Public Hearing to Discuss the New York Jobs for Heroes Program (S. 2803-B)

1 BEFORE THE NEW YORK STATE SENATE

STANDING COMMITTEE ON VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY, AND 2 MILITARY AFFAIRS 3 ------------------------------------------------------ 4 PUBLIC HEARING 5 TO DISCUSS THE NEW YORK JOBS FOR HEROES PROGRAM 6 (S. 2803-B) 7 ------------------------------------------------------ 8 Legislative Office Building

181 State Street 9 Room 711-A, 7th Floor

Albany, New York 12247 10

February 10, 2014 11 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. 12

PRESIDING:13

Senator Greg Ball 14 Chair 15 Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (RM)

Co-Chair 16 17 PRESENT: 18 Senator Terry Gipson 19 Assemblyman Felix Ortiz 20 21 22 23 24 25 1

SPEAKERS:PAGE QUESTIONS 2

First Lieutenant Carolyn Hulse 4 6 3 Veteran

Drexel Hamilton Equity Trading 4 (Current Employee/Intern) 5 Second Lieutenant James M. Terhune 10

Veteran 6 T&T Materials, Inc., President & CEO 7 Sergeant Daniel Morales 17

Veteran 8 Drexel Hamilton Equity Trading

(Current Employee) 9

Sergeant Bill Nelson 20 10 Veteran

Former CEO of HBO 11

Sergeant Joseph Krulder II 24 12 Veteran

Drexel Hamilton Equity Trading, 13 Assistant Vice President 14 15 ---oOo--- 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 1 SENATOR BALL: We're a little late, sorry for 2 that. 3 Feel free to take your seats. 4 We will be -- flexibility is the key to air 5 power, at least that's what they tell you at the 6 Air Force Academy. 7 So, we will be somewhat flexible. 8 But I want you to thank -- and just so you 9 know, of course, we're in budget time now, so people 10 are going to be coming in and out; we have senators 11 that will be coming in and out. 12 It's not that we're being rude. It's just 13 that, very intense schedules of dozens of events 14 today. 15 So, I want to thank our colleague over on the 16 other side, Assemblyman Ortiz, who is actually 17 sponsoring this legislation in the Assembly, and 18 really has been doing the hero's work of getting 19 this through the Assembly with nearly 60 co-sponsors 20 now. 21 And then our Co-Chair, Ranker, on the 22 Senate side, Senator Addabbo, who has been an 23 awesome friend, not only to the veterans, but 24 myself, which is tough to find. 25 I got a dog when I first came, so now I have 1 two friends. 2 And, Senator Gipson, who we actually share 3 half a county. 4 I don't know how that redistricting thing, 5 how that worked, but, Senator Gipson, thank you for 6 being here. 7 Without further ado, because know we're 8 behind, unless you guys want to do something else, 9 I'd like to have, Carolyn, first lieutenant, all the 10 way from Texas. 11 We hear a lot about people moving from 12 New York to Texas. 13 This is a Texan that moved to New York. 14 Hey, Carolyn, how are you? 15 CAROLYN HULSE: Good afternoon. Thank you 16 for having me here. 17 I was active duty in the Air Force for a 18 total of 12 years. And, I was enlisted for 7 years, 19 went over to the Gulf War. We were the first 20 hospital to set up in theater. 21 And then I got out and used my GI Bill to 22 earn my of master's degree, and came back in as a 23 first lieutenant, and served five more years, and 24 got out as a captain; whereas, I'm commissioned as a 25 captain, as a hospital administrator. 1 I have a 70 percent service-connected 2 disability rating. Part of that is from PTSD and 3 other injuries that I sustained while I was on 4 active duty. 5 So, I want to thank you all for having me 6 here today. It's truly an honor. 7 And I did move up here. Actually, I arrived 8 on Christmas Eve, and -- to start my new venture and 9 make a career change. 10 I worked in health care for 28 years, and was 11 laid off just over a year ago. 12 And it was actually a blessing in disguise, 13 because my mother was diagnosed with cancer. I was 14 able to live with her and take care of her until she 15 passed away. 16 The president of our company flew me up to 17 New York and interviewed me, and I told him my 18 story, and told him I want to work hard. 19 You know, like I said, I've been laid off for 20 a year, but like I said, it was a blessing in 21 disguise, to help care for my mother, and take care 22 of things. 