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For Immediate Release A Conversation with Senator Brubaker Persian Gulf Veterans Benefit now available Pennsylvania veterans who served in the Persian Gulf Conflict can now apply for a bonus of up to $525. The funding for the Persian Gulf Veterans Benefit Program was approved by voter referendum in November 2006, and the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs announced that it is now ready to accept applications, with the first bonus payments being issued in late April. The bonus program allows eligible veterans or beneficiaries to receive a one-time benefit of $75 for each month of active service, up to $525. Survivors of veterans who lost their lives in service or due to service-connected diseases or injuries may qualify for an additional $5,000 payment. Eligible individuals must have served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces or a reserve component, or the Pennsylvania National Guard, in the Persian Gulf Conflict between August 2, 1990, and August 31, 1991. Service members must also have received the Southwest Asia Service Medal and have been a legal resident of the state at the time of service. Applications and more information are available at www.persiangulfbonus.state.pa.us, or by calling 1-866-458-9182; a link to the site is also available at my web site at www.senatorbrubaker.com. I have great respect for our servicemen and women, and I am very pleased that we are able to provide them with this benefit. DEP to offer energy management workshops The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Office of the Small Business Ombudsman will be hosting free workshops statewide to help business owners find ways to reduce their energy bills. With the cost of energy continuing to rise, the cost of doing business is rising as well. The workshops will help employers learn ways to improve their energy conservation and efficiency practices, ultimately improving their bottom lines. Although open to the public and businesses of all sizes, the workshops will focus on those with fewer than 100 employees. Attendees will receive information on energy-supply options as well as financial and technical resources, learn how to identify energy-saving opportunities and develop an energy action plan. I believe these kinds of forums are very important, and I will be cohosting one of these sessions on June 3 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Lancaster County Career & Technology Center in Mount Joy. Registration forms can be requested at www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: Ombudsman, or by calling 717-783-8411. In Case of Emergency More than 75 percent of people carry no details of who they would like contacted following a serious accident or other incident, even though that information could prevent medical problems or even save a life. Recently, the state Senate adopted Senate Resolution 252, which I cosponsored, encouraging Pennsylvania citizens to participate in the In Case of Emergency (ICE) Campaign with their cell phones. By entering "ICE" into your cell phone address book, along with the number of your emergency contact, you could help yourself get appropriate medical treatment. For more than one contact, information can be listed as ICE1, ICE2, and so on. ICE requires no geographically bound system or infrastructure, so it is simple to implement and to use, working wherever it is adopted and publicized. Reports of a virus attached to the use of ICE are false, and it does not drain pay-as-you-go phones. I urge everyone to take a few minutes to review their emergency contacts and plans to ensure that in an urgent situation, you and your loved ones will be prepared and cared for. | ||
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