The Republican candidate for Lt. Governor, Charles Lamont du Pont Copeland, announced a proposal this week, saying if elected he would develop an assistance program for veterans who wish to start small businesses, and he cleverly called such veteransm, “vetrepreneurs.”
The proposal would offer grants for returning veterans interested in starting businesses, exempt their pensions from state income tax and begin tracking veteran-owned businesses in the same way minority- and women-owned businesses are tracked.
It sounds like a great idea. I would need to see more specifics, but it looks like little Charlie finally had a good idea. The only question is, why did he wait until he was running for Lt. Governor to announce this plan? He has been in the State Senate for the last 6 years, and the Republican Minority Leader for the last 2 years. Surely the urge to help veterans did not just come to him, did he?
I always am suspicious when it comes to Republicans and their “announced” plans to help Veterans. For when the election season is over, such plans normally disappear. And on the federal level, Republicans have been openly hostile to caring for veterans. They, including John McCain, fervently opposed a new G.I. Bill for our veterans. President Bush and his Republicans in Congress cut funding for VAs across this country, and cut benefits for returning veterans as well.