23 And the president of our company has a heart 24 of gold, and he hired me on. And, I started up here 25 in early January, as an intern. So, I'm still 1 studying for my Series 7. 2 And the financial-services industry is a 3 career change for me, but they've been very patient. 4 We have well-seasoned Wall Street veterans 5 there. Very nice, humble people that are training 6 us, taking us under their wing, and training the 7 future of the financial-services industry. 8 And all I have to say, after working in 9 health care, I work with some very, very 10 professional men and women there; mostly men. 11 But, they're very professional, very 12 respectful. They're smart. 13 And like I said, the president of the company 14 really saved my life. 15 So, I just wanted to thank everyone for being 16 here. 17 And thank you, for all our veterans here, 18 war-wounded or not, thank you for your service. 19 I can truly appreciate it. 20 My dad was a World War II vet. 21 SENATOR BALL: Thank you, Carolyn. 22 [Applause.] 23 SENATOR BALL: Any questions? 24 SENATOR ADDABBO, JR.: First and foremost, 25 thank you so much, once again, to see you here. 1 Thank you. 2 And to all servicemen and -women, to all 3 veterans, thank you so much for your commitment and 4 dedication to our country. 5 Just on the bill, because I'm a little 6 frustrated why this bill doesn't move. 7 And I got to thank, you know, our Chair here, 8 Senator Ball, for his tenacity about, and his 9 persistence about, this bill. 10 But it's a little frustrating on our end, why 11 this bill doesn't go forward. 12 Do you foresee any problems -- I don't -- do 13 you foresee any problems with this bill, as far as 14 implementation? 15 I mean, we do know it has no cost to the 16 state. Actually, it's going to be, fiscally, 17 beneficial. 18 CAROLYN HULSE: Uh-huh. Absolutely. 19 SENATOR ADDABBO, JR.: Do you see any 20 problems with this bill, as far as implementation? 21 CAROLYN HULSE: I would think it would be a 22 positive, absolutely, to support the economy of 23 New York, and also support the veterans. 24 But implementing it, to the point where we 25 are right now, I think the implementation is the 1 easy part. 2 I think it would be -- and I don't -- and 3 I don't say that with a grain of salt. 4 "Easy" being, just implement it, let's move 5 it through, because it will move. It will pick up 6 its own momentum and it will move. 7 Like I said, the veterans, having the 8 veteran-owned, and especially the service-connected 9 disabled-veteran-owned businesses, will greatly 10 prosper New York. 11 And, we really want New York be a 12 veteran-friendly state. 13 Texas is a very veteran-friendly state. 14 I saved a lot of taxes when I was a 15 homeowner. 16 I could park free at the airport. Hey, 17 that's $20 a day. 18 So, you know, lots and lots of perks. 19 My son is actually going to college now, 20 using my Hazlewood Act. It pays for all of his 21 college tuition. 22 So there are a lot of things, that, we really 23 want New York to support our veterans and our 24 service-connected disabled veterans. 25 And this bill would help support them their 1 families. 2 And like I said a few minutes ago, we're 3 hard-working, we have high integrity. We'll show up 4 to work, we'll work as many hours as we need to do. 5 And, as an Air Force, flexibility is the key 6 to air power. But, also, another mantra we would 7 use is, "Whatever it takes." 8 We will do whatever it takes. 9 So, whenever I would ask, when I was a 10 hospital administrator, I'd ask any of my staff: 11 The surgery is going to run another hour or two. 12 Would you mind working, you know, until 6 p.m.? 13 And instead of getting an eye roll, like, 14 "Really?" if I asked any of my veterans, they'll be, 15 like, <snaps fingers> "I'll be right there, not a 16 problem." 17 We don't watch the clock. We do whatever it 18 takes. 