Vet Cemetery May Get Budget Ax

The governor´s budget office has emerged as a major opponent to a proposed veterans cemetery to serve some 400,000 Central Coast veterans. The office told state Senator Bruce McPherson of Santa Cruz yesterday that it´s opposed to his bill to set up the cemetery at the former Fort Ord military base. The letter is bad news because the office represents the governor, and he has to sign the bill into law if the Legislature approves it. The Republican legislator says he continues to be hopeful, because the governor doesn´t always follow the budget office´s advice.

The bill has passed the Senate. It calls for the state to spend 600-thousand dollars to design and manage the cemetery. It also directs state officials to apply for federal grants of up to $10 million to build it.