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Hundreds of veterans urge reinstatement of county veteran services officer after sudden firing
Summary
More than a dozen veterans and veteran-support organizations packed the Board of Supervisors meeting to demand reinstatement of Xavier Bianchi as Santa Cruz County Veteran Services Officer, saying his removal has left cases in limbo and damaged trust with the office.
A large group of veterans and veterans-service advocates urged the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on March 25 to reinstate Xavier Bianchi as the county’s Veteran Services Officer after he was summarily let go in March. Speakers described Bianchi as a trusted, hands-on advocate whose dismissal has left cases stalled and the veteran community alarmed.
The speakers’ concerns came during the board’s public comment period, when about two dozen veterans and supporters — including representatives of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans and Veterans Surf Alliance — testified about what they called immediate operational and community impacts following Bianchi’s removal.
The veterans said that the office handles complex claims and that Bianchi’s expertise…
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