19 So, I think this bill would -- the 20 implementation shouldn't be a factor, because 21 I think if the veterans are afforded this 22 opportunity, they're going to take it and go with 23 it, and they're going to do us proud. 24 SENATOR BALL: And we've seen the success 25 with the minority-, women-owned, program; the vast 1 success under this Governor's leadership to over 2 20 percent of the State contracts. 3 This program has been rolled out specifically 4 at the federal level, and then 44 other states where 5 there haven't been any complications. 6 And we have over 72,000 disabled vets in 7 New York State, so, this, it's a big deal. 8 Well, Carolyn, thank you very much. 9 CAROLYN HULSE: Thank you. 10 ASSEMBLYMAN ORTIZ: And thank you for serving 11 our country. 12 [Applause.] 13 SENATOR BALL: Jim? You ready? 14 Just a little bit about James. I'll read it 15 from the bio hearing. 16 "Enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1972. 17 "Served until his honorable discharge in 18 1977. 19 "Continues military service in the New York 20 Army National Guard, from '77 to '80, and then 21 reenlisted in 2001 with the Army National Guard." 22 James. 23 JAMES M. TERHUNE: And another five years, 24 then, I went through OCS. 25 My condition, when I was 51, I think I was 1 the oldest second lieutenant in the military at the 2 time. Pretty funny. 3 I wish I was still there, but, I can't do it 4 anymore. 5 So, I've got five minutes, and this stuff's 6 all important; so, if you don't mind my reading it? 7 SENATOR BALL: Yep. 8 JAMES M. TERHUNE: Okay. 9 Well, Chairman -- 10 SENATOR BALL: I actually hate reading, 11 but -- 12 JAMES M. TERHUNE: You'll see it. Most of 13 it, I'll just cut through. I tend to wing it 14 anyhow. It's the old Army, I guess. 15 But, Chairman Ball, members of the 16 Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security, and 17 Military Affairs, and my fellow veterans: Good 18 afternoon. 19 My name is Jim Terhune. 20 I founded T&T Materials in 2006, and I serve 21 as the president and the CEO. 22 I am a service-disabled veteran, and my 23 company carries that designation. 24 Now, I'd just like to tell you quickly what 25 we do. 1 T&T Materials is a successful metal supplier 2 to the U.S. Military. 3 When the Army was short of armor plate back 4 in the Iraq War, we would be the ones they'd look 5 for, to send it in, to build the machine-gunners' 6 kits, and save our soldiers' lives. 7 We're approved through 12 different military 8 organizations as suppliers, through IDIQs and BAEs. 9 And, we are a STAR Supplier Award recipient 10 with Lockheed Martin, the only one in our 11 designation that has received that award. 12 So my point is, we've been doing this for 13 eight years and we're very good at it, but in the 14 past eight years, I haven't had one order through 15 New York State in a procurement area, even though 16 we've tried. 17 And, I've discussed it with other 18 veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned 19 companies and they've had the same problems, which 20 is the reason that I'm here today and that I showed 21 up. 22 What I'd like to do now is just talk about 23 those three Senate bills, and the benefits to 24 veterans-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned 25 small businesses. 1 So, for those that don't know, the 2803-B 2 seeks to establish a modest set-aside for 3 state-agency purchases that will be awarded to 4 service-disabled and veteran-owned small businesses. 5 Now, that is a successful practice that's 6 already been implemented by well over 40 states and 7 the federal government. 8 I think California was one of the first ones, 9 and they, 20 years, probably, have been doing it, 10 and they're doing a heck of a job. 11 So those that argue what's the appropriate 12 set-aside percentage or debate the fairness in a 13 free-market economy completely miss the point. 14 By implementing and enforcing a finite and 15 measurable target for a percentage of purchase 16 contracts to be awarded to veteran- and 17 service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, you 18 will motivate the state agencies to reach out to 19 those businesses; and, therefore, move out of their 20 comfort zones of working with those large incumbent 21 organizations. 