Jesse White and Tammy Duckworth Talk About Adding “VET” to Veterans’ Driver’s Licenses
Earlier on McHenry County Blog, I wrote about a petition campaign being conducted by Crystal Lake’s John Blanchard to urge state officials to put the word “VET” on the driver’s licenses of veterans.
Blanchard already has over 100,000 signatures on the petition, the wording of which you can see here.
Wednesday I learned that last week Secretary of State Jesse White talked to Department of Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth about the idea.
White’s Public Information Officer, David Drucker, told me,
Jesse met last week with Tammy Duckworth last week and they discussed the idea of doing that.Duckworth's press person, Jessica Woodward, confirmed the meeting:They do tell me that we would need to get the approval of the General Assembly.
The Secretary of State thought it was a good idea.She added, "The director did talk to John Blanchard at the Stand Down."
It was just a first meeting. It’s a possibility that that will happen.
Duckworth was the featured speaker at the early March Stand Down sponsored by Blanchard’s National Association of Systems Administrators Educational Foundation, which hires and trains homeless veterans for good paying jobs. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to Camp Algonquin for her talk, but did attend the second day. Blanchard also put together an earlier October Stand Down.
So, which member of the General Assembly wants to get legislation passed that would allow the Secretary of State to follow Georgia’s example? If you look closely on the image, which is a copy of a copy of a Georgia veteran’s driver’s license with the man's identifying information removed, you can see the word “VET” in the bottom center.
Drucker reminded me that Jesse himself is a veteran himself, having served as a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division.
Drucker even knew how many veterans there are in Illinois:
We have 1.2 million vets in Illinois.= = = = =
State Senator Pam Althoff and State Rep. Mike Tryon talk to Crystal Lake's John Blanchard at October's Camp Algonquin Stand Down for homeless veterans.
5 comments:
Secretary of State Jesse White was putting his money (and time) where his mouth was last night at JOES ON WEED STREET in a BOXING SHOW sponsored by Frank Avila Jr. of Avila and Tomin law firms, BOSCH tools, Mercedez Benz, and others put on by promoter Johnny Bullino.
Part of the money was raised for the USO.
The fights were great.
Jesse White was AIRBORNE. Great night for a great cause.
Illinois will give a Vet a plate, but won't tell Vets if they were passed over for State Jobs. Per the Daily Herald,
The Department of Central Management Services will not identify those who applied for jobs that eventually were given to politically connected job candidates.
Blago sh-t all over veterans. The veterans preference is a lie.
Tammy Duckworth.. a woman to know about.. SavvyMiss.com just had an article with an exclusive interview! check it out!
http://www.savvymiss.com/ambitious-women/ambitious-women-archive/article/women-in-war-how-sgt-duckworth-lost-her-legs-and-what-she-says-is-wrong-with-the-war-in-iraq-1172.html
So much for Tammy amazing no one mentions her position or name in this article?
talks about getting a pass
VA Links Poor Care to 19 Deaths in Illinois
By JIM SUHR (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated Press
January 28, 2008 8:02 PM EST
ST. LOUIS - Substandard care at a southern Illinois Veterans Affairs hospital may have contributed to 19 deaths over the past two years, a VA official said Monday as he apologized to affected families and pledged reform.
The hospital in Marion, Ill., initially drew scrutiny over deaths connected to a single surgeon, but two federal reports found fault with five other doctors.
The hospital undertook many surgeries that its staffing or lack
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