Apr. 3, 2008

Dear friend,

In my last message, I saluted my late father-in-law Fred Walter for his selfless service. But merely thanking the men and women who have bravely served our country is not enough: North Carolina must demonstrate its gratitude by providing its veterans with the services and support they need.

Nearly one million veterans, including me, call North Carolina home. Many of these vets have continued to serve here in our state as business, community and political leaders. Most of our cities and towns depend on the dedicated, experienced leadership of veterans.

Yet North Carolina's top executive body, the Council of State, does not include a single veteran. I believe it is time to elect a statewide leader with military experience who will look out for our state's veterans.

Our veterans deserve the best economic, educational and health care programs. It is unacceptable that veterans in North Carolina are living on the streets, left alone to cope with emotional disturbances and addictions stemming from their service. And our homeless vets aren't the only ones suffering: Veterans across the state are struggling to secure their federal benefits, pay their bills and provide for their families. That is why I have proposed a comprehensive plan to improve veterans' services statewide.

My plan, available here, calls for giving veterans the assistance they need to attend college, find good-paying jobs and own their homes. It also calls for elevating the Division of Veterans Affairs to a cabinet-level department, an important step in demonstrating our state's seriousness about serving our vets. I am proud to live in a military-friendly state. But we cannot simultaneously befriend the military and ignore its members.

Military people understand a mission. And today, I have a mission for you. Between now and
May 6, when you're at your Veterans Service Organization, Armory or Family Support Group, I want you to tell people about my campaign. If you're not a veteran, I want you to share this e-mail with a veteran. I need you to accept this mission. Together, we can make North Carolina an even better state for all its citizens.

With best wishes, I am sincerely,

Pat Smathers
www.patsmathers2008.com