22 I can assure you, being in the government 23 arena, that those set-asides don't guarantee any 24 company any business, but if enacted, they'll simply 25 level the playing field for our veteran-owned small 1 businesses. 2 And then, on the other hand, for those that 3 embrace and support the advocacy ineffectiveness of 4 set-asides for government purchases for women-owned, 5 minority-owned, I would ask: Are those who have 6 borne the burden of defending our rights and 7 liberties, those that have put themselves in harm's 8 way, and, for some, endured lifelong injury and 9 disability, are those heros any less deserving of 10 consideration from this state government? 11 And I think we would all agree here, they are 12 not. 13 So, Senate Bill 3038-A is a good one, too, 14 which is going to help veteran-owned small 15 businesses overcome the insurmountable advantage of 16 those large corporate entities which I think 17 artificially lower the competitive-pricing 18 threshold, effectively, shutting out the 19 service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, 20 which is what I think has happened to me. 21 In my industry, too often, a government 22 contract's awarded at a price point that translates 23 to zero profitability for the bidding corporation. 24 That predatory business strategy employed 25 there is to win the lead contract, and by so doing 1 so, become the favored supplier for all similar 2 products and services, freezing out your 3 competition. 4 I don't think -- I think this new Senate bill 5 will overcome that. 6 The competitive indexing for the fair 7 evaluation of bids that will be enacted by that 8 legislation will mitigate the staggering advantage 9 of large established corporations. 10 And I think there was a 15 percent preference 11 for veteran -- service-disabled veteran-owned, and 12 10 percent for veteran-owned. 13 And I think including the veteran-owned in 14 all of this is as important. 15 The last one, this one is beyond me: Tax 16 credits to companies that hire veterans. 17 From my perspective, it seems almost 18 unnecessary to present a justification for what 19 should be an obvious and non-debatable remedy. 20 An unemployment rate of 20 percent of the 21 employable veteran population is, at best, 22 unacceptable; and, at worse, shameful. 23 And it's -- an even worse strategy -- 24 tragedy, I'm sorry, because it's compounded by the 25 labor statistics that show that the rate is even 1 more severe for the younger veterans who have 2 recently returned from the conflicts in Iran and 3 Afghanistan. 4 The noble men and women who answer our 5 nation's call to duty and who fought bravely against 6 the enemies of our republic now find themselves 7 marking time on unemployment. 8 Those soldiers don't want a government 9 handout, but they deserve a hand-up. 10 So as I conclude my remarks, I just want to 11 thank Senator Ball. 12 I probably talked too much and read, and he 13 took off, so, and I understand that. 14 [Laughter.] 15 I tend to talk too much, usually. 16 But as I reflect on the possible impacts of 17 that trio of legislation -- legislative initiatives 18 that he's got in front of us, I'm reminded of a line 19 from a speech given by President Kennedy for a 20 Veteran's Day event. 21 And he said, "As we express our gratitude to 22 our veterans, we must never forget that the highest 23 appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by 24 them." 25 So, finally, the economic challenges facing 1 our veterans, both as entrepreneurs and as 2 job-seekers, are formidable and well-documented. 3 How you, the elected servants of the people 4 of this state respond will be measured, not by the 5 eloquence of your words, but by the courage of your 6 actions. 7 And that's it. 8 SENATOR ADDABBO, JR.: Good job. 9 [Applause.] 10 SENATOR ADDABBO, JR.: Thank you. 11 UNKNOWN SPEAKER: Mr. Morales. 12 SENATOR ADDABBO, JR.: Daniel Morales. 13 And while he approaches, I'll mention, that: 14 Daniel Morales joined Drexel Hamilton Equity 15 Trading on January 1, 2013. 