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Testimony of Wesley Poriotis Chairman The Center for Military and Private Sector Initiatives CEO Wesley, Brown & Bartle Company Legislative Hearing On H.R. 4015: The Jobs for Veterans Act U.S. House of Representatives 337 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 April 18, 2002
GOOD MORNING: MY FULL GREEK NAME IS PHILLIPUS SOTORIUS PORIOTIS. RECENTLY BEFORE GIVING A KEYNOTE ADDRESS TO DOCTORS AND HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATORS, I WAS MISTAKENLY INTRODUCED AS “MR. PSORIASIS”. THEREFORE, YOU CAN SEE WHY I PREFER YOU JUST CALL ME “WESLEY”. WHEN THE SUBCOMMITTEE INVITED ME TO PRESENT MY VIEWS ON THE “JOBS FOR VETERANS ACT”, MY FIRST THOUGHTS WERE TO RECALL THE EXPERIENCE OF A CLOSE COLLEAGUE AND CHAIRMAN OF A MAJOR NEW JERSEY CORPORATION WHOSE YOUNGEST SON REFUSED TO ATTEND HIS FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. YOUNG RALPH JR. TOLD HIS DAD “I AIN’T GOING. I’M SCARED. IT’S TOO HARD. AND THE KIDS WON’T LIKE ME”. MY FRIEND RALPH SENIOR’S REPLY TO HIS SON WAS, “YOU WILL OVERCOME YOUR FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN. IT’S NOT TOO HARD IF YOU APPLY YOURSELF AND LEARN GRADUALLY. AND, MY GOD, RALPH JR., YOU HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL”. AFTER ALL, YOU ARE THE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT!! I THANK THE MEMBERS FOR ALLOWING ME A NOTE OF LEVITY TO INTRODUCE TESTIMONY ON WHAT I AM CONVINCED IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ELEMENT FOR H.R. 4015 TO SUCCEED AND FOR VETERANS TO COMPETE ON A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD TO GAIN MEANINGFUL, QUALITY EMPLOYMENT. FIRST AND FOREMOST, FEW IF ANY OF THE LAWS AND THUS THE ENSUING PROGRAMS (LIKE THE ONES ENVISIONED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF H.R. 4015) TO ENHANCE VETERANS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES WILL EXPERIENCE TRUE SUCCESS UNTIL SEC. 6 (RAISING EMPLOYER AWARENESS) MANDATES A STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL PLAN TO EXECUTE AN AGGRESSIVE NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL CORPORATE ADVOCACY AND MARKETING CAMPAIGN TO “INFLUENCE THE INFLUENCERS” WITHIN AMERICA’S CORPORATE AND BUSINESS LEADERSHIP TO DEVELOP BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT POLICIES, PRACTICES, AND ACTION PLANS FOR VETERANS EMPLOYMENT INCLUSIVENESS IN EMPLOYMENT. WHILE NO VETERAN – NOR ANY AMERICAN FOR THAT MATTER – CAN BE GUARANTEED EMPLOYMENT, THE LEAST THAT WE CAN DO IS TO PROVIDE A LEVEL EMPLOYMENT PLAYING FIELD SO THAT VETERANS WILL HAVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES TO COMPETE FOR QUALITY EMPLOYMENT. SEC. 6 ESTABLISHES A PRESIDENT’S NATIONAL HIRE VETERANS COMMITTEE (THE COMMITTEE) WHOSE DUTIES ARE TO ESTABLISH AND CARRY OUT A NATIONAL PROGRAM “TO FURNISH INFORMATION TO EMPLOYERS ON THE ADVANTAGES AFFORDED EMPLOYERS BY HIRING VETERANS”. THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE IS RESTRICTIVE TO INFLUENCE THE “HIRING COMMUNITY” AS IT INCLUDES REPRESENTATIVES PRIMARILY FROM MILITARY AND VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS WHO THEMSELVES ARE NOT WELL KNOWN FOR HAVING CORPORATE AND BUSINESS NETWORKS. TO BEGIN WITH, THE LANGUAGE OF SEC. 6 “TO FURNISH INFORMATION” IS WOEFULLY INADEQUATE TO THE MAJOR TASK OF ELIMINATING WHAT IS CLEARLY A PERVASIVE BIAS OF CORPORATE DESELECTION OF VETERANS FOR QUALITY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AT ALL LEVELS, IN ALL FUNCTIONS AND DISCIPLINES AND IN ALL INDUSTRIES. