By William E. Gibson, Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON – Brock Andrews, a Vietnam War veteran who runs a remodeling business, is a South Florida employer looking to hire soldiers who are trooping home from Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I know what they go through and how tough it is for those fellas to get some kind of employment," said Andrews, 64, owner of Inpros of Fort Lauderdale. "Unless they were goofing off in the service, they understand what work's all about."
Congress on Wednesday gave Andrews and other employers an extra incentive.
The House on Wednesday passed a bill 422-to-0 providing tax credits of up to $5,600 for companies that hire veterans who have been out of work for more than six months and $2,400 for hiring those who have been job hunting for more than four weeks. The Senate passed the same bill 95-to-0 last week.
It's the first piece of President Barack Obama's proposed jobs package to come to his desk for signing.
Florida U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson, a Democrat, and Marco Rubio, a Republican, supported the bill. It received similar bipartisan support in the House, with South Florida Republican members Allen West of Plantation, Tom Rooney of Tequesta and Mario Diaz-Balart of Miami joining Democrats Alcee Hastings of Miramar, Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston, Ted Deutch of Boca Raton and Frederica Wilson of Miami Gardens.
"This sweetens the pie," said U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Winter Park. "Especially for a small business, $5,600 is a lot of money. They would be definitely interested in having the opportunity to go after that credit."
Veterans of past eras who started small businesses say they don't need an extra incentive but welcomed any attempt to prod hiring.
"I have so many buddies who would rather face another deployment than get out in the workforce because they have a lot of fear about being unemployed," said Michael Waldrop, 37, of Orlando, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, who founded Blue Cord Design & Construction. Half of his eight employees are veterans, and he is looking to hire two more.
At the least, the legislation and publicity surrounding it has created a rallying point for hiring while calling attention to widespread unemployment among returning soldiers. A U.S. Census survey indicated that the unemployment rate for veterans last year in Florida was 12.6 percent, and some observers believe it's even higher for recent returnees.
"I am going to hire them based on their service to the country; that's more important to me than a tax break," said Warren Cleveland, who runs two real estate companies based in Juno Beach and Miami. He plans to hire two or three veterans. "These guys and gals did something courageous. They should be at the very front of the line."
Employers say veterans generally bring skills, discipline and knowledge of how to work within a chain of command.
"Most are reliable. When they tell you they will come to work, they show up," said Jose Quinones, a regional manager in Davie for Xentel, a company that helps organizations raise money. "In today's world, that doesn't always happen."
Some 16 companies have signed up – and as many as 40 are expected – to take part in a veterans jobs fair next month in Broward County, organized by Deutch and Wasserman Schultz. It's set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 3 at the National Guard Armory in Fort Lauderdale.
Information on hiring and applying for jobs can be found at http://www.employflorida.com.