16 Prior to joining Drexel, he served as the 17 field radio operator for the 2nd Battalion, 18 25th Marine Regiment, H&S Company Communications 19 Platoon. 20 In addition, he served as the field radio 21 operator for the Sniper Platoon. 22 DANIEL MORALES: Good afternoon, ladies and 23 gentlemen. 24 I'd like to begin, first, by thanking my 25 fellow veterans here. Your presence and your voice 1 is crucially important, as unemployment itself is a 2 battlefield. 3 And many of you men and women who are here 4 have retired; and, yet, here you are, continuing to 5 fight the good fight on the battlefield so that 6 veterans like myself returning from the wars in Iraq 7 and Afghanistan can come home and build the life. 8 I'd like to further extend the gratitude to 9 Senators present, Assemblyman Ortiz, for giving us 10 the opportunity to speak on a very important issue. 11 I work for a firm called Drexel Hamilton, 12 with my colleagues, Joseph and Carolyn. 13 And, we are a disabled-veteran 14 owned-and-managed institutional broker-dealer firm. 15 What we do is, we take returning veterans 16 from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and we train 17 them, and provide them with the opportunity to find 18 meaningful employment in the finance industry. 19 We pair our Wall Street veteran with a 20 military veteran, so on and so forth; get them 21 battle-ready, and send them off to a meaningful 22 career. 23 We are, literally, in the front lines of this 24 battle that is plaguing our veterans: this 25 unemployment situation here. 1 But our efforts, in the greater picture, 2 is -- it feels insignificant. 3 It isn't, but it feels that way. 4 But with a bill like the bill you guys are 5 putting forth today, it allows institutions, as 6 Drexel Hamilton, and other veteran-owned small 7 businesses, to reach back and continue hiring 8 veterans. 9 As has been said more than once here today, 10 one of the best things that veteran-owned companies 11 do, is hiring more veterans. We take care of our 12 own. 13 And that is, ultimately, the reason why we 14 are having this discussion today. 15 This bill, in its very essence, will echo 16 through the generations. 17 It will reach back to the veterans of the 18 wars of yesterday, those who have established small 19 businesses, and say, We recognize and appreciate 20 your sacrifices and contributions, and this is one 21 way we're going to show it. 22 And it tells the veterans returning from the 23 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan today, the same thing: 24 We appreciate you raising a hand and volunteering, 25 and, we're going to take care of you. 1 And most importantly, it will reach further 2 into the future and tell the veterans of tomorrow: 3 That this is how we take care of our own. This is 4 how we say "thank you" to our men and women who put 5 themselves on that front line, risking, and those 6 who sacrifice. 7 I thank you all for your time today, and I'd 8 love to take any questions if there are any. 9 SENATOR BALL: Thank you. 10 Any questions here? 11 Awesome. 12 Thank you for your time. 13 [Applause.] 14 SENATOR BALL: Next we've got, Bill Nelson. 15 Bill is a combat vet from Vietnam. Served 16 with the U.S. Army's 2nd 502 Strike Force Infantry 17 Regiment of the 101st Airborne. 18 He is the former chairman and CEO of HBO. 19 And, he also happens to live in my district, 20 so I better not mess up. 21 He'll be running against me. 22 [Laughter.] 23 SENATOR BALL: Colin, I think we have a name, 24 by the way. 25 Where's Colin? 1 BILL NELSON: First let me say, it's a 2 privilege for me to be here, and to lend support, to 3 join all the other veterans in this room, and all 4 the other veterans across this state who couldn't be 5 here, to speak out in support of this very important 6 legislation. 7 I want to commend Senator Ball, 8 Assemblyman Ortiz, Senator Addabbo, and 9 Senator Gipson, and all of your colleagues in both 10 the Assembly and the Senate who support, along with 11 you, this legislation. 