Veterans Assistant Commissioner Rebuts Democratic County Board Member’s Allegation about Mistreatment of Veterans at Valley Hi

Veterans Assistance Commission Executive Superintendent Mike Iwanicki replied to a blog post by District 1 Democratic Party Board candidate Kerri Barber at Tuesday’s County Board meeting.

Barber attacked the County Board for zeroing out the $3 million Valley Hi tax on this year’s tax bills, an initiative of GOP County Board Chairman candidate Mike Walkup that cut county government’s share of the tax bill by about 4.6%.

Later she doubles down by writing, “We all want lower taxes, but not at the expense of our most vulnerable citizens.”

A bumper sticker produced by GOP State Rep. candidate Steve Reick.

A bumper sticker produced by GOP State Rep. candidate Steve Reick.

She offers no indication of how not taxing residents an extra $3 million hurt veterans or other “vulnerable citizens.”

Most of the $3 million, Barber does not seem to understand, would have all gone to increase the over $40 million balance in Valley Hi bank accounts.  ($41.7 million as of last week.)

She writes, “$3M is about 11 cents a day for you and I to support 149 hard working, highly skilled employees and their families plus an entire facility of disabled vets and seniors at the Valley Hi facility – just 11 cents.”

No seniors received less service nor employees lower salaries because the $3 million was not levied.

She also argues that the $3 million should have been extracted (my word, of course) from taxpayers this year because “the facility is in need of vital repairs that have been put off for some time.”

No specifics are mentioned.

Veterans Assistance Commissioner Joe Kersten of Woodstock read the following statement from Iwanicki during the Board’s public comment period:

Mike Iwanicki’s Statement on Veterans Being Mistreated at the Valley Hi Nursing Home

The Veterans Assistance Commission is a local government agency which represents a partnership between the veterans’ service organizations within the County and the McHenry County Board.

The resulting central benefits office is tasked with providing financial support to our struggling veterans and their families, or surviving spouses.

Per the Illinois Military Veterans Assistance Act which origins date back to 1895, the VAC office is also tasked with providing other services as needed within our local veteran’s community such as VA Claims assistance and Transportation to the VA Hospital.

The Veterans Assistance Commission is non-political, so it concerns me (typically during election years) that public statements are freely made that somehow lead the listener or reader to believe that somehow my veterans are being victimized by an uncaring anti-veteran, anti-elderly local politician or most recently County Board.

Valley Hi Nursing Home.

Valley Hi Nursing Home.

Regarding Valley Hi, never mentioned is the loving compensate care given my veterans by Valley Hi Staff, ignored is the incredible transformation from what Valley Hi was to what it is today thanks to strong leadership and the caring people of this County.

Without hesitation, I completely trust Valley Hi with our disabled veterans and do not consider them victims of some careless budget slashing mob.

As far as budget cuts at the VAC Office…

These cuts were made by the Veterans Assistance Commission and not the result of being victimized by some money hording group of County Board members.

The reasons for the cuts include the success of the VA Health Administration, TLS Veterans, and the VAC Office with transitioning veterans from homelessness.

Additionally, the VAC Office also has been exceptionally successful with helping our disabled veterans prosecute their disability claims with the VA Benefits Administration for illness and injuries caused by their military service.

Budget cuts made by the VAC is the result of our success with helping our less abled veterans become more independent thus decreasing the burden on McHenry County taxpayers.

I understand the need for candidates and supporters to distinguish themselves but misinformed attacks only distract attention from the truly important issues.

As a non-political office the VAC is more than happy to share information with anyone, and there are issues within the veterans’ community that still need to be addressed.

The success of Valley Hi, or the VAC is not a problem.

If someone is truly interested in understanding our challenges please don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and call.


Comments

Veterans Assistant Commissioner Rebuts Democratic County Board Member’s Allegation about Mistreatment of Veterans at Valley Hi — 13 Comments

  1. Barber SIMPLY doesn’t know what
    She is talking about (delusional).

    Tried to do some very messed up
    Math, that has nothing to do with
    How the actual budget works for VH.

