Editorial: Ohio vets deserve faster, fairer treatment
cincinnati.com – If there's one thing virtually all Americans agree on, it's that we owe much to our military veterans. Unfortunately, when it comes to making good on that obligation, the systems in place can be slow and stingy – particularly in Ohio, it turns out.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Ohio is near the bottom of the list of states in the speed with which veterans' claims are handled and the amount of compensation they receive – 47th among the states, and 50th among the 54 districts, states and territories in which veterans get benefits.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who's been working on this issue since he joined the Senate in 2007, calls the situation "unacceptable." He's right.
"These have been issues in Ohio for at least five years – both the wait list is longer for veterans benefits, and the amount of the benefits determined is lower in Ohio," Brown said during a meeting Tuesday at The Enquirer.
