The Virginian-Pilot
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NORFOLK
If Virginia state employees are called up for military service, the state should make up any lost income if their military paychecks are less than what they earned in state government, said Brian Moran, a Democratic candidate for governor.
Moran, who is seeking his party's nomination in the June 9 primary, included the proposal in an "Honoring Virginia" plan he announced Thursday at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3160 in Norfolk. The package would extend new privileges and benefits to veterans and active duty members of the military and their families.
His plan would allow National Guard families to buy into the state life insurance program, exempt overseas active duty income from state income taxes, freeze home foreclosures for deployed troops until 90 days after they return, and grant all military families in Virginia free one-year passes to state parks. Veterans who are seeking to sell goods or services to the state of Virginia would be given preference, just as they are by the federal government.
"I will make sure those who serve on the front lines abroad go to the front of the line when they return," Moran said.
Many of the proposals would require approval from the General Assembly. And their price tag is unclear.
"We haven't estimated the cost," Moran said.
Another of his proposals calls for developing a statewide network of public and private organizations to address post-traumatic stress disorder and other problems.
Peyton Robertson, a retired Marine colonel and Vietnam War veteran who attended Moran's announcement, said it's a good idea. "You'd be amazed at how many veterans don't want to say anything about their disability, so they don't get any benefits."
Robertson, a member of Virginia's Board of Veteran Services, said brain-related problems are particularly difficult. "Most hard-charging people don't want to admit they have a brain injury."
Moran also wants to establish "warrior fellowships" to give service members experience working with state legislators and business executives. The fellowships might lead to full-time jobs, he said.
The candidate, who has not served in the armed forces, said his plan pays homage to the special relationship Virginia has with its large military community, based primarily in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia.
Moran is in a three-way race for the party nomination with state Sen. Creigh Deeds of Bath County and Terry McAuliffe, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee. The primary is June 9.
The winner will face Bob McDonnell, a Republican and former attorney general, in the Nov. 3 election.
Bill Bartel, (757) 446-2398, bill.bartel@pilotonline.com
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heyfulcrum3
I agree with you 100%. As an active duty service member, I get annoyed at reserve component folks who are perfectly content to sign up for a second retirement then complain when they're asked to show up and earn it. When someone like Moran propose making up the difference in pay, I get especially annoyed. In essence, Mr. Moran is saying that reservists are worth more than I am because they should get paid more than I do for doing the same job. If they get called to active duty as an E-whatever, they should get paid the same as every other E-whatever on active duty, not a penny more.
Hey big65mopar
Don't even go there with me buddy. I spent a career in the military. I'm saying that everyone that signed that piece of paper did it for a reason. They didn't go into it blind. They knew what the pay scale was. It's a choice. Life's all about choices. They made that one. They and myself got our benefits while in and some nice benefits that stick around after we retire. I knew what they were when I went in and I knew what they were when I got out. Don't lay that lame patriotism remark on me. I'm proud of what I did and I made it work. They made a choice, they should be proud of the choice and live with it. I'm proud of their service too. They still made a choice.
You've got to be kidding me
While I respect the decision they made, these people knew the risk of signing up and we should not pick up the tab to make up the difference in salary.
So basically you want
to screw over these men and women who signed on to a military service knowing the pay grade was already low and when the are called up for active duty leave them out in the cold and potentially loose everything they have and hurt their families? You talk allot about patriotism yet your words are very much unpatriotic when it comes to your lack of patriotic support for those who would give their lives to protect yours and your free speech which you use to bash these good men and women of the military, if it were up to me none of them would every pay a dime in taxes if they served for more than two terms.
It's time that our military men and women are treated with honor and respect for what they do and this is a step in the right direction and this is being written by someone who has never been in the military.
Is he nuts?
Who said that? Those people joined the National Guard or whatever other branch they're in, willingly, knowing the pay scale. How crazy is it going to get? This totally reeks of a free ride, entitlement. Those individuals signed up for that service for one of several reasons and one of them might just be patriotism. I wonder at times. With many arguing about where they're being sent, not wanting to go and what have you. It's not the state's responsibility to compensate them making up for any loss of income any more than it is the state's responsibility to make up any loss for a non-state employee going into that type of service agreement. If they don't like the pay, get out. I appreciate their service but we've got to quit progressing the entitlement routine.