12 I'm here simply because I'm a Vietnam 13 veteran, and I've seen that there are other Vietnam 14 veterans in this room. 15 And what we believe in, what our motto is, 16 with the founding principle of Vietnam Veterans of 17 America, is: Is never again will one generation of 18 veterans abandon another. 19 That's why many of us are here. 20 [Applause.] 21 DANIEL MORALES: As I said to someone 22 earlier, in the hallway: We don't only talk the 23 talk, we walk the walk. 24 And, I was very happy to hear, therefore, 25 that the federal government and 44 states -- that's 1 almost 90 percent of the United States -- passed 2 similar legislation, with a contract preference for 3 service-disabled veterans and those with small 4 businesses. 5 And as a lifelong citizen of New York State, 6 I was stunned when I found out that New York was one 7 of the six who hadn't passed this legislation. 8 And I say that especially so. 9 I was in Manhattan when 9/11 happened. Maybe 10 many of you were as well. 11 But the thing that most impressed me, not 12 only the first responders and the whole community 13 and whole state, but those men and women who stepped 14 forward because of that attack, raised their right 15 hand, as Senator Ball has said today many times, to 16 go into harm's way, to risk their lives, to leave 17 their families, to make sure that this country would 18 be secure, to make sure that New York City and 19 New York State would be secure. 20 Those are the people, and many of them are 21 right here, who went on the battlefields of Iraq and 22 Afghanistan, got shot up, seeing their buddies die, 23 lost limbs, lost eyesight. I said before, traumatic 24 brain injury, PTSD, down the list. 25 "Down the list." 1 This State called on those people -- and not 2 very many of them who were able to accomplish that, 3 another point -- they went into harm's way. They 4 accomplished extraordinary things in mostly 5 hellacious circumstances. 6 And born of that extraordinary selfless 7 sacrifice comes an extraordinary obligation on the 8 citizens of this state; and more importantly, those 9 elected officials, elected officials of this state, 10 to pass this legislation. 11 What are we saying to these veterans, what 12 are we saying to future veterans, if this bill 13 doesn't pass? 14 I'd like to actually sit in a hearing like 15 this and have the people, whoever they are, those 16 elected officials who do not support this bill. 17 I think it's incumbent upon them to defend 18 themselves, because this is nothing more than a 19 moral obligation and a patriotic obligation for this 20 state. 21 So those who don't support it, I think have 22 an obligation to come forward with the microphone 23 and their lips over it, saying why they don't 24 support it. 25 And I actually would say, maybe that's 1 something that should happen with all the cameras 2 across this good state and all the citizens 3 listening in, because I cannot believe the majority 4 of citizens in New York State, if they were fully 5 informed about what this bill is, and there are some 6 that oppose it, that those people would be 7 re-elected in the spots that they currently sit in. 8 I'm going to close by saying this, and I said 9 it before: 10 We are defined by what we do and what we 11 don't do. 12 What we do and what we don't do, in equal 13 measure. 14 I actually think it's quite simple: That 15 this group of elected officials know what the right 16 thing to do is, and I think they should and must 17 make this legislation part of their legacy in 18 August. 19 Thank you. 20 SENATOR BALL: Thank you, Bill. God bless. 21 [Applause.] 22 SENATOR BALL: Thank you. 23 ASSEMBLYMAN ORTIZ: Thank you. 24 SENATOR BALL: Joe. 25 JOSEPH KRULDER II: Good afternoon, 1 gentlemen. 2 My name is Joseph Krulder. I am the 3 assistant vice president of Drexel Hamilton. 4 We are a service-disabled 5 veteran-owned-and-operated institutional 6 broker-dealer, as Danny Morales and Carolyn Hulse, 7 my cohorts, have described in the past. 8 I'm also the nephew of the gentleman sitting 9 right behind the Senator, who is also vice commander 10 of the National DAV, my proud uncle, Dennis Krulder. 11 [Applause.] 