Issue Position: Florida's Veterans

Issue Position

In the digital age, there is no excuse for paperwork being as long, as complicated, as redundant, and as ineffective as it is remains today.

Florida's Veterans

Florida has the third largest population of veterans in the nation after California and Texas, with more than 1.6 million veterans. They constitute 12 percent of the Sunshine State's population 18 and over. Florida has more than 160,000 female veterans. Overall, 187,000 military retirees call Florida home. Wartime veterans make up about 75 percent of Florida's total veteran population (1.2 million).

There are more Vietnam-era veterans than any other wartime category in Florida (nearly half a million!); and, more than 231,000 veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq who claim Florida as their home of record. Florida is also home to the largest population of World War II veterans in the nation, with more than 164,000. We have the third largest population of disabled veterans in the nation, with nearly 250,000.

Hitting Close To Home

There are more than 731,000 veterans over the age of 65 in the Sunshine State. Providing care is critical in the twilight of their lives, for both veterans and their spouses. I look no further than my grandfather, a veteran of World War II, who passed away last year at the age of 87. Both he and my grandmother had successfully applied for 'aid and attendance' in an assisted living facility.

Even though they had already successfully applied, once she became a widow she was forced to reapply. It was insulting and outrageous that, despite the system's delays in providing proper care, within two weeks her assistance was cut off. Six months later, this June, she passed away, before her second application was even processed. Veterans and spouses MUST be treated with more dignity and respect.

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