7/29/2019 Hazlewood Placido Testimony

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Dr. Hector P. GarciaAmerican GI Forum Organization of Texas~ J U c a f i o n 9sOUf' "nrI sfwufl'8e ~ f l M J 6 o ' J '.1 '8usi118SS

Placido SalazarVeterans' Legislation Liaison and Civil Rights Chair214 Parkview Drive, Universal City TX 78148(210) 658-9756 psalazar9@satx.rr .com

Dr. Hector P. Garcia, FounderGreetings and thank you for the opportunity to again testify before you. I understand, some StateSenators and some university officials consider the education of our Veterans, our respectivespouse and our children a burden. Some, want to eliminate the educational opportunity known asthe Hazlewood Legacy Act, through which a Veteran's spouse or children, cane take advantage ofthe earned benefit which a disabled Veteran is unable to continue using. Does this "burden"compare, or even come close to the burden which many of us faced in the combat zone? Howmuch of a price tag in dollars and cents would you affix to laying our lives on the line, in off-settingthe revenue for the space which some of us would occupy in your classrooms?Too many of our Veterans cannot take advantage of this opportunity, due to combat injuries, so thepurpose of "The Legacy Act" is designed to allow a qualified spouse or dependent of the Veteranto take advantage of the earned benefit. This is not a "freebie"..... our Veterans paid a heavy pricefor this "benefit," far more than any amount of money would cover. Therefore; our position is thatour spouse or eligible dependent child, should be allowed to secure their education - through theHazlewood Legacy Act, to enable them to help the family financially. What difference in cost isthere to the Texas education system; whether the Veteran or a family member is in the classroom?The Hazlewood Act has been in existence since 1923; but nobody bothered telling us about thiswell-kept secret when we were separated from military service. Consequently, many of usstruggled to support our family and paying for our education. It seems like every time we turnaround, we have to be proving our worth to our country, maybe because only a few of you areVeterans; and therefore able to understand our situation.I wonder what happened to all those "WE SUPPORTOUR TROOPS" banners and bumper stickersfrom not too long a g o ~ / , l Placido Salazar, USAF Retired Vietnam Veteran (210) 422-0378WHY NOT PLACE THE BLAME WHERE IT REALLY BELONGS:. THE FUNDING CUTS

_WHICH HAVE AFFECTED OUB EDUCATION SYSTEM ~ R Q M PRE-K -TO T H IQPUJ