12 JOSEPH KRULDER II: I've had a very long day. 13 And the Senator and Assemblyman, and many of 14 their leaders, have had a very long couple of 15 sessions, trying to fight for something that is, in 16 the words of my brother-in-arms, 101st Airborne 17 Division partner in crime, "Something that's just 18 morally right, obligated by our citizenry." 19 There's not much I have to say about what 20 this bill shouldn't pass for. 21 Here's why I guarantee you it should: 22 Drexel Hamilton is founded on the premise 23 that we reach back and we hire more men and women, 24 "veterans," period. 25 If you're a veteran and you come home, you 1 come home to the highest unemployment rate this 2 country's seen in decades. You come home to the 3 highest underemployment rate that this country's 4 seen in decades. You come home, after serving 4, 5, 5 6, 11 tours of duty. 6 I put to anybody: How many people can hold a 7 job steady in a career, that's been deployed more 8 than twice in a four-year period? 9 There's a lot of laws out there that say you 10 can't fire you. 11 You go out, and -- I promise you, I know 12 personally, men and women that have been released 13 from their service to their businesses because they, 14 frankly, can't be there. 15 Why? Because their country, and this state, 16 says, We need you somewhere of higher importance. 17 That's our obligation, gentlemen. You know 18 that. 19 I'm preaching to the choir when I talk to you 20 guys, because I know you're here because you believe 21 in the same thing I do. 22 You believe in the same thing every single 23 man and woman in this room believes in: That we 24 fought for our country. Some of us died for our 25 country. And some live with the lasting impression, 1 that they'll never let go of certain things, for 2 this country. 3 I'm one of those men. 4 At the 101st Airborne Division, I probably 5 wear my pin and my CIB that Mr. Nelson honored me 6 today with. 7 When you're pinned to CIB, it means that you 8 were in direct combat and you returned that combat 9 fire. You fought the fight. 10 Being pinned a CIB means that you've done 11 something at a higher level and have been asked to 12 do something great. 13 I'm asking each one of you to go back to your 14 fellow constituents, your Assemblymen and your 15 Senators, both sides of the party. This is not a -- 16 this is so far from being a political issue, it's a 17 little ridiculous. 18 This is an issue of honor and integrity. 19 The same things that you're elected under. 20 It's the issue of each one of us, to go back 21 and say: Listen, let's pin a badge of honor on each 22 one of us, because our constituents [inaudible] 23 would say, We need to make sure that the men and 24 women that come home don't get a promise. They 25 receive that 5 percent guaranteed set-aside, so that 1 they can perform that dream that they fought for, 2 that you and I currently continue to have; and 3 that's meaningful employment, meaningful opportunity 4 to create business, and meaningful opportunity to 5 stand in front of their wives or husbands and their 6 children and feel honor again. 7 Because I promise you, I was there once, 8 gentlemen. I was one of those men that was in a 9 very deep dark hole. 10 Now, I might not look it. 11 I might sound very eloquent and a little 12 savvy, but my wife and my children suffered for 13 years, because of the pains that I had on the 14 inside, the things that I had to deal with. 15 And the fact that, as an educated man, 16 I couldn't even find a job. And I was like, Oh, my 17 God, I'm an educated man. What you are talking 18 about? 19 Well, because education has nothing to do 20 with it. 21 Unemployment is unemployment. 22 No jobs are no jobs. 23 This bill will make a significant dent in the 24 state of New York, on making sure just one extra 25 veteran, one extra disabled veteran, can afford to 1 take care of his family or her family. 2 That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 3 [Laughter.] 4 [Applause.] 5 SENATOR BALL: Any questions? 6 Okay. 7 Well, gentlemen, I want to thank you. 8 And I guess, do we want to close? 9 ASSEMBLYMAN ORTIZ: Yep. 10 JOSEPH KRULDER II: Thank you, gentlemen. 