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR THE CONSUMER PACKAGE GOODS, PHARMACEUTICAL, RETAIL, FINANCIAL SERVICES AND OTHER NON-DEFENSE GROWTH SECTORS. CONSISTENTLY WE HAVE FOUND THE HIGH QUALITY, HIGH PAYING POSITIONS TO BE INACCESSIBLE TO THE MILITARY. OFTEN THESE POSITIONS ARE NOT ADVERTISED PUBLICLY, AND ARE PRIVATELY FILLED THROUGH AN “OLE BOY NETWORK”. THIS “HIDDEN JOB MARKET” WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE TO THE THOUSAND VETERANS LEAVING THE SERVICES EVERY WORKING DAY NOR THE 3 MILLION MOSTLY “UNDEREMPLOYED” VETERANS WHO HAVE LEFT THE SERVICES SINCE THE END OF THE GULF WAR. THE COUNTRY NEEDS A TRULY FORCEFUL DIVERSE NATIONAL HIRE VETERANS COMMITTEE THAT IS STRUCTURED TO INCLUDE HIGH LEVEL CORPORATE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP….THOSE WITH THE “CLOUT” TO OPEN THE FLOODGATES OF CORPORATE AND BUSINESS HIRING FOR VETERANS. I AM TALKING ABOUT COMMITTED “VETERAN PASSIONATE” REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE, THE CORPORATE CONFERENCE BOARD, THE U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND THE IBM’S, GE’S, CHEVRON/TEXACO’S, WAL-MART AND TARGET’S, THE ESTEE LAUDER’S, GOLDMAN SACHS’ AND MERRILL LYNCH’S AND DELL AND APPLE’S. BASED ON 30 YEARS IN THE SEARCH INDUSTRY, IT IS MY STRONG CONVICTION THAT A VAST HIDDEN JOB MARKET EXISTS WHICH HAS ELUDED JOB SEEKING VETERANS. CONCURRENTLY THERE IS A “HIDDEN TALENT POOL” COMPOSED OF UNQUANTIFIED AND UNSTATUSED MASSIVE NUMBERS OF VETERANS WHO REMAIN UNDEREMPLOYED OR UNEMPLOYED WITH NO ACCESS TO OR SOMETIMES EVEN KNOWLEDGE OF THE PRACTICAL NAVIGATIONAL TOOLS AND GUIDES TO OBTAIN QUALITY EMPLOYMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, VETERANS DO NOT NORMALLY HAVE ACCES TO THE PROFESSIONAL, TECHNICAL, MANAGEMENT, AND EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT FIRMS WHICH HANDLE THE 70 TO 80% OF QUALITY JOBS AND POSITIONS FOR BUSINESS, ORGANIZATIONAL AND CORPORATE CLIENTS. MUCH OF THIS RECRUITMENT IS “CONFIDENTIAL” AND MOST OFTEN DESELECTIVE OF VETERANS AS A GROUP. THE NATIONAL RECRUITMENT INDUSTRY IS A “STEALTH” INDUSTRY BELOW THE RADAR SCREENS OF THE VETERANS EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING SERVICE, THE TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND THE VETERAN JOB SEEKER. H.R. 4015 SHOULD INCLUDE WORDING REQUESTING CORPORATE EMPLOYERS USING THESE RECRUITMENT FIRMS TO WITHHOLD FEE PAYMENTS UNLESS AND UNTIL THE FIRMS IN THIS STEALTH INDUSTRY DELIVER BALANCED SLATES INCLUSIVE OF AND REPRESENTING MILITARY CANDIDATES. “GRAB THEM BY THEIR FEES” AND THESE RECRUITERS HEARTS AND MINDS WILL FOLLOW. HOWEVER, TO CONVERT THESE “UNFRIENDLIES” TO THE