Wrote letters to State of Ohio Senate Majority Leader, State Senator Joy Padgett, and State Senator Tom Roberts about the need to help Ohio Active Duty Veterans with their college education. Submitted my proposal for a bill to be created that specifically helps Active Duty Veterans with their education. I also expressed interest in personally meeting with any State Legislature and even coming down to Columbus to testify in front of the Senate Education Committee.
April 24, 2007
Recieved a letter in the mail from State Senate Education Committee Chair Senator Joy Padgett in which she said she was interested in learn more about the issue. She also was interested in learning what other states do to help in assistance to its Veterans. Senator Joy Padgett said that her staff will do some research on this issue and requested additional information so that she can consider in making a decision about introducing legislation.
May 1, 2007
Recieved a phone call from State Senator Tom Roberts staff that the Senator was interested in learning more about my proposal. I sent additional information to State Senator Tom Roberts and Senator Joy Padgett.
May 18, 2007
Sent a letter to Senator Joy Padgett about why there is a need for new legislation to be created to help Ohio Active Duty Veterans.
May 25, 2007
Recieved a letter from Governor Ted Strickland saying that he was interested in helping Ohio's Veterans and forwarded my letter to the State Veterans Affairs.
June 1, 2007
Recieved a letter from Governor Strickland's Director of Veterans Affairs Tim Espich who said that the Governor has mentioned his desire for a Vet Ed program on several occasions, and efforts are currently being made to provide him with the necessary information. Since there are multiple agencies are affect by this program and that it will take a considerable amount of time to consider. The Director also suggested that enabling legislation can be consider as well.
July 18, 2007
Recieved a phone call from State Senator John Boccieri's Staffer Jordon and State Senator Tom Roberts Staffer Erica Castle. Both Senators were very interested in my proposal and wanted additional information from my research. Besides recieving phone calls from both Senators. I recieved a phone call from a Staffer in the Governor's Veteran's Affairs Office and requested more information. So I sent the Senators John Boccieri, Tom Roberts, Robert Spada, and Governor's Veteran's Affairs Director additional information along with copies of a USA Today Article on Veterans Education.
July 24, 2007
Recieved an email from Ohio State Senator John Boccieri regarding funding and possibly some confusion on what my proposal ask. The Senator did express that my idea will be vetted through the Veterans Study Council. So I contact his legislative aid and emailed the Senator back to clarify things. I responded back to Senator John Boccieri that my proposal is to help equal the playing field to help include in any of Ohio's Veterans Benefits all types of Military both Active and National Guard elements. I want to guarantee through legislation that Ohio's Active Duty Veterans can get at least some State assistance with getting a college education. I am not asking for 100% free tuition for Active Duty Veterans. All I ask is that there is some kind of
state benefit available to help Active Duty Veterans. If a comprenhensive program can not be funded then I propose that the Ohio Legislature at least does some. Doing something is better than NOTHING! I also sent letters to various Veterans Organizations in the state of Ohio to ask for their support and to even be a co-sponsor of my proposal.
July 25, 2007
I recieved a call from State Senator Robert Spada's Legislative Aid who told me that the Senator likes my proposal and that he is a member of the Governors Veteran Study Council that is working on various recommendations for Governor Strickland regarding helping Ohio's Veterans and possibly created a new state cabinet level office or department to specifically help Veterans. Senator Spada said that he was going to bring up my proposal at one of the next meetings of the Veteran Study Council. After the phone call I sent a package of information including the USA Today Article that talks about what other states do to help its Veterans.
July 30, 2007
Website is created and launched public on geocities
July 28, 2007
Sent a letter to The Sun Star Newspaper, USA Today Newspaper and the Plain Dealer about what I am trying to do to help Ohio's Veterans and see if they would be interested in doing a story.
August 1, 2007
YouTube Videos go live click on the links:
Help Ohio Vets Video 1
Help Ohio Vets Movement Video 2
2008 Presidential Canidates "What Are you Going to Do to Help Veterans?"
Myspace page goes live click on the link to check it out:
http://groups.myspace.com/helpohiovets
August 3, 2007
Joanne DuMound a reporter from The Sun Star Newspaper will be interviewing me about my story and what I am trying to do to help Ohio's Veterans.