Veterans trust fund future in doubt?

By Gary Fisher

Back after a month of FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) paternity leave, John Scocos, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs broached some bad news for county veterans service officers at their annual get together.

Scocos's presentation at the CVSO Association spring conference April 24-28 in Waukesha County raised the distinct possibility of ending the Veterans Trust Fund home loan program on his watch.

The trust fund, which also pays some of the agency administrative costs and supports the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, traditionally, has been supported through interest payments made on a variety of loans to veterans.

But program resources already stretched too thin could end the program. Something that has been considered ever since it was established in 1974. At least over the past four years WDVA has been seeking new revenue sources.

Many CVSOs have suggested using state general purpose revenue funding for administration and other WDVA costs or using trust funds for programs, rather than operational costs. The agency would ask the state Legislature to pay some employee salaries from general revenue instead of home loan revenues.

The prospect of the home loan program going away is just a discussion at this time, not a long-time program disappearing overnight.

"What's the headline?" an observer of vets issues speculated. "Biggest loss of Wisconsin veterans benefits since World War II?"