CAUSE, THE NATIONAL HIRE VETERANS COMMITTEE COMPOSITION MUST INCLUDE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THESE RECRUITMENT FIRMS. FURTHERMORE, H.R. 4015 TO EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENT QUALITY JOBS FOR VETERANS SHOULD HAVE A THIRD PARAGRAPH UNDER SEC. 6 (b) MANDATING AN EDUCATIONAL AWARENESS PROGRAM TO AMERICA’S RECRUITMENT INDUSTRY. IT SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PROGRAM OF INCENTIVES FOR THE RECRUITMENT AND HUMAN RESOURCES INDUSTRY TO ENSURE THAT ALL SLATES OF JOB CANDIDATES BE INCLUSIVE OF VETERANS’ REPRESENTATION. IN ADDITION, SEC. 6 SHOULD CREATE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL VETERANS SPOKESPERSON TO BECOME THE LEAD INFLUENCER WITH CORPORATE AMERICA. THIS INDIVIDUAL - PERHAPS A “NORM AUGUSTINE”, RETIRED CEO OF LOCKHEED MARTIN OR A “LOU GERSTENER”, THE RETIRING CEO OF IBM – WOULD CONDUCT IN-PERSON MEETINGS WITH CORPORATE LEADERS IN ALLIANCE WITH GOVERNMENTAL LEADERS LIKE VA SECRETARY, ANTHONY PRINCIPI AND/OR ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF LABOR FOR VETERANS EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING, FRED JUARBE. IN FACT, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, SEVERAL VOLUNTEER ADVISORS TO THE CENTER FOR MILITARY AND PRIVATE SECTOR INITIATIVES, THE NON-PROFIT FOUNDATION WHICH I ESTABLISHED TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THE CORPORATE AND MILITARY SECTORS, HAVE MET WITH SECRETARIES PRINCIPI AND JUARBE. BOTH HAVE DEMONSTRATED AN AVID PERSONAL INTEREST TO JOIN IN THE CENTER’S CORPORATE ADVOCACY. BOTH HAVE COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO MEET CORPORATE LEADERSHIP ON BEHALF OF VETERANS EMPLOYMENT ISSUES. THE CENTER IN ALLIANCE WITH THE NATIONAL VETERANS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (THE VETS CORP) WILL UNDERTAKE THESE CORPORATE VETERANS ADVOCACY AND MARKETING INITIATIVES. JOINING US IN THESE OUTREACHES ARE RETIRED SENIOR MILITARY OFFICERS INCLUDING GENERAL JIMMY ROSS, MAJOR GENERAL CHUCK HENRY, MAJOR GENERAL JAMES KLUGH, VICE ADMIRAL ED STRAW, MARINE LT. GENERAL JACK KLIMP, LT. GENERAL MIKE MCDUFFIE, COL. FRANK SOARES, CHAIRMAN OF THE VETS CORP, RESERVE MAJOR GENERAL PAUL BERGSON, BRIG. GEN. JOHN WATKINS AND A HOST OF SIGNIFICANTLY PLACED VOLUNTEER CORPORATE EXECUTIVES REPRESENTING COMPANIES ACROSS ALL INDUSTRY SECTORS. IF THE SUBCOMMITTEE WISHES ME TO VOLUNTEER IN HELPING TO REVISE SEC. 6 TO ESTABLISH A MORE FORMIDABLE CORPORATE AND BUSINESS MARKETING PLATFORM TO MORE AGGRESSIVELY MOVE THE NEEDLE ON QUALITY JOBS FOR VETERANS, I WILL STAY HERE AS LONG AS YOU NEED ME. WHAT THE SUB COMMITTEE MAY KNOW FROM MY BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION IS THAT IN EARLY 1995, THE OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF ASKED MY FIRM, WESLEY, BROWN & BARTLE TO CONDUCT A STUDY TO QUANTIFY HOW FORMER MILITARY PERSONNEL WERE BEING ASSIMILATED INTO THE PRIVATE SECTOR WORKPLACE. WHILE IT WAS SUSPECTED THAT FORMER MILITARY PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES WERE STRUGGLING, THE DATA REVEALED AN EVEN MORE POIGNANT