California Disabled Veteran Business: Fill & Download for Free

When I was medically discharged from the Army I was living in California. I had a California drivers license and handicapped parking placard since my new state of normal included an AFO (Ankle and Foot Orthotic). My car was registered back in my home state of Alabama.I had been home for less than a week so I went over to Tuscumbia to visit my elderly grandmother. She needed me to run down to the store and get her a few things. I hopped into my 77 Thunderbuzzard (another story for another time), made sure my handicap parking permit was on the dashboard and went on down to the local Woolworth 5 and 10 . Yes they were still in business, barely, and I happened to like shopping at Woolworth…don’t judge me.Upon my arrival I parked in the handicapped space in front of the store on Main Street. I walked/limped into the store, fulfilled my grandmother’s request, exited the shop and lo and behold! Tuscumbia’s finest had been at work! I had a ticket underneath the windshield wiper of my car for parking in a handicapped zone. Of course being a disabled veteran, injured in service to our nation, I was going to fight this. I thought it would be easy.My court date was six weeks later. I took a copy of my DD-214, California drivers license with my California handicap parking permit, and a copy of my medical discharge review board paperwork.When it was my turn to see the magistrate I was very respectful, presented all of my evidence showing that I was recently disabled and had been stationed in California. The fact that I had been home less than a week when the ticket was issued and had not taken the time yet to go get my drivers license switched back over to Alabama (which is required within 30 days of establishing residence) during that time or to jump through the bureaucratic hoops to obtain an Alabama handicapped parking permit. The judge listened carefully to all the evidence presented his decision was immediate. I lost my case. Fine: $50.I was found guilty of parking illegally in a handicapped zone even though I was I disabled veteran, just home with all the proper paperwork and medical diagnoses and a valid handicaps parking permit, in my name, that was recognized and 49 other states.I was not very happy. I told the judge that I did not have the cash on me to pay the fine. ATMs were not as ubiquitous as they seem to be today. Additionally, boys and girls this was back in 1990 before the word “internet” was in common use.Visa and MasterCard Debit Cards were not a thing to be presented at the courthouse to pay fines back then. Hell, they didn’t even exist back then. It was either cash, cashiers check, or money order. I told the judge that I was ill prepared because I assumed that the case was open and shut in my favor. He was kind enough to give me 48 hours to pay the city.I banked at Bank Independent back then. There was a branch only a few blocks away from City Hall. Fortunately when I went into the bank the next morning I found out that one of my old high school friends was the branch manager there. He and I have been good friends as we both played trumpet over at Deshler high school together. The long and short of it is after he heard my story he was pissed off too. All of his family were veterans, his grandfather been injured in World War II, he wasn’t able to get in himself because he had flat feet or something so he decided to help me out. After a few moments of discussion he told me to come back by 3 o’clock that afternoon and he’d have everything ready.I showed up at 10 till three in the cashiers were just putting the final touches on my order… 1000 cashiers check’s for five cents each. He only charge me $15 for the job. He said he would’ve waived it but he would get in trouble from corporate. He told me later he paid the balance of what was due out of his own pocket.City Hall closed promptly at five. Five minutes till five I arrived with a big box in hand. We finally got out of there around 7:30 or 8 o’clock. The cashier was not happy. I’m sure the magistrate wasn’t happy here because the cashier was his wife and she wasn’t home to fix dinner.Oh well, life goes on but it is funny how I’ve never gotten a ticket from the Tuscumbia police department ever again.

Under the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, the US Government offers tax breaks to businesses who hire unemployed veterans. There is a credit of up to 40% of the first $6000 of wages for hiring an unemployed veteran who has been out of work for at least four weeks, or 40% of the first $14,000 of wages for hiring an unemployed veteran who has been out of work for at least six months. There are also tax credits for employers who hire disabled veterans - 40% of the first $12,000 of wages if unemployed for less than six months, 40% of the first $24,000 of wages if unemployed for six months or longer. These credits are scheduled to expire on December 31, 2012.Illinois, California, and Alaska are among states that provide some tax credits for businesses that hire veterans. If you have a question about a specific state, check that state's Department of Revenue Web site for information.

In California, the handicap vehicle code is as follows:CVC 22507.8.(a) It is unlawful for any person to park or leave standing any vehicle in a stall or space designated for disabled persons and disabled veterans pursuant to Section 22511.7 or 22511.8 of this code or Section 14679 of the Government Code, unless the vehicle displays either a special identification license plate issued pursuant to Section 5007 or a distinguishing placard issued pursuant to Section 22511.55 or 22511.59.(b) It is unlawful for any person to obstruct, block, or otherwise bar access to those parking stalls or spaces except as provided in subdivision (a).(c) It is unlawful for any person to park or leave standing any vehicle, including a vehicle displaying a special identification license plate issued pursuant to Section 5007 or a distinguishing placard issued pursuant to Section 22511.55 or 22511.59, in either of the following places:(1) On the lines marking the boundaries of a parking stall or space designated for disabled persons or disabled veterans.(2) In any area of the pavement adjacent to a parking stall or space designated for disabled persons or disabled veterans that is marked by crosshatched lines and is thereby designated, pursuant to any local ordinance, for the loading and unloading of vehicles parked in the stall or space.(d) Subdivisions (a), (b), and (c) apply to all offstreet parking facilities owned or operated by the state, and to all offstreet parking facilities owned or operated by a local authority. Subdivisions (a), (b), and (c) also apply to any privately owned and maintained offstreet parking facility.In a nutshell, per the code, there is no specified time that the handicap zone is enforced therefore it is enforced 24 hours a day 365 days a year. It specifically states only that every vehicle that parks on that blue zone must be displaying a disabled placard or a disabled license plate. In San Francisco the bail for parking in a blue zone without a disabled placard is $875.00 and is a very hard citation to contest. In other words why risk it unless you have $900 just to “throw away.”