SCHUMER LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN TO SAVE EXPIRING TAX CREDITS FOR BUSINESSES THAT HIRE VETS CREDITS ARE PROVEN SUCCESSES GIVE COMPANIES LIKE PALADIN CENTER UP TO $9,600 PER VET HIRED

Today, at Paladin Center in Carmel, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer toured the Paladin Center and revealed his plan to prioritize the extension of the Returning Heroes and Wounded Warriors Tax Credits, which are proven successes in incentivizing companies to hire veterans and set to expire at the end of this year. Paladin already employs numerous veterans, and Schumer applauded their goal to hire more veterans in the future as they expand. He also urged other Hudson Valley businesses to similarly seek to hire these highly skilled workers that often fall through the cracks when returning home to civilian employment. The Returning Heroes and Wounded Warriors Tax Credits, enacted in November 2011, provide tax breaks to businesses of up to $9,600 depending on the length of time a veteran has been unemployed and if that veteran has a serviceconnected disability. Schumer fought to include these critical tax credits in the Senate tax extenders package that was considered in September, and will fight to pass the tax credits before they expire at year's end. Schumer will also discuss Paladin Center's plans to expand and hire new employees. Paladin officials will state that these federal tax credits would allow them to achieve their goal to hire more veterans in the future.

"These vital tax credits are proven successes in helping Putnam County businesses to hire more veterans, and we cannot allow such a powerful antidote to the economic recession come to an end," said Schumer. "The Returning Heroes and Wounded Warrior Tax Credits are set to expire at year's end, which would be a devastating blow to the efforts of companies like Paladin that want to get unemployed veterans in the Hudson Valley back to work. Renewing the veterans' tax credits isn't just the smart thing to do for companies in the Hudson Valley and across the country, it's the right thing to do to honor the sacrifices made by our heroes in uniform. Our veterans have spent months and even years of their lives protecting our freedom, and I am going to fight to renew these tax breaks so that veterans don't spend the same amount of time in the unemployment line."

Paladin CEO Felix Carcano said: "Veterans understand the type of operation we are trying to run and understand our client base. They are the best of the best, educated, highly motivated, disciplined and know the importance of training and developing the necessary emergency response skills. We hope, and commit, to hire as many veterans as possible and this tax credit will accelerate and support the creation of these jobs for our returning vets. The Paladin Center understands that wounded Soldiers, Marines, and Sailors have made major sacrifices for the protection of our homeland. We now owe it to these brave men and women to support their individual hopes and dreams to create good paying, sustainable jobs that can support them and their families in Putnam County and the entire Hudson Valley. We fully intend to work with Senator Schumer, Veterans Affairs and local officials to ensure veterans and wounded warriors are an integral part of the Paladin Team. Senator Schumer understands that we have a commitment to provide our brave veterans with jobs and I applaud his efforts to extend this tax credit and incentivize other companies to hire veterans. "  

"A great nation must never forget those who have served, answered freedom's call and when called upon, marched to the sound of the guns," said Donald B. Smith, Brigadier General U.S. Army (Ret.), Putnam County Sheriff. "America is truly a great nation and must never take for granted the sacrifice of our Veterans who have kept us free and safe and have made the United States of America the beacon of freedom, hope and justice throughout the entire world. I thank Senator Chuck Schumer for supporting our Veterans with this program which will also help small businesses everywhere, including the Paladin Center right here in Putnam County."

Schumer was joined in his push to save the expiring veterans' tax credits by Paladin Center CEO Felix Carcano and CEO of PEC Security Pauline Chahales, both of whom plan to hire veterans as their respective companies continue to expand. Schumer was also joined by Kevin Bailey, Chair of The Putnam County IDA; Jennifer Maher, President of the Putnam County Chamber of Commerce and Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation; Putnam County Executive O'Dell; Sheriff Don Smith, a decorated war veteran and graduate from West Point, who is now an active member of the Putnam County veteran community; and economic development officials from throughout Putnam County. Schumer also held a roundtable discussion with economic development officials, and these veterans, to learn more about their unique and diversified experience working with active duty military personnel and veterans.