REALITY…. THAT VETERANS AS A CLASS ARE VASTLY UNDER-EMPLOYED AND ARE SUFFERING FROM THE SAME TYPES OF STEREOTYPES, MYTHS, AND DESELECTIVE BIASES LEADING TO ARTIFICAL BLOCKAGE INTO THE CORPORATE SECTOR THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY BARRED OTHER UNDER-REPRESENTED MINORITIES FROM COMPETING FOR EMPLOYMENT. WHAT MY OWN BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION DOES NOT SHOW HOWEVER, IS THE CONTEXT WITHIN WHICH I CAME TO CONDUCT THE STUDY FOR THE JOINT CHIEFS AND SUBSEQUENTLY ESTABLISH MY OWN NON-PROFIT FOUNDATION AS AN ADVOCATE TO CORPORATE AMERICA ON BEHALF OF THE MILITARY. NEARLY 30 YEARS AGO, WITH TWO MINORITY PARTNERS, I FOUNDED WESLEY, BROWN & BARTLE AS THE FIRST NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRM WITH THE MANDATE TO BE INCLUSIVE OF WOMEN AND PERSONS OF COLOR IN ALL SLATES OF CANDIDATES - - WHETHER REQUESTED BY THE CORPORATE CLIENT OR NOT. BY THE MID-80’S, OUR FIRM HAD ACHIEVED THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF DIVERSITY IN THE PROFESSIONAL, TECHNICAL, LINE AND OPERATIONS, AND MANAGEMENT RANKS WITHIN THE FORTUNE 500. THUS, IT WAS WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE THAT WE BEGAN TO CONDUCT SEARCH EFFORTS FOR THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF PERSONNEL TO FIND CANDIDATES, INCLUSIVE OF DIVERSITY, FOR A MYRIAD OF POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS. AS WELL, FORMER SECRETARY OF ENERGY, HAZEL O’LEARY ENGAGED OUR FIRM TO IDENTIFY AND SEARCH OUT THE HIGHEST PERFORMERS REFLECTIVE OF DIVERSITY FOR THE POSTS OF UNDERSECRETARY, DEPUTY, CONTROLLERSHIP, INSPECTOR GENERAL, ETC. THROUGH CASPAR WEINBERGER’S FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS, MICHAEL BURCH, WE WERE CONNECTED INTO THE RANKS OF THE NUCLEAR NAVY. I WAS FORTUNATE TO MEET ADMIRAL, BILL OWENS, WHO SUBSEQUENTLY WAS NAMED TO THE VICE CHAIR OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF. AS I MET OTHER TRANSITIONING AND RETIRED MILITARY OFFICERS, I BEGAN TO INSTRUCT ALL OF THE EXECUTIVES AT MY OWN FIRM TO CHAMPION MILITARY CANDIDACIES TO THE MANAGEMENT AND EXECUTIVE POSTS WHICH WE WERE RETAINED TO FILL (NOTE: ONLY THOSE MILITARY WHO HAD SELF-DESIGNATED INTENT TO TRANSITION). MOREOVER, I URGED ALL MY SEARCH CONSULTANTS TO SHARE THESE OUTSTANDING MILITARY INDIVIDUALS WITH OTHER RECRUITMENT FIRMS SO THAT OTHER CORPORATE CLIENTS WOULD HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THIS OUTSTANDING TALENT. FORGIVE THE LONGWINDED ANECDOTAL INFORMATION. HOWEVER, WHAT TRANSPIRED WITH OTHER EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRMS, CORPORATE EXECUTIVE CLIENTS, AND THE HUMAN RESOURCES GATEKEEPERS OF CORPORATE AMERICA WAS NOTHING LESS THAN STARTLING. WE FOUND CARDBOARD AND TRASH BOXES MARKED “MILITARY RESUMES” IN WHICH RESUMES OF MILITARY EXPERIENCED CANDIDATES WERE EARMARKED FOR DISPOSAL, WITH NO REVIEW OR CONSIDERATION. WE FOUND THAT THE MILITARY HAD BECOME ALIENS IN THEIR OWN LAND WITH A NEAR ABJECT IGNORANCE OF THEIR TALENTS, TRAINING, EXPERIENCE AND SKILL SETS BY MULTI-LEVELS OF CORPORATE AND BUSINESS LEADERSHIP. AND, WHILE SUPPORTIVE OF