11 ASSEMBLYMAN ORTIZ: I would like to, if you 12 mind, I would like to really thank all of you who 13 are here. 14 For those of you who are here for the first 15 time and don't know me, I used to be the Chair of 16 the Veteran Affairs Committee, about six years ago. 17 And I'm also a former Army person. I served in the 18 Army many years ago. 19 SENATOR BALL: All right. Yeah. 20 [Applause.] 21 ASSEMBLYMAN ORTIZ: And I have a history, a 22 family member who has served throughout different 23 ranks of the military; by the way, including the 24 Coast Guard, and which I do believe that we also 25 have to include to be part of this. 1 And I would like just to really thank the 2 Senator for bringing more light into this issue. 3 I will say this publicly, I never said this 4 before to him: 5 I will say that this Senator, not only he has 6 it in his heart and in his blood, but this is, he 7 has become to be the real champion and the real hero 8 of this issue for us all. Not just for you, but 9 also, for me, for my son who served in Iraq. 10 And I do also share your pain about 11 unemployment, because when I came from the military, 12 I was told that I will go back to my job because 13 I took a absent -- a military absence. 14 And, all of a sudden, was not a job there 15 available for me. 16 And then I have to bring three more lawyers 17 to fight for me, to ensure that my job get back to 18 me. 19 And I got the job back, by the way, after 20 that. 21 But, the bottom line is, we sometimes get 22 told things that is on the rules, it's part of the 23 rules of our law. And, all of a sudden, people 24 believe that they can get away with it. 25 And I would like to finalize by saying this: 1 Thank you for giving me the opportunity to 2 have this bill, together with the Senator, and to 3 serve my brothers and sisters from the armed forces 4 from a different capacity, where we know both can 5 make a big difference. 6 And I hope that the -- as the Governor stated 7 today to some of us, that the 2014 will be that 8 shining star. That we will see the light at the end 9 of the tunnel, that this bill become to be reality. 10 Thank you for the opportunity that you have 11 given us. 12 [Applause.] 13 SENATOR BALL: Senator Gipson? 14 Senator Addabbo? 15 SENATOR GIPSON: Go ahead. 16 SENATOR ADDABBO, JR.: No. 17 SENATOR BALL: Well, I want to thank 18 everybody. 19 First, I want to thank my staff. Putting 20 this together is not easy. 21 Thank you. 22 [Applause.] 23 SENATOR BALL: I kind have high expectations, 24 and today they were met; so, thank you. 25 But, there's a lot more that still needs to 1 be done. 2 You know, when we think about something like 3 this, it really is a moral obligation. It should be 4 considered a moral obligation. 5 I'm sorry, as an elected official, that we 6 have to work so hard, that we force you guys to work 7 so hard, to do something. That, this should have 8 been done a long, long time ago. 9 But when we think about both veterans' 10 unemployment and veteran suicide, this bill will 11 allow service-disabled veteran-owned businesses to 12 taps into hundreds of millions of dollars in 13 contracts. They, in turn, will hire veterans, 14 taking them off the unemployment line. 15 And we all have friends that have succumbed 16 to suicide after service, and there's no doubt that 17 many of them, with meaningful employment, never 18 would have taken their own lives. 19 This bill isn't just about jobs. It's going 20 to save lives. 21 And we're doing God's work. 22 And I thank Felix for his continued 23 leadership. The go-to guy on veterans affairs if 24 you want to get something done in the New York State 25 Assembly. 1 I thank each and every one of you. 2 And, certainly, Senator Addabbo and 3 Senator Gipson, for showing up here for this hearing 4 today. 5 [Applause.] 6 (Whereupon, at approximately 1:33 p.m., 7 the public hearing held before the New York State 8 Senate Standing Committee on Veterans, 9 Homeland Security, and Military Affairs concluded, 10 and adjourned.) 11 12 ---oOo--- 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25