Gold Star Spouse Property Tax Exemption WILL Be On November Ballet

The Colorado state constitutional amendment adding Gold Star Wives (Spouses) to the state's disabled veteran and senior property tax exemption WILL be on the November ballot, having been passed unanimously by both houses of the Colorado legislature. 

This reflects terrific leadership by the legislative committee of the United Veterans Coalition, which made it their Number One legislative objective for 2022.

Congratulations to all who worked on this initiative and now, let's get the vote out for November!

In 2013 I identified three flaws in the state's property tax exemption law: failure to include disabled military retirees, failure to include Gold Star Wives, and failure to include veterans considered totally disabled by the VA with a rating called "total disability for individual unemployability."

So far, the first two are resolved and now we can set our sights on our worthy TDIU veterans, denied important state property tax benefits for far too long.

GOLD STAR SPOUSES PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION ADVANCES TO SENATE FLOOR

Yesterday the Colorado Senate Appropriations Committee voted unanimously its approval of the Gold Star Spouses property tax exemption bill. Several senators on the committee spoke to the importance of this bill.

Once approved by the Senate and signed by the governor, the bill goes to voters in each senatorial district as a referendum on amending the state constitution to include Gold Star Spouses for the partial property tax exemption. Presently, survivors of totally disabled vets already receiving the exemption continue the exemption. The original language of the property tax exemption unfortunately didn't address the situation of servicemembers who die on active duty.

TDIU = actual VA TOTAL disability rating

A previous director of the Colorado Division of Military and Veterans Affairs wrote me six years ago to state that one reason Colorado denies TDIU veterans the state partial property tax exemption is that the state law requires a VA TOTAL DISABILITY RATING, and he explained that TDIU is somehow "only" compensation at the 100% rate and not an actual disability rating. 

CDMVA hasn't made any visible effort to care for TDIU veterans the same as it cares for 100% schedular. A variety of reasons have been tossed out but as for TDIU being an actual disability,VA disagrees with CDMVA.

From Title 38, Chapter 4 (§ 4.15 Total disability ratings)

"It is the established policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs that all veterans who are unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation by reason of service-connected disabilities shall be rated totally disabled"

New Diagnosis - Parkinson's Disease

They might have figured out some of the problems I've been having...I got diagnosed with Parkinson's last week. The symptoms are there but don't seem to be advancing too fast, so at age 75 I can hope to "age out" of the worst of it.

Another blessing brought to us by Agent Orange! Parkinson's, Parkinsonism and Parkinsons-like symptoms are now considered Agent Orange presumptive illnesses, along with bladder cancer and all the old favorites!

My College Roommate Wins 100% Disability Claim - after VA lost his papers for half a century!

Yesterday my college roommate Paul heard from VA that his supplemental claim for disability has been approved. He's now backdated 100% to December 2020! Great news, following the first claim being approved earlier for hearing loss at 40%. My strategy helping him was to tie certain current problems to his hearing loss as secondary issues. VA has agreed, following an appeal that reversed their initial denial.

Now, he will get a better disability compensation, medical care for himself and family, some state benefits and, if and hen needed, nursing home or other such advanced care.

These are earned entitlements which he has been denied for the past half-century. Denied VA medical care, GI home loan, every state benefit withheld. There's no catch-up for what he's been refused.

Remember: this is a good outcome but it really is an immense VA failure! Paul first applied for VA disability benefits when he was released from active duty in 1969. He lived with his disability and forgot all about the VA claim which, decades later, was finally found in his Army dental records. The VA never found this critical document: It took his attorney Katrina Eagle a couple hours. Perhaps...VA didn't give a damn?

A veteran has a reasonable beef with the VA when they take half a century to resolve a claim, meanwhile denying all federal and state benefits. Paul has a beef, but right now he's simply glad things have gotten straightened out.

The VA tried. Dragged it out fifty years, and if only the process had taken a bit longer, until Paul had passed, VA could cancel his claim altogether because when the vet dies, so does the claim. Too bad, VA. At least you made it into your disgusting "Claim Ignored 50 Years Club."

Over half a century. But who's counting?

Helped my college roommate get huge VA retroactive disability check

$155,000. It will be in his bank on Monday," said his attorney K. E, when she called to give me the great news. My old college roommate has won a 52-year old VA claim he'd long-forgotten having submitting in 1969 when he left active duty. 

I got his initial VA claim approved earlier this year at 40% disability with an initial check for $7,000, paying what was due from November 2020 when I mailed it. However, I knew he needed professional help trying to get other serious disabilities related to what the VA decided is already service-connected.

I recommended the attorney I knew best, who also has her solo veteran-focused practice near my friend. Her expertise uncovered the fact that his initial claim had been submitted back in 1969, filed and lost somehow into his VA dental records and never adjudicated. She slapped the paperwork into the mail to catch up with this VA error, and today's great news comes as a blessing for my old friend.

What a happy day!

WHO SAID VA DOESN'T HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR?? THAT'S SO NOT TRUE!

 I LEARNED TODAY FROM THE CHEYENNE VA CLAIMS OFFICE THAT I'D BEEN DECLARED  DEAD!

"Not so," I insisted and whipped out my ID cards. "Oh, bother," said the claims agent as she looked forward to an entire afternoon correcting VA's boo-boo. Here's how VA posted the changes: (Third line under STATUS of Your Claim)

PowerPoint Briefing: added:: Colorado Gold Star Spouses Property Tax Exemption

 Here's a PowerPoint briefing on Colorado's Gold Star Spouses and our effort to qualify them for the state Disabled Veterans Survivor Property Tax Exemption. During the last session of the legislature, the House unanimously approved this but it died in the State Affairs Committee immediately on reaching the Senate.

Expert Advice on Additional Benefits Beyond VA 100%

 This is an excellent blog on various benefits veterans might consider applying for even after earning a VA 100% service connected rating. Look it over!

YouTube Video added to explain TDIU & Colorado's Disabled Vet Property Tax Exemption

Here's a PowerPoint briefing on Colorado's TDIU veterans ("total disability for individual unemployability.") Our effort is to qualify these 4800 totally disabled veterans for the same disabled veteran property tax exemption offered other Colorado veterans with a VA 100% rating.

TDIU and 100% are the only two ways VA categorizes a vet as totally and permanently disabled, but Colorado does not permit TDIU vets the small property tax exemption.