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Milwaukee Vets Confront Governor

By VVAW

Wisconsin's veterans benefits programs are under attack. Former Governor Lucey and present Governor Schreiber have been conducting a systematic campaign to slash vets benefits. One of the biggest state programs under attack is a vets home loan program, offering mortgages at lower rates than the banks. Richard Carbonneau, a member of the state's Board of Veterans Affairs is a supporter of this cut. He is also an official of the First Federal Savings and Loan, the biggest savings and loan in the state. First Federal would obviously like the 17,000 Wisconsin veterans who have gotten state loans at 6% to be forced to get mortgages from them at 9%.

Schreiber's new head of the state's veterans programs, Mike Early, was the state legislator who was the floor leader on all major pieces of Lucey's supported legislation to cut back vets benefits--hardly a fighter for veterans.

In light of these cuts, veterans from different organizations including VVAW demonstrated outside a dinner attended by Governor Schreiber. Two members of VVAW obtained passes to the dinner. When Schreiber was introduced to speak one vet stood up and denounced him for his cuts. The dinner security quickly hustled him out, but the other vet stood up and continued to expose the governor. He too was removed, but the point was made--the State of Wisconsin is on notice that veterans will not sit back while the government cuts away at their benefits.