Paladin Center has a long record of hiring veterans in the past and hopes to hire many more in the future as it expands its programs. Headquartered in Carmel, Paladin Center offers courses that prepare individuals to respond to emergency medical, fire, and law enforcement scenarios. Many men and women from the armed services have benefited from Paladin's programs in their transitions from military emergency settings to careers as first responders in New York State. The center has remained focused and employed seasoned veterans since its founding as a consortium of professionals and small businesses in 2008. Any new veterans who are hired at the company next year due to the extension of the Returning Heroes and Wounded Warrior Tax Credits will be in a strong position to build careers. Next spring, the Paladin Center will launch a new Firearms Center resulting in the creation and ultimate hiring of 40 new employees. Paladin believes that a significant amount of the jobs will be filled by veterans and will actively recruit veterans for these new positions. Similarly, over the next 3 years Paladins business plan calls for the hiring of 100 new employees. These are jobs that will be ideally suited for veterans.

Schumer was also joined by representatives from PEC Security, a Putnam County based security firm that provides a range of security guard, security training and protection consulting services throughout New York State and is actively looking to hire veterans for their open positions. PEC provides protection services to a wide range of clients including manufacturing plants, hotels, hospitals and retail distribution companies of which would love to have veterans securing and protecting their vital properties and infrastructure. PEC Security protection services include security guards, vehicle patrol, emergency services and security consulting. For both of these businesses, hiring veterans allows them to attract well trained, educated and experienced employees who bring a highly desirable and unique skill set to their respective companies. As these companies continue to expand, PEC Security plans to look to hire and attract veterans recently returning from overseas along with veterans with previous combat experience.

President Obama signed the Returning Heroes and Wounded Warriors Tax Credits into law on November 21, 2011 as part of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, which contained a series of tax credits for businesses that hire outofwork veterans. As a result of this tax break, businesses that hire veterans who have been searching for work for at least four weeks, but less than six months, are eligible for a tax credit of up to $2,400 per veteran hired. Businesses that hire a veteran who has been looking for a job for at least six months receive a tax credit worth up to $5,600. A business that hires a veteran who has been seeking work for at least six months and has a servicerelated disability is eligible for a $9,600 tax credit. While taxexempt organizations save a slightly smaller percentage, a nonprofit company can still save up to $6,240 if they hire a disabled veteran who has been unemployed for six months or more.

Schumer pushed to extend the Returning Heroes and Wounded Warriors Tax Credits in light of disappointing unemployment numbers for veterans, particularly in upstate New York. Putnam County alone has 94 unemployed veterans, while the Hudson Valley region has 2,936, according to New York State Department of Labor's most recent data from 2010. According to the state's data, there are 16,846 unemployed veterans in upstate New York as a whole. Unemployment among New York's veteran population, particularly younger veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, has remained stubbornly high over the last several years. Last year, the veteran population in the United States consisted of 20.2 million men and 1.8 million women, accounting for about 9.5 percent of the adult population in the country. 2.2 million of those veterans served after September 11, 2011, and two thirds of that total were under 35 years old. Unemployment among veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan has risen to 12.1 percent nationally, up from 10.6 percent from a year ago. 240,000 young veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are unemployed nationwide. An astonishing 21.9 percent of male veterans aged 1824 who have served since September 11th were unemployed last year, according to data recently released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Schumer was also joined by New York Guard Commander, Maj. Gen. Fergal (Ferg) I. Foley, in his push to extend these hiring tax credits. In addition to his decades of experience as a commissioned active duty soldier and leader within the National Guard organization, Commander Foley has served as a COO of a worldwide business leader and understands firsthand the value of hiring veterans and the need to create good jobs for veterans throughout the country.