THE MILITARY, THE THEORY OF APPARENT PATRIOTISM IN THE EARLY TO MID-90’S DID NOT TRANSLATE INTO THE PRACTICE OF THESE CORPORATE LEADERS AFFORDING MILITARY CANDIDATES EVEN A SEAT AT THE INTERVIEW TABLE WHEN POSITIONS WERE BEING FILLED. AFTER ALL, WITH ONLY ONE IN SIX AMERICANS UNDER THE AGE OF 65 HAVING SERVED IN THE MILITARY, NEARLY ALL OF THE CORPORATE HIRING MANAGERS AND THEIR HUMAN RESOURCES SUPPORT PERSONNEL HAD NO POINT OF REFERENCE ABOUT THE MILITARY, ITS LEADERSHIP, ITS WORK ETHIC, AND ITS RESOURCEFULNESS TO MANAGE PROJECTS FROM INITIATION TO COMPLETION. THIS CORPORATE DESELECTIVE BIAS AGAINST VETERANS BEGAN DURING THE VIETNAM PERIOD AND LASTS TO THE PRESENT AND IS SUBTLY INTERWOVEN INTO THE HIRING PROCESS. THERE EXISTS RAMPANT MISCONCEPTIONS DISGUISTED AS FACT ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS AND VALUE OF VETERAN’S BENEFITS DELIVERY SYSTEMS, AND FROM INACCURATE VALUATIONS OF MILITARY SERVICE AND TRAINING THAT HAS ITSELF LED TO A DEVALUATION AND MISCONCEPTION OF MILITARY EXPERIENCE. INDIVIDUALS WITH SIGNIFICANT BACKGROUNDS IN MILITARY SERVICE AND TRAINING HAVE OVER TIME BECOME DEVALUED, AND SOMETIMES DISMISSED BY MANY PERSONNEL POLICY PRACTITIONERS IN SIGNIFICANT SEGMENTS OF AMERICA’S HIRING PROCESSES. WHILE THIS SELECTIVE BIAS IS NO REAL SECRET TO THOSE VETERANS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED IT, THIS BIAS REMAINS AN UNEXPECTED, UNRECOGNIZED, UNACKNOWLEDGED AND MISUNDERSTOOD PHENOMENON WHICH EFFECTS THE LIVES OF THOUSAND OF AMERICA’S VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES (PLEASE CREDIT BILL ELMORE, THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION’S VETERANS’ REPRESENTATIVE FOR THESE THOUGHTS). THE RESULT OF THIS SITUATION IS THAT AMERICA IS DEPRIVED OF COMPETING FROM ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S BEST ASSETS: TRAINED, EXPERIENCED, COMMITTED POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES AT THE PRIME OF THEIR AVAILABILITY. THIS ALSO UNDERCUTS THE LONG-TERM VIABILITY OF MAINTAINING AN ALL VOLUNTEER, CITIZEN-SOLDIER MILITARY. IF A VETERANS EXPERIENCE IS NOT VALUED ON A RESUME, THIS CYCLE WILL EVENTUALLY AFFECT THE MILITARY’S ABILITY TO RECRUIT INTO THE MILITARY. AMERICA INVESTS ENORMOUS FISCAL AND HUMAN CAPITAL IN RECRUITING, PREPARING, DEPLOYING AND RETURING MANY OF OUR BRIGHTEST, MOST MOTIVATED CITIZENS, BUT YET, THESE CITIZEN-SOLDIERS ARE UNDERUTILIZED FOLLOWING MILITARY SERVICE. THIS DESPITE THE FACTS THAT COLLECTIVELY THEY POSSESS A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ACUMEN THAT MOST CORPORATIONS AND NON-VETERANS CITIZENS LACK. RECENTLY WITH THE TRAGEDY OF 9/11 AND THE CURRENT WAR ON TERRORISM, THERE HAS BEEN AN AWAKENING OF THE VALUE OF THE MILITARY. WE MUST GRAB THE MOMENT AND REBUILD ON THIS FOUNDATION SO THAT THE “SPIKE UP” IN PATRIOTISM CAN BE TRANSFERRED INTO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. I AM PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH STRENGTHENING THE SINEWS OF H.R. 4015 AS IT IS DESIGNED TO HELP AMERICA MAXIMIZE THIS INVESTMENT IN HUMAN CAPITAL THROUGH VETERANS JOB PLACEMENT. I WOULD ONLY SUGGEST THAT H.R. 4015 ADD THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A STRATEGIC PROFESSIONAL CORPORATE JOB PLACEMENT ORGANIZATION (SPCJ). IT WOULD COMPLEMENT THE LABOR DEPARTMENT’S VETERAN’S EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING SERVICE (VETS), TEACH VETS PERSONNEL HOW TO MAXIMIZE RELATIONSHIPS WITH EMPLOYERS, AND HOW TO MORE EFFECTIVELY PLACE VETERANS THROUGH CHAMPIONING THEIR CANDIDACIES ASSERTIVELY, TENACIOUSLY AND SUCCESSFULLY. