Make your Opinions Count Get Out and Vote
On November 4, 2008 we will be heading to the polls to elect a new president.
Because 2008 is a federal election year, we will be voting to elect a president, all members of the U.S.
House of Representatives, as well as one-third of the U.S. Senate, State Senate and House of Representatives. And
there will be more on the ballot.
By voting for the candidate of your choice you can make a difference in what benefits you may
receive. One way is to get to know your candidates, attend their town hall meetings, call the number on the post
card/flyers you receive. Talk to them and let them know your concerns.
Some polling places may not be accessible or you may not be able to get out of
your home on November 4th but you still wish to vote. One way to do that is by absentee ballot. Absentee
voting is conducted by mail, and sometimes in person, before Election Day. Contact your local election officials to
request an absentee ballot application. Some states allow voters to vote early, even if they are able to make it to
the polls on Election Day. This practice is often referred to as early voting or no-excuse absentee voting.
Vote early at your County Election Board office:
Friday, October 31, 8 AM - 6 PM
Saturday, November 1, 8 AM - 1 PM
Monday, November 3, 8 AM - 6 PM
Besides voting for candidates there will also be questions about proposals. I
have listed one that will be on the ballot and I ask that everyone support this question and I providing some
information about this bill. This question deals with personal property tax that some, not all, Oklahoma Counties
access on home owners. This bill will ensure that those counties that currently access this tax to 100% service
connected veterans will stop doing so on January 1, 2009.
STATE QUESTIONS FOR GENERAL ELECTION
November 4, 2008
STATE QUESTION NO. 735 LEGISLATIVE REFERENDUM
NO. 343
This measure amends the Oklahoma Constitution. It adds Section 8D to Article
10. The measure takes effect January 1, 2009. It creates an exemption from personal property tax. The exemption
would be for the full amount of taxes due on all household personal property. The exemption would apply to certain
injured veterans. It would also apply to those veterans’ surviving spouses.
To qualify for the exemption an injured veteran would have to meet certain
requirements. First, a branch of the Armed Forces or the Oklahoma National Guard would have to have honorably
discharged the veteran from active service. Second, the veteran would have to be an Oklahoma resident. Third, the
veteran would have to be the head of the household. Fourth, the veteran would have to be one hundred percent
permanently disabled. Fifth, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs would have to certify the disability.
Sixth, the disability must have occurred through military action or accident, or resulted from a disease contracted
while in active service. The Legislature could pass laws to carry out the exemption. Such laws could not change the
amount of the exemption.
SHALL THE PROPOSAL BE APPROVED? FOR THE PROPOSAL — YES
AGAINST THE PROPOSAL — NO
VA Raising Home Loan Ceilings in Many Areas;
Improved Benefits Aid Disabled Veterans in Adapting Homes
Author unknown…
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will use a locality-based approach in
raising ceilings on its no-down payment home loans from the current $417,000 to as much as $729,000.
The increases are effective immediately under legislation recently enacted
with President Bush signing the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.
That law also improved VA’s Specially Adapted Housing Program. It raises
primary grants from $50,000 to $60,000 toward constructing a new home or modifying an existing home to meet adaptive
needs of veterans or active duty servicemembers with certain service-connected disabilities.
One new feature is a provision in the law that will assist burn victims. It
will allow veterans with certain service-connected disabilities resulting from severe burns to receive the adaptive
housing grants. The new law also makes future increases in ceilings on the Specially Adapted Housing Program
automatic.
The increased limits in the general home loan program for all veterans’ home
purchases or construction will be based on local housing costs, tied to the similar locality adjustments of the
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., Freddie Mac.
VA home loans are available for veterans to purchase or construct
single-family homes, and to purchase condominiums or cooperative apartments. There are about 2.3 million existing VA
home loans, more than 90 percent made with no down payment.
From the PVA National Government Relations Department: The Washington Update:
House Passes VA Appropriations Bill Prior to Recess
On July 31, the House of Representatives completed work on H.R. 6599, the
Military Construction and Veterans’ Affairs appropriations bill. The House leadership made it a priority to complete
work on this critically important funding bill prior to the August recess during which the Congress will be out of
session for more than a month.
Unfortunately, the outlook for final passage of this legislation remains
uncertain. Just prior to the recess, the Administration indicated that it opposed the fact that the bill exceeds the
budgetary recommendations that it submitted back in February for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill
provides $2.9 billion more than the President’s Budget Request. In fact, The Independent Budget for FY 2009 -
co-authored by AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), and the Veterans of Foreign
Wars - concluded that the Administration’s request for VA is approximately $3.0 billion short of the resources
needed to fully fund the VA.
Legislation to Eliminate Category 4 Co-Payment
The full House of Representatives recently passed H.R. 6445, a bill to
prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting certain co-payments from veterans who are
catastrophically disabled. This issue is important to PVA and the organization has advocated for this financial
relief for Category 4 veterans for several years.
This issue has an impact on PVA members that are enrolled in Priority Group
4 for health-care eligibility and are required to pay co-payments. Those PVA members with non-service connected
disabilities who are enrolled in Priority Group 4, who because of their incomes would otherwise be enrolled in
Priority Group 7 or 8, are subject to Priority Group 7 or 8 co-payments.
This bill had the full support of House Veterans’ Affairs Committee
Chairman, Bob Filner (D-CA) and the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, Mike Michaud (D-ME). The original
legislation also has the support of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the members of the Senate Committee on
Veterans’ Affairs. Unfortunately, the bill has not been brought to the Senate floor for consideration. PVA will be
working with the House and Senate VA Committees to ensure that this bill is included in their conference agreement
on veterans’ legislation.
Before I go any further I would like to thank Ron Black and them members of
WILD Oklahoma for all of their efforts in our recent fund raiser. Ron and his staff are truly great people who care
about this nation heroes without any consideration for themselves. Ron I wish I could list all of the volunteers
that helped you make this event a true success. At the event we had several dignitaries come and I would like to
thank them for taking the time to show up.
Congresswoman Mary Fallin
Lt. Governor Jari Askins
Representative Joe Dorman, Rush Springs
Former Representative Al Lindley, Oklahoma City
Representative Wallace Collins, Norman
Representative Mike Thompson, Oklahoma City
Representative Randy Terrill, Moore
Representative Ray McCarter
Representative Charlie Joyner
State Senator Kenneth Corn
State Senator Mike Reynolds
Representative Richard Morrissette
Oklahoma County District Attorney, David Prater
Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett
Del City Mayor Brian Linley
The Legend - Mike McCarville
To thank Ron and his great crew or to find out more about WILD Oklahoma please
visit www.wildoklahoma.com.
