DIABETES & VETERAN'S TAX EXEMPTION

I recently posted a blog about the property tax exemption for disabled Veteran’s. The intent of course was to take care of those whose battle field injuries prevented them from earning a living.

As a result in the Vietnam War of the use of Agent Orange a known causer of cancers, birth defects, and other disorders those veterans who had been in Vietnam and developed those diseases were entitled to the property exemption benefit.

Although there has been no conclusive evidence of a causative relationship between AO and diabetes mellitus type 2 in about 2000 it too was added to the list of compensable AO disabilities.

There never was a question that there was a disproportion of African-Americans serving in Vietnam. A great number like Rick Taylor developed Diabetes in later life. The statistics show that among civilians African-Americans are much more likely to develop that disease than either whites or Asians. In fact 2011 the rate was 9.9% of Black males but only 6.5% of white males were likely to become Diabetic. The rate for Asian males is about 7.8%.

“Death rates for people with diabetes are 27 percent higher for blacks compared with whites. Diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death for those ages 45 years or older.

One of the problems for African Americans and diabetes is that they are more likely to develop diabetes complications and experience greater disability from the complications than whites. The frequency of diabetic retinopathy is 40 to 50 percent higher in African Americans than in white Americans. African Americans with diabetes experience kidney failure (also called end-stage renal disease) about four times more often than diabetic white Americans. In 1995, there were 27,258 new cases of kidney failure attributed to diabetes in black Americans. African Americans are much more likely to undergo a lower-extremity amputation than white or Latinos with diabetes. In 1994, there were 13,000 amputations among black people with diabetes, involving 155,000 days in the hospital.” (ADA documents)

Not only are African-American middle age males more likely to become diabetic but the figures are further askew among Vietnam vets because of the disproportional racial mix among combat troops.

I do not know the facts of Rick Taylor’s military history but I believe that it was a meritorious one; service in Vietnam resulting in one or two Purple Heart citations. 

Even though his unfortunate disability would most likely have occurred even if he had not served in Vietnam and there is no proof that Agent Orange caused Diabetes; he was entitled  to that recognition of tax relief when he became disabled.