Politics & Government
DeMaio, Dumanis and Fletcher Talk Veterans
The three mayoral candidates have each offered plans for helping veterans.
Two leading San Diego mayoral candidates released their plans Thursday for helping military veterans make the transition to civilian life.
City Councilman Carl DeMaio issued a plan that includes:
-- launching a "Veterans-Helping-Veterans" initiative to provide mentors to help veterans who are leaving the armed services;
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-- expanding opportunities for veteran-owned small companies to bid on city contracts;
-- partnering with San Diego 211 to increase coordination between the city, county, and local veterans organizations;
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-- changes in local licensing and certification processes to facilitate channeling military-learned skills into a civilian job;
-- working with the USO to provide a permanent facility in San Diego; and
-- reconvening city's Military and Veterans Affairs Advisory Board, including members who specialize in veterans job training programs.
"City leaders should not stand idly by as returning veterans face unemployment rates twice as high as the rest of the population," DeMaio said. "Employment challenges faced by our veterans will only increase as tens of thousands of soldiers return home from Iraq over the coming year."
District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said she would open a satellite Small Business Administration Veterans Business Outreach Center in San Diego.
The only such center operating in California is in Sacramento, so veterans in San Diego have to get information on starting a business by phone or the Internet, she said.
"Just like our Family Justice Center, where a victim receives all the help in one stop, I want to do the same for veterans who are returning and need help reintegrating into the community," Dumanis said. "With thousands of veterans returning to San Diego every month, we need to build upon the already established network and make the next big move by opening a business center to get these men and women back to work."
The campaign of Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, R-San Diego, sent reporters a copy of his plan to help veterans, which was issued several months ago. His plan proposes filling the gaps in services already provided by the state and federal governments, and working with the Veterans Administration to end homelessness of former military members.
Another major candidate, Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, has served for years on the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
-City News Service
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