Federal Budget Fight

[Jeanfromfillmore]

With battle lines drawn, region braces for federal budget fight
WASHINGTON - A budget brawl is brewing on Capitol Hill, and the outcome holds far-reaching implications for cash-strapped Inland Southern California.
President Barack Obama's $3.7 trillion budget proposal for fiscal 2012, unveiled this week, contains funding increases for police departments, schools and transportation projects in the Inland region and around the country.
But other Inland priorities, including wildfire suppression funds, community development and reimbursing local jails and state prisons for incarcerating illegal immigrants, would be slashed under Obama's blueprint.
Republicans say the proposed budget doesn't go far enough to reduce federal spending and are vowing to add additional cuts in keeping with their pre-election promise.
They plan to use their new House majority to push through a stopgap funding bill that would cut more than $60 billion in federal spending between now and October, when Obama's budget proposal would take effect.
"This is the first step," said Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona. "It's important that we send a message to the American people that we're putting them on a guideline to solvency."
Democrats describe the GOP's proposed cuts as overly severe and unfocused.
"They're like a bunch of blindfolded kids trying to bring down a piñata," said Rep. Joe Baca, D-Rialto.
The stopgap bill, expected to come up for a vote as soon as today in the House, is likely to pass, but face more opposition in the Democrat-controlled Senate. Current legislation keeping federal agencies running is set to expire March 4. Failure to pass a bill before then could result in a government shutdown.
TARGETED INCREASES
In contrast to the sweeping governmentwide cuts sought by Republicans, Obama's proposal contains a mix of cuts and funding increases for key priorities. In the latter group is the popular COPS hiring grant program, which provides federal funds to local police departments struggling to maintain their ranks.
The president's budget seeks to more than double funding for the program from $298 million to $600 million. Riverside Police Chief Sergio Diaz said the program has been vital for his department, which is significantly understaffed and in the process of hiring 15 officers with a $5 million COPS grant.
"The only way we can fill some of the needs we have is through the COPS grant," said Diaz, who pointed to the lingering economic downturn across the region. "If local revenues don't allow you to fill critical public safety positions, that contributes to the downward spiral of these cities."
Schools are another big winner in Obama's budget. He proposes $77.4 billion budget for education, a $7.5 billion increase from his previous budget proposal that would be dedicated to several initiatives, including a greater focus on math and science and added resources for special education programs and schools in low-income areas. (barrios and anchor babies get their cut
CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM
Inland transit officials said Obama's budget would also be a victory for bus and rail service (for all those that can't get a drivers license and use busses to get around, we know who that is), but many said they will wait to celebrate until they see where Washington sets federal funding. With a divided Congress, significant changes to the president's proposal are inevitable.
"We recognize that we are a long way from passing a budget," said Omnitrans spokeswoman Wendy Williams.
Under the Obama plan, federal transportation funding would increase to $128 billion in 2012, compared to $77 billion in 2010.
Williams noted that as Obama is planning to more than double Federal Transit Administration spending to $22.7 billion, House Republicans have suggested cutting transit funding by 22 percent.
Federal money committed to the Inland area for public transportation usually pays for capital projects such as new transit centers and replacing aging buses. A transit center in Murrieta, long sought by Riverside Transit Agency officials, is one example of a local project awaiting a federal award.
Planning for the projects proceeds sluggishly because local officials need clear signs of where the money for buses, rail lines and highway projects will come from.
"I think we are so far away from finding out where the lay of the land is," said David Turch, a Washington lobbyist for Riverside Transit and other bus systems.
But Obama's plan provides a starting point that details how transit service could be improved, Turch said.
And Inland officials have plenty of ways to spend whatever money they receive, San Bernardino Mayor Pat Morris said.
More investment means additional jobs in the area, Morris said, and added improvements for local residents.
"The president recognizes the world is changing," Morris said. "And investing in transit is part of that change."
CUTS LOOM
Eager to show he is serious about addressing the national debt, Obama proposes cutting or terminating more than 200 federal programs.
The U.S. Forest Service's wildfire suppression budget, for example, would decrease from almost $1.08 billion to $855 million. John De La Torre, the Forest Service's budget director for California, said he is confident the decrease wouldn't impact the agency's readiness to battle flames on the San Bernardino National Forest or other forests throughout the region.
"We're fully prepared to address whatever the fire season looks like," he said, noting that relatively light seasons yielded leftover funds that could be used in the coming year.
Other cuts could be more problematic, officials said.
Community Development Block Grants, a $4 billion federal program aimed at revitalizing neighborhoods, face a 7.5 percent cut in fiscal 2012, a $300 million loss.
"For us, in an economic downturn, that rollback affects us greatly," Morris said, noting San Bernardino has benefited from the grant program. "We have very high unemployment and this money funds projects in our community to create jobs."
Morris also raised concerns over the proposed elimination of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, which funded retrofitting of homes, businesses and public buildings to lower energy costs, was hugely popular with cities, but eliminated in the new budget.
"We started down that road and suddenly we drop off a cliff," Morris said. "It all goes away."
Obama is also calling for a significant reduction in the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, which reimburses states and local municipalities for the costs associated with housing illegal immigrants. Now at$330 million, the proposed budget would fund the program at $136 million.
States, counties and municipalities would consequently pay more of the costs associated with housing detainees.
http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/...7.25056a4.html

[maggieb60]

I would rather see the govt to shut down then to see you all back down on cutting the budget.

I beleive abortion should be legal, but i don't believe we as tax payers should pay for it. Most people on already have medical access to womens healt, and planned parenthood should not be funded by our tax dollars

i hope to see the dept. Of energy cut, the dept of education , i hope you dont cut funds for pre-k i know i have two grandsons who have benefited from this .
I saw a women in the news who said she was her families breadwiner, she had just had her 8th. Child, welfare was she considered her job , this is a disgrace. I can see providing welfare to those who need it, but this is wrong. Why don't we put a stop to any given welfare for those having child after child to get more free taxpayer dollars.

When are we going to deny illegals entitlements? Children born to illegals should not be given american citizenship. No illegal should receive welfare, ss, or any entitlement, nor be allowed to work in this country taking jobs from americans. No one should be allowed medicaid or welfare or food stamps etc unless they show proof of citizenship.

And why aren't we protecting our southern borders? We send armed military to protect iraqs border or afgans border but we don't do anything to protect americans at our borders. I think its am embarassment that texas rangers have to be afraid for there lives. Illegals can shoot americans but amercans can't shoot back , this is wrong.!!!!! An american stops 13 illegals and holds them for police and border patrol and he had to pay the illegals for protecting his family, his stock and his land.

Things need to change please

and no more taxes , even if obama wants taxes for transportaton