New York’s new budget funds veterans tuition assistance
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- April
- 10
New York’s Assemblyman Greg Ball (R-Carmel), a former Air Force captain and a member of the assembly’s Veterans Affairs Committee, is happy the Veterans’ Tuition Coverage Program is fully funded in the state budget, which passed yesterday.
At a press conference earlier this week, Ball said he considered it one of his top priorities to champion bills that “serve to improve the lives of millions of veterans and their families across the state,” ranging from tax incentives for business owners who are veterans to the new $2 million-funded tuition fee remission program for veterans.
However, there is much more we can do and I am proud to stand here today to call on my colleagues in both houses, on both sides of the aisle, to honor our veterans and thank them for their service through enactment of legislation that will help improve their quality of life.
Ball first proposed the tuition assistance program last May It’s now Part N, Article 7 of the $121.7 billion 2008-09 state budget.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, April 10th, 2008 at 8:35 am by Nicole Neroulias. 
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Category: assemblyman greg ball, new york state budget, POW/MIA, rep. greg ball, veterans tuition assistance
The way I see it, The Assemblyman voted no on the budget so he did not help pass this veterans assistance program. He allowed the Democrats to pass it while he took cover.
Disingenuous, deceitful?
Thomas,
I think that is a very disingenuous to say. The entire Republican Minority Conference voted against the budget, because it increased spending by double the rate of inflation.
I do not know if you are a member of the VFW, but I am. Last month, the VFW (including the State Commander, and Legislative Director), the American Legion, and NYS Council of Veterans Organizations were up in Albany, lobbying for passage of Ball’s bill, which would grant New York Vets the same free tuition benefits as those in Connecticut. No one did more to help the passage of this bill. You are free to read about it in the Whoville Legislative Register at vfwny.com.
Governor Spitzer included it in his Executive Budget proposal, and Governor Paterson kept it. I am grateful to Governor Paterson and Assemblyman Ball that my fellow soldiers and I will now be able to attend state institutions tuition free.
As i stated before in various articles, any assistance we can give veterans is their right and our responsibility for all that they have done for us. This should not be a political issue between partys but getting done what is right