    Also, seems unaware of the $41,7
    Million surplus that is upsetting
    Alot of MC taxpayers.

    Broad sweeping statements with
    NO REAL FACTS.

    If she were smart, she would shut it,
    And do some real investigating.

  2. Good intentions! Are you kidding?

    We have far too many ill-informed people believing they should be honored with your vote simply because they can concoct the next outrageous story to get our attention.

    Thank goodness there are a few folks willing to step up to call these people out for what they are… dangerous!

    The county’s VAC and Valley Hi Nursing Home are departments doing a serious and needed service for our veterans and the less fortunate among us.

    Unfortunately, more people, the likes of Ms. Barber will be crawling out of the woodwork in the next few weeks.

  3. As a non political entity, Mike is on some VERY thin ice with this.

    “My veterans” ?

    Seriously?

    Interesting the part of the blog identifying that $3 million of the Valley Hi levy was transferred to the pension fund was not mentioned.

    Is that indeed true Cal?

    I did not read anywhere that implied the disabled veterans at Valley HI were being mistreated.

    What was said was the outcome of cutting the levy could lead to them receiving less service.

    Mike is WAY out on a limb with this statement if he claims to be non partisan.

    WAYYYYYYY out there.

  4. Inish must be Barber.

    Not at all aware that the $3 M that was cut from Valley Hi levy WENT BACK TO TAXPAYERS.

    Please show us PROOF that it was “transferred to the pension fund.”

    You can’t because it is NOT TRUE!

  5. The county levy would have been $79 million.

    After zeroing out the $3 million proposed Valley Hi levy it was $76 million.

  6. I am not Barber and we are asking the same questions Xout42.

    But you can not claim to be non partisan and make the above statement.

  7. Re: Alabamaskate (i.e. Allen Skillicorn) – thanks for continuing to link to my business site.

    Increased traffic and increased page ranks (due to links) are always good things for a new business.

  8. “my veterans” is over the top Mike.

    Levy voted by taxpayers with purpose of maintaining VH and not anything else.

    The surplus is outrageous but reports put VH in the red in several years at the current rate.

    We should demand VH start using the money. Read Barbers post.

    Response from Mike is not at all to do with Barber.

    Barber didn’t say veterans are abused at valley hi.

    County is abusing system intended to help VH residents.

    County board claims to lower taxes when they collect the levy and apply it to pensions instead.

    Barber’s says the money is meant to serve seniors at VH and taxpayers voted it that way.

    Think it costs something like $40.00/yr to fund VH.

    Cal help me out how much per household a year in taxes to VH to keep going?

    Put it to a vote.

    Bring the levy to a vote and let the voters decide to continue funding VH or no.

    In meantime demand valley hi spend the money until referendum is placed on ballot.

  9. To your question, “how much per household a year in taxes to VH to keep going?”

    With Valley virtually breaking even each year, it costs virtually nothing in taxes to keep it going.

    Nevertheless, the County Board kept taxing for years after the money borrowed to repay construction costs and interest was paid off.

    That illegal taxation is why there was $41.7 million in Valley Hi bank accounts when I asked this month.

    It the County Board members decide not to levy more unneeded money for the county nursing home, then your idea of letting the voters decide could come into play.

    At some date a decade to three decades from now, whoever is on the County Board could decide to put a question on the ballot to levy more taxes for Valley Hi.

  10. What claim did I make?

    I asked if it were true the money was moved to pensions.

    I do not know the answer.

    My point AGAIN is that this is WAY over the line for a non partisan entity.

    Mike, who btw will retire with a taxpayer funded pension as will his wife, is clearly using this as a way to grandstand against a political candidate.

    There is nothing in Barber’s post claiming that veterans were being abused.

    It is concerning to me, as a taxpayer, that someone who is claiming to be offended by the identification of disabled Veterans as residents of Valley HI.

    The posts says nothing about Veterans being abused.

    This is a OBVIOUS political statement being made by a person who is paid by taxpayers in a non partisan role.

    Mike is ANYTHING but non partisan.

    And the use of the term “My Veterans” is just offensive.

    Retire already.

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