The following is an article written by Pete Conaty, published in Capitol Weekly.

For too long, America has been in denial about the true cost of war. We have honored our veterans with our lips but we have refused to acknowledge the wounds we don’t see, the deep, painful psychological scars borne by so many of our veterans. Thankfully, we are at last beginning to recognize the depth of this problem. We are beginning to reach out a helping hand to those men and women who have borne the heat of battle and come home forever changed.

In his State of the State speech, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke eloquently and frankly about these wounded warriors and our obligation to make them whole again: “Too often our soldiers bring back the enemy with them in their heads. We are seeing and hearing all about a lot of post-traumatic stress syndrome . . . Those men and women need help.”

California’s concerted effort to help these veterans, however, dates back nearly three years, when the Armed Force Retirees Association, the Vietnam Veterans of America and other veterans groups won Governor Schwarzenegger’s signature on AB 2586, a groundbreaking law designed to give our most traumatized soldiers a chance to confront and overcome the psychological wounds of war. Under this alternative sentencing law, a judge first determines if a defendant is suffering from combat-caused post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

If he is, the judge can steer the defendant into a psychological treatment program rather than jail. Without treatment, many of our fallen heroes would find themselves trapped in an unending cycle of crime and punishment as they struggle with their inner demons.

Eight months ago, the U.S. Supreme Court faced this issue and came down on the side of California’s law in a landmark ruling on the impact of combat stress on veterans. In that case, the high court reduced the death sentence of Korean War veteran George Porter to life in prison. The Florida jury that sentenced Porter to death in a murder case did not know he had fought in some of the bloodiest battles of the war. He came back a “changed and traumatized man,” the high court said. The sentencing jury would likely have spared Porter from the death penalty if it had known of his “horrifying” battlefield experiences, the justices said.

AB 2586 was the first bill in the United States that offered alternative sentencing to combat veterans of all wars. AB 2586 was cited by the Supreme Court in its ruling as evidence that changes concerning veterans with PTSD were being made by the judicial system.

This ruling is of major importance because it is the first time the first Supreme Court has recognized the long-term, traumatic impact of combat on our veterans. It will undoubtedly be cited in many cases throughout the nation. But the goal of California’s law is not to spare veterans from the death penalty but to offer them the treatment that prevents their trauma from escalating out of control as it did for George Porter.

Perhaps if such a law was on the books when George Porter returned from Korea, he would have gotten treatment the first time he committed a minor crime, and not only his life but those of his victims would have been spared.

California has made a good start but the battle is not won. This year, a coalition of veterans groups, led by the Vietnam Veterans of America, is supporting AB 1925 by Assemblywoman Mary Salas. AB 1925 is a bill that would allow counties to establish courts for veterans, just as there are other special courts. Several counties, such as Orange, Santa Clara and San Bernardino, have already established veterans’ courts. AB 1925 would provide a framework for those counties that wish to avoid the mistakes made by the legal system during and after the Vietnam War and are still being made today.

These are Americans who have volunteered to go in harm’s way in defense of freedom. They may not have shed their blood in battle but they carry within them wounds we cannot see, wounds that we must help them heal.

Proponents argue that moving the holiday takes away from its significance.

That’s why the date itself is so important, said retired Lt. Col. Pete Conaty, a 21-year Army veteran who is lobbying for Denham’s bill on behalf of the American Legion, Vietnam Veterans of America, AMVETS and the California Association of County Veterans Service Office.

“It’s kind of a re-education process as people get older and kids grow up,” said Conaty. “A three-day weekend, you kind of lose sense of why we’re doing it.”

AmVets, Gold Star Families, Senator David Cogdill (Fresno), Assemblymember Tom Berryhill (Modesto), and Assemblymember Paul Cook (Riverside County) and AmVet Legislative Advocate Pete Conaty.

SB 1455 Senator Cogdill and Senator Denham was passed in September 2008.  Before the Gold Star License Plate  can be made available to Gold Star Families $300,000 must be raised privately and they are only 1/3 of the way there.

