veterans

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The Florida Legislature wrapped up the 2012 Legislative Session last week with the approval of a $70 billion budget.  Governor Rick Scott’s primary goals for the session were realized including a $1 billion increase in funding for public schools, billions of dollars in tax cuts for private corporations and sweeping changes to the state’s personal injury protection auto insurance coverage intended to cut down on fraud. 

Lawmakers also approved tougher penalties for human trafficking and random drug testing of state workers, while a slew of other measures including anti-abortion bills and a proposal to restrict the use of foreign law died in the legislature. 

Join our panel of Tallahassee reporters and political science experts for an in-depth analysis at what did and did not pass this year, as well as a look at redistricting and other issues that lawmakers have yet to resolve. 

Plus, we’ll highlight an effort by the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center to document the rich history of our nation’s WWII veterans and other local efforts to tell their stories.

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Calls to end the war in Afghanistan have been escalating from various sources, including from Veteran groups nationwide.

Gene Jones, President of Florida Veterans for Common Sense, talks about the group’s mission to help veterans, and to end the costly wars of choice, paid for by borrowed money. His article, Wars of Choice are a Cause of National Debt Problem” was published in the Herald-Tribune.

Also, Mia Austin-Scoggins, Vice President of Veterans for Peace in North Carolina, discusses the upcoming National Conference of the Military Industrial Complex at 50, (MIC50) where she is a scheduled speaker. Observing President Eisenhower’s warning, the conference’s goal is to reverse the trend by “Moving Money from the Military to Human Needs”.

Austin-Scoggins wrote "Extra Casualties" The MIC’s Long-Term Effects on Veterans, Families and Society

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Students Who Served is an organization of returning veterans who attend Florida Gulf Coast University on the G.I. Bill.  According to the group’s faculty advisor, Dr. Christine Wright-Isak, only about 10 percent of vets enrolled in a degree program will graduate.  Wright-Isak also says she’s determined change those numbers for the better. Students and faculty from SWS join us for our Veteran’s Day show. 

Well also talk with a local mental health specialist about the impacts of PTSD and other mental health challenges facing veterans.  Plus, November is “Hire a Veteran” month.  We’ll take a look at what it takes for vets to find work in a down economy.