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From Richardson's website:
Governor Richardson believes that America's veterans must be treated with the care and respect that they have earned. As President, Bill Richardson will:
* Offer every veteran a Heroes' Health Card that will entitle them to their choice of care in their own communities when they cannot conveniently access the VA
* Guarantee full mandatory funding for the Department of Veterans of Affairs
* Reduce federal income taxes for all veterans by 5 percent for the rest of their lives
* Eliminate federal income taxes for all veterans in their first year as civilians
* Support and implement the recommendations of the Dole-Shalala Commission
* Sign the Wounded Warriors Act to better coordinate between DoD and VA
* Provide one year of comprehensive disability insurance for family members who must leave work to care for a critically wounded love one
* Sign the bipartisan Baucus-Grassley Defenders of Freedom Tax Relief Act
o Tax credits to businesses that address the military pay differential problem
* Help veterans in business by implementing the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003
* Ensure that Guard and Reserve veterans receive the benefits that they've earned
* Expand education benefits by as much $24,000 through a loan forgiveness for service program
* Allow a veteran's spouse or child to use his or her educational benefits.
* Cut down on wait times by hiring more claims processors
* Facilitate state-to-state moves within the VA system
* Protect the privacy of our veterans
* Reject President Bush's efforts to divert veterans away from the VA healthcare system by increasing prescription drug co-payment and prescription fees
* Expand research into prosthetics and other medical technologies
* Expand the Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) program
* Support and strengthen America's commitment to the Geneva Conventions
Bill Richardson's Savings Plan to Care for Veterans and Military Families
Policy Estimated Cost (per year):
Heroes' Health Card $2.5 billion
Guarantee full mandatory funding for VA $4 billion
Lifetime 5% cut in federal income taxes for all veterans $6.1 billion
Eliminate federal income taxes for veterans' in their first year as civilians $2.2 billion
$24,000 in college loan forgiveness (in addition to the G.I. Bill and services' College Funds) for all eligible veterans [Cost accounted for in Education White Paper]
Enact Dole-Shalala Recommendations $100 million
Sign Wounded Warriors Act $50 million
Provide paid family leave for up to one year for family member caring for seriously wounded veteran $100 million
Sign Baucus-Grassley Defenders of Freedom Tax Relief Act $55 million
Fully implement business provisions of Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 $99 million
Hire more benefits claims processors
$60 million
25% increase in the VA's Research and Development Budget $191 million
25% increase in VETS program $57 million
Costs:$15.46 billion
Policy Estimated Savings (per year):
Institute 3rd party capital gains reporting $25 billion
Savings: $25 billion
TOTAL SAVINGS: $9.54 billion
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