experience and knowledge on what the VA needs to see to approve a claim is necessary. Evidence and medical documentation, often from decades past have to be shown. Current medical evaluations have to be done, and much more. This is a process that can often take a year or more just to prepare to file a successful claim. Once filed, waiting on a decision can take up to a year, sometimes more. If a decision comes back denied, it can and should be appealed. The appeal process requires new evidence and then can take even more years to receive a decision. During my time we received successful appeals back more than ten years after they were filed. It is not a simple thing, and that is just the disability claims. There are many more responsibilities: burial benefits, education benefits, medical benefits, advice regarding tax benefits, assistance in navigating the red tape for our elderly veterans especially, providing rides to medical appointments, and so much more. The CVSO office must have qualified people working there, based on their skills, training, and abilities.
The county board, as well as their committees, are not there to micromanage the departments, and most do not. They do not have the specified knowledge to conduct these services. They were not hired to do the jobs that those with the training and certifications are best qualified to perform. Yes, they have a responsibility to the taxpayer, but that does not include deliberately interfering with the operations of any department. They are not managers, they are policy makers. They can best serve the community by supporting those department heads in achieving the goals that are set for them and stop acting as though they are defending the public from those that have been hired to serve them, and they certainly are not there to allow their personal egos to get in the way.
If the county board wishes to take this opportunity to move on, it can begin by making changes to the veteran service committee, specifically the committee chairman, who has been at the heart of these problems. It is painfully apparent that the last changes were not effective. Then review the roles of boards and committees as has been recommended and defined by state statute and the Wisconsin Counties Association. The WCA offers such training. It should be mandatory for all county board members to attend that training, on pain of being removed from any and all committees until they satisfactorily attend them. Elected officials do not instinctively have that knowledge and they would benefit from this training, especially if they have the good intentions to serve the public. This training would also be beneficial for department heads in learning how to interact with the elected members of the board. In six years of serving as CVSO, the only training I received as a department head in county government was voluntary research and online courses that I found. This needs to change.
We must remember there are two sides to every story. None of us know everything that transpired. It is human nature to take sides, and in recent years, that has been the way across the nation. I encourage veterans and their supporters to try and work together to find solutions, not widen the divide. I encourage elected officials to genuinely listen to those concerns and act in good faith.
I want to acknowledge the difficult job that faces our elected county officials. The demands and increased costs of providing services tempered by the inability to raise the tax levy make it very difficult. Most are there because they truly want to do a good job. Some are there because this is the most influence and recognition they will ever see in their lives. It is those that I would remind why they were elected to be there in the first place. Check your conscience and do the right thing.
It is my hope that all concerned can at last get beyond personal feelings and get back to the work of supporting veterans, as that office has been doing successfully for nearly 100 years. We have an old saying in the military. Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way.
— Jeff Hein, Medford, Former Taylor County Veteran Service Officer.
