Alex Sink Leads New Effort to Inform Vets of Benefits

More than a week after losing the gubernatorial race, state CFO Alex Sink unveiled an effort to better connect veterans in Florida to the benefits they are entitled to.

With more than 1.6 million veterans living in the Sunshine State, the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (FDVA) has information on only 700,000 of them -- something Sink hopes will change with the new program.

At the Capitol on Wednesday morning, Sink talked about Florida Vets Connect which will let Floridians identify their veteran status when they apply or renew their driver licenses. The information will be then be passed on to the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (FDVA) which will keep the veterans informed on their benefits.

Sink said that the new program was set up in July and has already helped almost 30,000 veterans across the Sunshine State at no cost to the taxpayers.

The success of this initiative is a testament to the commitment of our state to honor our veterans with the benefits that theyve earned, said Sink. Every day of the year, but especially on the eve of Veterans Day, its important to recognize the sacrifice of our veterans and their families.

I commend CFO Sink and her team for the idea and for facilitating implementation of 'Florida Vets Connect,' said Julie Jones, the executive director of the state Department of Highway and Safety Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) which will gather the information. The initiative uses the departments existing resources to help more veterans gain access to benefits they have earned through their military service, and DHSMV is proud to partner with FDVA.

The government officials stressed the important role played by the late Admiral LeRoy Collins Jr. in creating the program. Collins, son of Gov. LeRoy Collins, was killed in an accident earlier in the year.

We also acknowledge the superb efforts of the late LeRoy Collins Jr. in implementing this worthwhile initiative, said Bob Milligan, interim executive director of the FDVA.