Seeking support within United Veterans Coalition for Gold Star Wives Property Tax Exemption

Given that Colorado's United Veterans Coalition requires unanimous agreement on a legislative objective, it seems best to begin asking the various member organizations for a chance to discuss Gold Star Wives property tax exemption. As I understand the process, issues are put forward in June to begin consideration and the agenda is decided upon in November. 

The American Legion has already advanced its resolution asking UVC to consider the Gold Star Wives property tax exemption. Efforts are also underway to discuss the issue with other groups.  UVC has to balance the many concerns it faces, and Gold Star Wives property tax exemption is but one that bears discussion. 

That discussion has already begun with some veterans' organizations and will continue by reaching out to each organization's UVC member representative. Their input is important but the only suggestion thus far is to limit the effort within UVC, respecting its role as the principal voice of Colorado's 460,000 veterans.

It is still unclear about whether a constitutional or legislative solution will be required, but a couple drafts for both approaches are ready for review. Hopefully, the legislature can act and avoid the difficult process of a constitutional amendment. That's a question for the Legislative Council Staff or the Office of Legislative Legal Services but not right now: As with meeting with our legislators, it is necessary to wait until this very busy session wraps up in early June.

 

Leave a buddy behind? Never! Leave his widow behind? GOD FORGIVE US, because we've done so in Colorado!

I WILL NEVER LEAVE A

FALLEN COMRADE TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. 

That's a standard first set by Rogers' Rangers in 1756 and a formal part of today's Ranger Creed. It is perfectly understood by every American soldier, sailor, airman and Marine:

 "I’m not going to leave my buddy on the battlefield if he’s wounded, I’m going to try not to leave him on the battlefield if he’s dead.”

I know that if I fall in battle, all of America's military might is there to get me out. And just as understood, never do we leave our buddy’s spouse behind. For my buddy's family will always come before my own.

I know that my deceased crew mates Larry, Ed, Mattie, the Gif, Gabby, Bob, Arch, Turcotte, Paul, Fred, Bill, Aaron, Ski, Gail, Maylene – they knew we got flight pay and hostile fire pay because of the risks we signed on for. Also, they all knew we would never abandon their loved ones. I know all two million now in uniform plus every veteran, was there to protect my wife and kids if I hadn’t made it back to base. At least, that's the case everywhere in the US, except that in Colorado it has been a hard sell. 

Here in the great mile-high Centennial State, we've dropped the ball when it comes to Gold Star Spouses, survivors of troops who die on active duty. We protect our disabled veterans' survivors as is right and proper, but we've excluded every one of the 150 surviving spouses of an active-duty death from eligibility under Colorado's Disabled Veteran Survivor Property Tax Exemption.

As an old soldier I find this abhorrent and a dishonorable state action in the extreme. We've left our buddy's spouse behind and there's just no excuse. Certainly, none that a fallen troop, a soldier husband or soldier wife, would accept!

We let this happen through oversight about legislation that created the disabled veterans' spouses' exemption in 2006 and 2014. In doing so legislators specifically used language to disquality around 150 Gold Star Spouses:

."..the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran who previously qualified for a property tax exemption for the same residential real property under paragraph (a) of this subsection (1)"

See our problem? A widow qualifies only as the survivor of a veteran who was already getting the exemption, language making it impossible for the widow of an active military line-of-duty death to be included. In an old movie and an older, very insightful book this was called "Catch-22." 

I've never seen a worse or more gruesome Catch-22! Let's get the United Veterans Coalition and every state legislator behind the correction.UVC, let’s correct this by 2022!

Can a deceased active duty soldier be defined as a "totally disabled veteran" for his/her Colorado survivors' benefits?

Wouldn't that be wonderful! And – maybe – easy also?

Because our state restricts survivor benefits to those whose veterans were already in receipt of the exemption at the time of death, we lock out from all such benefits survivors of troops who die on active duty. Perhaps we can use the existing language of the law. 

Perhaps, only changing the interpretation or definition of the words "totally disabled veteran already in receipt of the exemption" to something like "or active duty death considered to be 'totally disabled and already in receipt of the exemption."