CUTS WON'T IMPEDE VETERANS HOME HERE

Gov. John Ashcroft vetoed nearly $65,000 from the budget of the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau Thursday. But Bob Buckner, executive director of the state's veterans home system, said it won't have an impact on the veterans home here.

"We should have adequate funds to fully staff and fill the facility," he said. "All the beds should be filled in less than two months."

Specifically, the governor cut $64,452 from the nearly $3.3 million budget for the Cape Girardeau veterans home, the newest veterans nursing home in the state.

Ironically, the news of the veto came on the same day the local home was celebrating one year of operations. Although the veterans home was dedicated last May, its first occupants arrived June 25. Currently, 114 veterans reside in the 150-bed facility.

Cape's veterans home wasn't the only home targeted by the governor's veto. A total of $50,000 was cut from the $3.5 million budget for the St. James facility.

In Cape Girardeau, Buckner said, the cuts would be absorbed through savings made during last year's hiring process.

Buckner stressed that the veto would not impact plans to hire a new administrator at the local facility. "We hope to name someone in the next week or two," he said. "Most of the people who applied are from your area."

Terry Ford resigned as administrator earlier this month.

Buckner said the St. James reduction would be absorbed through reorganizations recently made at the facility. "We'll just be speeding up some management changes at that facility, and reducing some positions over a period of time," Buckner said.

The cuts were not unexpected, Buckner said. All state agencies received spending reductions and withholdings from the governor Thursday. "We can manage okay, at least at this point," he said.

The veto will reduce the state's share of the veteran home costs. That may mean increased costs to the veterans who reside in the state's four veterans homes, Buckner said.

"We'll have to evaluate our costs. It may mean an increase in costs to veterans come Jan. 1," he said.

Buckner said they are hoping an expected 13 percent increase in per diem from the Veterans Administration becomes a reality. But he added, "We don't like to count on that because the decision won't be made until October, and we won't know how much we'll receive until November."

At this point, Buckner said, the Missouri Veterans homes will "tighten their belts, but keep all the beds open." He added, "We're planning to keep all our staff that is allocated on board."

In fact, Buckner said they are already well into planning for the Fiscal 1993 budget, and plan to ask for an increase in staffing. That's because the waiting lists are longest at all facilities for those veterans needing the highest level of care.

In addition to the Cape Girardeau and St. James facilities, there are Missouri veterans homes in Mount Vernon and Mexico. A fifth one is under construction in St. Louis.