As the budget process heats up, Bronx vets want lawmakers and the mayor to remember those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and those still wandering the streets of New York. In short they want the city to create centers throughout the five boroughs as a way for vets to get off the streets and get the needed social services they deserve.

On April 24, Thomas Mullfield, director of Veteran Services at New Era Veterans Inc., and other vets will be at City Hall to push for the creation of veteran intake centers for each borough. Mullfield and his group are urging Mayor Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to get behind the plan.

“How can you not understand that this is needed?” Mullified asked.

Only $5 million is needed to fund the creation of these five centers, one for each borough. The centers would be created to help combat and non-combat vets be able to walk in off the street and be helped maneuvering through the layers of bureaucracy to gain the services they need.

Mullfield said that many vets go without valuable services because they cannot maneuver successfully through the system. Also, many suffer from a variety of issues such as substance abuse and mental illness associated with their service. This leads them to be distrustful of large government institutions like the VA hospital. The vet intake centers are designed to be small and intimate and manned by vets.

Mullfield and others believe that the plan has been shot down by the administration in the past because of the concern of setting a precedent that the city would create a program for veteran services. Currently, only the federal government and New York State government have veteran programs. The quashing of Councilman Hiram Monserrate’s (D-Queens) bill for the centers has angered vets like Mullfield, who believe the mayor should step up to the plate and help vets, especially in light of the budget surplus.

“(Bloomberg) is the first one to march in a parade with a flag, but when it comes to forking over money you can’t find him, “ Mullfield said.

This time Monserrate is going to try an end run to get these centers up and running. The Councilman is trying to get the money to fund these centers through the budget process. The idea is to allocate the money in the budget for the creation of these centers without trying to push a bill into law that specifically calls for the creation of these centers.

“The federal government and the state government fall short,” Monserrate said of the inspiration for creating services centers throughout the city.

The Councilman said there are close to 400,000 vets living throughout the city and more are on their way here returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We don’t have enough services to provide them,” said the former Marine Reservist. “This is an important first step.”

“They’re coming back and are not being able to readjust right away,” Mullfield said.

James A. Mullarkey, of the Catholic War Veterans said such centers are important for the vet living on the street who wants help. “Why should a vet have to stand on the sidelines?”

If you wish to lend your voice to this issue Mullfield is urging New Yorkers to write to Quinn at: Council Speaker’s Office, City Hall, New York, NY 10007.