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THIS (SPCJ) SERVICE BE GRATIS TO EMPLOYERS THAT MAKE A COMMITMENT TO HIRE OTHER FORMER MILITARY PERSONNEL, AND/OR ENGAGE IN SPECIFIC PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE-DISABLED AND OTHER VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES. COORDINATED THROUGH THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF LABOR FOR VETERANS AND THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, WITH THE BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE AND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, A SUCCESSFUL COLLABORATION WILL CONTINUE WITH THE NEW FEDERALLY CHARTERED NATIONAL VETERANS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AND WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. THE INITIAL FUNDING OF THE (SPCJ) INFRASTRUCTURE AND PERSONNEL FOR THIS SERVICE CAN COME FROM THE FORD, CARNAGIE, AND MACARTHUR FOUNDATIONS AND CORPORATE FOUNDATIONS LIKE PEPSICO, PRUDENTIAL, AND BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB, WHOSE CEO’S ARE FORMER MILITARY….STEVE REINEMUND, ART RYAN, AND CHARLES HEIMBOLD. THESE ARE THE FRIENDLIES AND THE CORPORATELY POWERFUL WHO WE HAVE TO ENGAGE MORE FULLY. I MUST WARN YOU THAT THE PUNDITS AND THE POLLYANNA’S WHO WANT TO PUT A FAVORABLE SPIN ON VETERANS EMPLOYMENT WOULD HAVE THIS SUB COMMITTEE BELIEVE THINGS HAVE CHANGED. THEY HAVE NOT YET. I AM CONVINCED THAT THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME. THE CONCERTED EFFORTS OF H.R. 4015 TOGETHER WITH A CONTINUED MOVEMENT OF VETERANS ADVOCACY WILL CONTINUE THE EVOLUTION OF VETERANS EMPLOYMENT INCLUSION. I AM ALSO CONVINCED THAT LIKE THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT THAT A VIGOROUS VETERANS EFFORT IS INDEED THE THIRD IN THE TRILOGY OF MOVEMENTS. AS IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, THE LAWS AND WRITTEN POLICIES WERE THE BEGINNING OF AN ATTITUDINAL SWING WHICH HAS ALTERED THE BEHAVIOR OF AMERICANS BUT WHICH TOOK DECADES TO ACHIEVE. THUS, TOO, WILL BE THE CASE FOR QUALITY JOBS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS. THE SUB COMMITTEE IS BY THIS LAW HELPING TO FURTHER LAUNCH THIS VETERANS MOVEMENT. I AM NOT COMPLETELY SURE THAT EVEN YOU KNOW THE TRUE DEPTHS OF HOW PROUD YOU SHOULD BE OF YOUR OWN AND YOUR COLLEAGUES WORK. I TRUST THAT ALL AMERICANS WILL LEARN OF YOUR QUALITY ENDEAVORS. TO SUMMARIZE, I AM CONVINCED THAT THE FOLLOWING 12 STEPS ARE NECESSARY TO PROVIDE A SUCCESSFUL FRAMEWORK FOR H.R. 4015 TO SUCCEED: THE CREATION OF A STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL PLAN TO:
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