Veterans issues dominate Washington commissioners’ meeting
WASHINGTON – Veterans issues were at the forefront at the Washington County commissioners’ meeting Thursday. Philip Fiumara Jr. of the Disabled American Veterans attended the meeting on his motorized scooter to complain about the lack of county support services for veterans. Fiumara said the county provides only one van a day to the Veterans Administration Hospital in Pittsburgh. He said other veterans have complained to him that the single trip is inadequate to meet their needs.
Fiumara also chided the county for not assisting veterans in getting all of the benefits they are entitled to from the federal government. He said the reduced benefits result in less economic activity in the county, since the veterans have less money to spend than they ought to have.
More criticism of how the county is handling veterans’ issues followed when the new list of appointees to the Veterans Advisory Council was presented for approval.
“This board of commissioners has contacted the commanders and asked for recommendations from their organizations. For some reason, my colleagues have decided not to honor some of those requests,” said Commissioner J. Bracken Burns.
Burns said one of the advisory council members removed was the current chairman, Lew Irwin, who recently criticized the commissioners at a public meeting for reducing the county’s Veterans Affairs Director from a full-time to a part-time position and for shutting veterans out of the hiring process.
Commissioner Diana Irey said Irwin’s removal from the board has nothing to do with politics.
“Irwin would be the third member of the Maggi family on the board,” Irey said.
Irwin’s stepfather Carl Maggi Jr., and his stepbrother, Larry Maggi, were reappointed to the council. All three family members have served on the council for the past four years. “Each of us was nominated by a different veterans organization,” Irwin said.
Irwin was representing the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Carl Maggi represents the American Legion and Larry Maggi represents the Mon Valley Leathernecks.
Also removed from the appointees recommended by various veterans’ agencies were Dennis Koman and Herman Bigi.
“Dennis is probably the most knowledgeable veterans service officers in this county,” Irwin said of Koman.
Irwin said ignoring the recommendations of the agencies served by the Veterans Advisory Council goes against the policies governing that board. He said it will also be detrimental to the county’s veteran population.
“Clearly this was a blatant political act by the Bevec and Irey administration to dilute the power of the veterans in this county,” Irwin said.