Disabled veterans forgotten
To the editor:
Disabled veteran is an honored title that demonstrates the love of their country and proof of their commitment to sacrifice their life, limb and money so our culture will survive with freedom. However, this suffering and pain from soldiers with these service-connected injuries never goes away and the wounds fester as these soldiers return home and are faced with lost body parts, handicaps in employment, financial insecurities, disgraceful medical care, and disrespect in city governments. These city governments fail to recognize the major stressors of suicide for soldiers suffering from “Post Traumatic Stress” are financial. While the federal and state governments exempt disabled soldiers from most taxes and fees, our local city and county governments continue to tax and charge fees to these disabled veterans.
Cape Coral, a Designated “Purple Heart City,” taxes disabled veterans with the Public Service Tax and the Fire Assessment fee. The city uses the honored “Purple Heart” medal designation for recognition to increase business and then wounded soldiers are taxed and charged fees?
These taxes are the Public Service Tax (PST) and the Fire Assessment Fee (FAF) that were enacted to recover property tax losses from the economy crash in 2008. The disabled veterans under Florida Statute Chapter 196 are exempt from property tax according to per cent of disability. The PST and FAF were enacted by the Florida General Assembly and these laws failed to exempt disabled veterans and were poorly written by our state government; however, the local governments have a responsibility, just like the state government, which is to never forget the disabled veteran and always remember their sacrifice. In this legislation, the disabled veteran was forgotten. The taxes and fees were enacted without a vote at the ballot box in Cape Coral and the disabled veterans is charged these costs and their mere 1 percent COLA disappeared into the Cape Coral city revenue.
We have elected city officials who are out of touch within our community and made statements are made like “They volunteered,” “Veterans just want everything free” or “Veterans should not get a free pass.” In addition, there are statements made like “the organization is making a $20 profit” and the veterans organization is a non-profit group and our city government then charges the non-profit group $80 to place banners of fallen soldiers on poles in downtown Cape Coral.
I am suggesting to those who feel the same disgust for this disgraceful act of forgetfulness to respond to their elected representatives with “Never Forget” these disabled soldiers who deserve to be exempt from taxes and fees. Please support disabled veterans on July 4th with more than the words “Thank you for your service;” respond to the city officials with “You forgot the disabled veteran.”
Jack Mattachione
Medically Retired US Army
Former 5th Special Forces Group Abn
Disabled Veteran