To say that these are uncertain times for veterans is most assuredly not an exaggeration. Not with a president giving a green light to a non-elected right-hand man bound and determined to “find two trillion dollars” to cut from the Federal budget.
In Pueblo, veterans and city leaders are carefully monitoring Elon Musk’s actions and wondering how seriously they will cascade on to their city, especially at the university where, over the years, thousands of veterans have taken advantage of their G.I. Bill of Rights and earned degrees.
CSU-Pueblo is the school of choice for not just Pueblo veterans but, historically, veterans from across the region, from the Arkansas Valley to the east and the San Luis Valley to the southwest.
“CSU Pueblo,” said University spokesperson Gena Alfonso, “is proud to be a military-friendly institution.” The school, Alfonso said, offers veterans—including active duty personnel—everything from academic advising to a special spot on campus for quiet time, whether it be for studying, taking a break or mingling with other veterans.
But in a period when the Trump-Musk effort has targeted as many as 80,000 veterans for job termination, including jobs at colleges and universities where veterans counsel other veterans on health issues, veteran benefits and even mental health, a cloud of uncertainty has suddenly appeared.
“We are carefully monitoring activity at the federal level to understand any implications,” said CSU-Pueblo’s Alfonso. If adjustments in any programs are necessitated by federal budget cuts, she said, “we will continue prioritizing the success of our students, faculty and staff.”
Beyond campus, the university also connects veterans to the Mount Carmel Veterans Services Center. The agency, which serves not only vets enrolled at CSU-Pueblo but “all veterans” in southern Colorado, provides information and assistance to veterans on transition and employment, health and wellness and veterans business outreach. (Southern Colorado – Mt. Carmel Veterans Center, (719.772.7000).
A federal judge recently halted the Trump-Musk effort to fire federal workers, including targeted veterans. U.S. District Judge William Alsup told government attorneys that they had no standing in firing any workers, including probationary employees, many of whom have only been on the job for less than a year and others, who may have been long-term employees, but recently promoted to new or higher positions.
“I’ve got to tell you,” said Pueblo City Councilman Dennis Flores and Army veteran, “it’s heartbreaking that the government is indiscriminately cutting so many federal jobs—and seems to be picking on veterans.”
With veterans returning to civilian life and many coming home from deployments in not one but two wars, Flores said, it seems like “the government is not responding to them in the way they should be…it’s almost like they’re getting kicked while they’re down.”
But it’s not just the federal government pulling assistance from veterans. Flores said over the last several months the Pueblo City Council voted to eliminate $75,000 from its budget for a program aimed at assisting veterans.
The money was part of an overall $1.5 million budget cut, Flores said, that was dedicated to aiding the missions of local non-profits, including the Mount Carmel Veterans Services Center.
While the San Francisco judge’s ruling gave a temporary reprieve to veterans, another judge, U.S. District Judge James Bredar, recently scolded the government for failing to provide legally required advance notice before embarking on “massive layoffs.” His ruling also included other recently terminated employees, many of whom were fired via email and others who reported for work but then were given only minutes to clean out their personal effects and leave the workplace.
“When the federal government terminates large numbers of its employees,” he said, “it must follow certain rules.”
The government said it plans to appeal both rulings. Meanwhile, no information has been offered by the government telling the thousands of previously terminated workers when they can begin reporting back to work.
