Flawed Budget for 2005 Would Fail Hometown America

Flawed Budget for 2005 Would Fail Hometown America

The proposed Bush budget for 2005 is "a flawed budget that fails to keep our communities strong," says National League of Cities (NLC) President Charles Lyons, selectman from Arlington, MA. Lyons says cuts to federal programs like community policing would translate directly into cuts in local services.

The National League of Cities is also concerned that the continuing, growing federal deficit will take resources from programs that benefit America's cities and towns. Making the tax cuts permanent would lead to higher deficits and more cuts in domestic programs, hurting children and families.

"It is a drastic mistake to forget about programs that make our communities and hometown America strong." Lyons says.

NLC says American cities would suffer from cuts in critical areas including:

• Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) funding would suffer an enormous cut, from $756 million in 2004 to $44 million under the proposed
• Bush budget, leading to layoffs of police officers;
• Local law enforcement grants would decline by 40 percent (The Local Law Enforcement Block Grant programs would be eliminated and merged with Byrne Grants into Justice Assistance Grants, for which cities and towns would compete with states);
• Homeland security funding for local governments and first responders would suffer a net loss including an $809 million cut in the First Responder Initiative and a $950 million cut in State Formula Grants;
• Housing and community development funding would be cut severely in several areas including a $316 million cut in Community Development Block Grants and a $149 million cut in HOPE VI funds, eliminating the program.

At the same time, the National League of Cities acknowledges proposed increases for education— $1 billion for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and $1 billion for the No Child Left Behind Act. However, these increases are far less than what is needed to meet the requirements of these laws.

The National League of Cities reported last November that four out of five city finance managers reported declines in their ability to meet the financial needs of their cities.

In a letter sent to Congress last Friday, NLC President Charles Lyons says, "Across too many of our cities and towns, there exists virtually no capacity to absorb or compensate for cuts in program budgets."

The National League of Cities is the oldest and largest national organization representing municipal governments throughout the United States. NLC serves as a resource and advocate for 18,000 U.S. cities that serve 225 million people across the United States. For detail, visit: www.nlc.org