SB 200 had no “no votes” in the Legislature, is sponsored by the Ocean Institute of Dana Point, and supported by the following organizations: American Legion Department of California; Bonnie M. Dumanis, District Attorney of San Diego County; California Association of Nonprofits; California Outdoor Heritage Alliance; City of Dana Point; City of San Clemente; City of San Juan Capistrano; Community Action Partnership of Orange County; Dana Point Chamber of Commerce; DesertArc; Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce; Irvine Chamber of Commerce; Irvine Public Schools Foundation; Laguna Niguel Chamber of Commerce; Maritime Museum of San Diego; Palos Verdes Art Center; Patricia C. Bates; Orange County Board of Supervisors; Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern California; Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego; and, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

Many non-profit organizations use raffles to raise money to fund their programs and to offer classroom size reduction.? State law requires that they cannot spend more than 10% (90-10 rule) of proceeds on administration.? Thus, advertising over the internet (an inexpensive advertising option) becomes critical for these non-profit organizations as they try to raise money using raffles.

Although California state law regulates raffles conducted by eligible organizations for beneficial or charitable purposes, it also prohibits a raffle from being advertised over the Internet. However, many organizations are unaware of this law provision. Last year, the Attorney General notified approximately 20 non-profit organizations that they appeared to be in violation of state law.

Trying to navigate the complicated laws regulating the charitable raffles can drive legal fees up for non-profit organizations, meaning less money going to programs.

“SB 200 will help these organizations hold down legal fees, stay within legal boundaries and lower advertising costs. SB 200 also contains provisions that strengthen the prohibition of the actual sale of raffle tickets over the Internet. This will discourage fraudulent online raffles and protect legitimate no-profit organizations from being targeted by scammers,” said Senator Correa.

For many educational and non-profit organizations, raffles are the backbone of their program funding. Most of these raffles are for big ticket items, such as homes or cars. In order to reach the largest number of potential ticket buyers and provide readers with a Web site address where they can get more information, the raffles often need to be advertised in newspapers, magazines, or newsletters. Expensive advertising campaigns can be discouraging and must be held in check by these organizations.

“Internet advertising is the most cost-effective way to advertise a charitable raffle. Schools need low-cost ways to reach a wide audience. SB 200 bill will make raffles easier and more cost affective,” said Tim Shaw, former CEO of the Irvine Public Schools Foundation.

According to the Ocean Institute of Dana Point in California, each year more than 100,000 students participate in the Ocean Institute’s National Award Winning Programs. More than 40 percent of these students are from low income areas. The home raffle helps to support these programs. “Many of these students have never seen the ocean before, and their participation in our programs is a life-changing experience for them,” stated Daniel Stetson, President and CEO of the institute and sponsor of this bill. “Advertising our raffles in the internet not will only help us to raise the much needed funds, but also will increase awareness of our programs,” Mr. Stetson concluded.

Other organizations, such as The American Legion, founded in 1919 and representing over 135,000 members in California who served in wartime, utilize raffles to raise funds for their programs, which help to provide services for veterans and their dependents. “We supported SB 200 because it would allow us to use the internet to advertise raffles to a broader audience at low- cost and raise funds to provide services that continue to grow as our veterans return for Afghanistan and Iraq,” stated Pete Conaty, legislative representative of this organization.

Senator Lou Correa represents the 34^th District which includes the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Stanton and Westminster.

Assembly Bill (AB) 1366 passed California’s legislature in October. WQP Managing Editor Rebecca Wilhelm spoke with David Loveday, director of government affairs and communications for the Water Quality Association (WQA), and Pete Conaty, California legislative advocate for the WQA and Pacific Water Quality Association, to see what this means for the future of the water treatment industry in California and across the nation.

Read the whole article online here: http://www.wqpmag.com/lm.cfm/wq120907

PDF version: WQP article

• Pete Censky, Executive Director, Water Quality Association
• Vince M. Kent, President, Water Quality Association
• The Honorable Joel Anderson, Assemblyman, California State Legislature
• Pete Conaty,? Legislative Advocate, Pacific Water Quality Association

Governor Schwarzenegger signs SB 1572-Wyland, which placed The Veterans Bond Act of 2008 on the ballot. The bond act was subsequently passed by the voters. The Veterans Bond Act of 2008 authorized the issuance of $900 million to assist veterans in the purchase of farm, home, and mobilehome purchases.