"Pat's plan is a good one," said Veterans for Pat member Tom Smith, a disabled Vietnam veteran living in Asheville. "The points he makes are essential."

Smith applauded Smathers for calling upon North Carolina to elevate the division of Veterans Affairs to a cabinet-level department. According to Smith, similar measures in other states have been highly successful. "It really helps with getting veterans their rights restored," Smith said.

"Our state ranks ninth in veteran population, yet our vets' pressing needs have all too often been ignored," said Smathers, who retired last year as a lieutenant colonel in the North Carolina Army National Guard. "We must honor our commitment to the brave men and women who have served our country."

The complete text of Smathers' plan follows:

Administration

• Elevate the Division of Veterans Affairs to a cabinet-level department.

 By creating a single agency to serve the state's veterans and placing it under the governor's direct

supervision, North Carolina can ensure its veterans' programs are administered with efficiency and respect.

• Direct percentage of state revenue derived from military installations to Veterans Trust Fund.

Many of the states which established veterans funds after World War II now have millions of dollars to underwrite their much-needed veterans' programs. North Carolina can prepare for the future and better serve its veterans today by placing in trust a small percentage of the $18 billion annually generated by military bases statewide.

Education

• Waive undergraduate tuition fees at public colleges and universities for all qualified veterans.

As the price and importance of a college degree has increased, the federal G.I. Bill has steadily become more complicated and less generous. Although more than 95 percent of servicemen and women sign up for the G.I. Bill upon enlistment, new application fees and complex rules have kept many vets from pursuing their degrees. North Carolina should lead the way in reinvigorating the spirit of the original federal program by making higher education free to veterans.

• Enhance scholarship program for spouses and children of disabled veterans.

An alarming number of veterans are returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan with serious mental and physical wounds that prevent them from returning to full-time employment. North Carolina should address the resulting financial instability in their households by helping their spouses and children pay for school and vocational programs.

Financial security

• Exempt all military retiree pay from state income tax.

Many veterans in North Carolina already enjoy this benefit, which a 1991 state Supreme Court

decision extended to all veterans who had completed five years of service by 1989. Our recent veterans deserve the same assistance. In the interest of fairness and equity, the retiree pay exemption should be made available to all eligible veterans.

• Offer zero-interest small business loans to returning veterans.

Small business is a critical component of North Carolina's economy. We can encourage veterans to contribute to their communities' economic development -- and support those entrepreneurs whose existing enterprises were disrupted when they were called up for active duty -- by offering zero-interest small business loans.

Health Care

• Collaborate with state's mental health division to meet veterans' needs for mental health care.

North Carolina's Division of Veterans' Affairs estimates more than 15 percent of the state's veterans are coping with disabling emotional problems. National statistics are even more dire: According to the U.S. Army, four of every ten reservists returning from Iraq requires treatment for depression or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. We must make adequate mental health services available to North Carolina's vets, and support the mental health and veterans' affairs divisions' joint outreach efforts.

• Keep state veterans homes strong and solvent.

Our state veterans homes provide an important service to our veterans who are no longer able to live independently. We must continue to fund these homes so all veterans can live out their days in safe, supervised and dignified surroundings.

Home Ownership

• Create comprehensive property tax exemption for disabled veterans.

Too many of our state's veterans are living in unsafe housing and on the streets. We must help our

veterans stay in their homes by providing meaningful property tax assistance. North Carolina should follow the lead of the many states that have established a property tax deduction for their veterans and granted a complete exemption to vets rated 100 percent disabled.

• Launch state-bonded home loan program.

We can help our returning vets reintegrate into their communities by creating programs encouraging home ownership, such as low-interest mortgages that increase veterans' buying power. A state-bonded loan program can also be used to underwrite various veterans' services by forwarding interest payments to the state's Veterans Trust Fund.

Outreach

• Establish four new positions in the Department of Veterans' Affairs to improve transition assistance for returning veterans.

Creating a laundry list of benefits isn't sufficient; the state must help its veterans understand and access existing programs, and listen to their concerns. Every veteran who comes home to North Carolina deserves a hero's welcome.

• Provide staff training to speed disability rating assignments for returning veterans.

The backlog of disability claims at the federal level has left thousands of veterans waiting years for funds to cover their living expenses and medical bills. Prolonged appeals processes often extend the agony for many wounded vets. North Carolina should not wait for the Veterans Administration to initiate significant reform: The state must immediately create and fund programs to assist veterans in submitting claims and filing appeals.