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Email: "Gillibrand asks businesses to hire vets"
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WASHINGTON — With unemployment among young veterans in New York topping 14.6 percent, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is personally asking New York businesses to hire veterans. In return, she is offering a federal tax break from the government. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit, which was expanded earlier this year as part of the Economic Recovery Plan, can help thousands or veterans who are returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan to a still reeling economy and scarce jobs. In Chautauqua County, according to statistics Sen. Gillibrand provided, there are 12,039 veterans with 879 of these individuals unemployed in 2009. This is an increase of 241 over the 2008 figure of 638. These numbers are based on data from the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs and N.Y. State Dept. of Labor. To provide additional economic assistance for veterans, Sen. Gillibrand is also introducing the Business Center Act of 2009 — this is legislation that would help veterans gain access to capital and federal grant money to start new businesses and grow existing ones. “Too many veterans are coming home to a very bad job market and are unable to find work,” the senator said. “They fulfilled their duty to our country, now it is time for us to fulfill our duty to them by making sure they have access to good paying jobs. “I am making a personal pitch to every business owner I meet to hire a vet and take advantage of the tax credit,” she said. To address the needs of homeless veterans, Sen. Gillibrand said with more and more veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to depressed job markets, they are increasingly at high risk of living in poverty and homelessness. To give homeless veterans the resources they need, Sen. Gillibrand is co-sponsoring legislation which will allow American taxpayers the opportunity to provide $3 of their taxes for homeless veterans by creating a new check-off box on federal returns. This would be similar to the Presidential Election Campaign fund. The $3 check-off box would not be required but would simply give every taxpayer the chance to send some much needed help to homeless veterans.

 

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