http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7862-2005Jan13.htmlRead this and weep. This has got to be the most corrupt, dangerous, evil and vindictive regime in the history of America. IMHO, this proposed cut is a way for this mis-administration to seek vengeance on those areas of America that did not "roll over and vote for *".
Check out the last paragraph! Their intention is to "defang" mayors and urban areas. Message being sent is, get on board, or get run over.
It is way past time cities fought back. I think withholding taxes paid to the federal government would be a good place to start. Possibly followed by a "tariff" or surcharge on any federal agency occupying an office on city property.
Someone please tell me how this is not war on "Blue America", or what our founders called "TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION".
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 14, 2005; Page A01
The White House will seek to drastically shrink the Department of Housing and Urban Development's $8 billion community branch, purging dozens of economic development projects, scrapping a rural housing program and folding high-profile anti-poverty efforts into the Labor and Commerce departments, administration officials said yesterday.
"If this is a backdoor way of eliminating a program like CDBG, it would have a profoundly negative impact on cities," said Jim Hunt, a vice president of the National League of Cities and a city council member in Clarksburg, W.Va
Moreover, HUD has evolved into an agency designed to support urban interests and low-income citizens, while Commerce and Labor are more receptive to business needs. Indeed, community development programs at HUD are far larger than those at Commerce and Labor, said Saul Ramirez Jr., executive director of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials and a former deputy secretary of housing. The Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration has a $320 million budget, a fraction of CDBG's allocation.
HUD's city focus may be why the White House is dismantling the HUD programs, Frank charged. "HUD is the place where mayors and urban interests can put up the strongest fight," he said.