A local Congressman Jim Jordan is leading the Republican Study Committee which proposes to eliminate and/or significantly cut back on area programs for struggling families. What the proposal doesn't show is the job loss and reduced spending to local businesses, which is a step backwards in terms of the revenue that businesses need to move forward.
In our company, state funding cuts eliminated 46 jobs in 2009; jobs that employed local citizens. But then with new early childhood federal funding 43 new jobs were created and others were saved. That's a potential savings to the state unemployment fund of $367,000 over a year. That's a good thing!
With that additional revenue received, $848,000 went back out to the local communities in the form of paying rent on space, utilities, fuel for vehicles, equipment and maintenance costs, food from local grocery stores, and taxes paid to our cities and schools. The even larger amount is the wages to those employees who locally spent an average of 95% of their paycheck back out to their communities for housing, transportation, food, taxes and clothing. Taking this revenue out of our local neighborhoods makes no sense. The effects go deep!
Besides eliminating all above funding, the rest of Jordan’s proposal plans for even deeper reductions of an additional 20% across-the-board cut on other programs for children, youth and older adults in our communities. This reduction slashes another 58 jobs and lessens revenues to our local businesses throughout our service area. Can our local communities suffer the loss of more even jobs and more spendable income to our businesses?
Please contact our local Congressman Jim Jordan as well as House Speaker John Boehner to ask them how they are voting. Is it to keep the jobs that exist today and continue to financially support our community? Email the Congressmen at https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml or call the Congressmen’s local offices at: Jim Jordan in Lima at 419-999-6455 and John Boehner in Troy at 937-339-1524.
Shirley Hathaway, Executive Director, Council on Rural Service Programs
Do you realize all of these programs come from our tax dollars? How long should these subsidies go on? Our government is broke. It comes from decades of overspending and entitlements!! Unfortuneatley, we will all be hurt in the process of these drastic spending cuts. It has to be done to save our economy and our country!!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately it’s time to “bite the bullet”… the government is broke! We taxpayers can no longer fund these government subsidized programs. When I drive by your rather new extravagant building in Piqua, I’m sure you can find a way to cut 20% of the fat out of your budget. Most taxpayers have found ways to cut far more than that when forced into a survival mode. Ms Hathaway, the well is dry…
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly the type of program I feel should be cut. How many of these programs do you suppose there are across this country. You say business will suffer if the tax payers don't continue to pour money into this. So what? Thats life. I worked for a private firm who closed the factory. Guess what, I did not hear you or any other bureaucrat crying for me. I went on unemployment until I found a new job. Anyone losing their jobs to these cust will do the same. We are broke. We are borrowing 40 cents on every dollar we borrow from China. Time to make real cuts. I am sure there is plenty of waste in these programs. I will be calling Mr. Jordan and letting him know I support his proposal. I wish we had many more like him in office.
ReplyDeleteShirley, I believe federal cuts in funding for programs like yours are exactly what the voters asked for in November. The taxpayer-funded payroll has gotten way out of hand. The only answer is to cut back. Anyone with any business sense should know this. It's time for our government to be run like a business, not a soup kitchen.
ReplyDeleteIt's time to cut the spending. Everyone is for the cuts, but the "not my program" mentality provails. The same families benefit from every program. The same person on welfare gets free medical care thru medicaid, heating assistance, housing assistance, free emergency cell phones, transportation, daycare and schooling. If it was temporary, it would be different. Unfortunately, it's usually easier to take the free programs then it is to work. Until people are forced off these programs, they will continue until it's multi-generational. There is no stigma anymore and no pride. Give the people back their pride by forcing them off all these programs and letting them earn it back.
ReplyDeleteBesides, I have seen the extravagant building and all the cool technology in the building in Piqua. While staying updated is important, some seems a little over the top. I'm guessing, like most recipients of federal grants, they have a "spend it or lose it" mentality.
Just an add on: Would Ms Hathaway be willing to post the salaries of her management team including her own annual salary?
ReplyDeleteShirley, you can't be serious.
ReplyDeleteA quick check of the online menu at your 'backyard bistro' shows your federally subsidized sandwiches sell for $6.25, a little pricey for struggling families, i would imagine. http://www.thebackyardbistro.com/Menu.html
A Learning Place is available for wedding receptions. These services are readily availible and more efficently provided in the private sector.
Judging by the comments, Council on Rural Services represents EXACTLY the kind of redundant wastefull government spending taxpaying citizens are tired of. Welcome to the real world, your job is on the line just like the rest of us. At least you can see it coming. Best to update your resume and keep your ears open.
Don't wory too much about the $848,000 that went out to all the vendors in the private sector your organization patronizes. We're mostly a pretty tough bunch, able to adapt to a dynamic economy and we've learned a long time ago NOT to put all our eggs in one basket.
Curt71: I totally agree with your comments above and before I even came here to read all comments, my first reaction to the article was that I ADMIRE Mr. Jordan. Now that I have taken the time to read the above comments,it's pretty clear that the majority agree with Mr. Jordan.
ReplyDeleteBefore you fix a leak, you turn off the water supply. We must cut off the funding to these Government programs then reform them and/or eliminate them all together.
ReplyDelete