An unbalanced budget, a $407 billion deficit, and millions in cuts to essential Georgia services, all part and parcel of another failed Bush budget. The President's budget, released earlier this week, fails to deliver on even the most basic promises of fiscal responsibility, and continues a legacy of cuts to education, seniors, transportation, and public safety.
"Georgia Republicans and Washington Republicans - they're all the same," said Jane Kidd, Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia. "Their priorities are just wrong. Democrats believe in balancing the budget, not leaving our kids saddled with a $407 billion deficit, and we believe that you don't play fiscal games with education, economic development, and public safety."
- $3,487,000.00 in cuts to Improving Teacher Quality Grants, leaving over 15,000 Georgia children behind, and without a highly qualified teacher in core subjects, and leading to more overcrowded classrooms.
- $8,985,000.00 in cuts to 21st Century Learning Centers, denying over 20,000 Georgia kids access to services like academic assistance, career exploration, and skills development.
- $15,551,000.00 in cuts to child care, child welfare services, and abuse prevention and intervention through the Social Services Block Grant.
- $16,542,000.00 in cuts to the Public Housing Capital Fund, which repairs and modernizes public housing. (Nationally, HUD reports a $18 billion backlog in unmet needs for repairs.)
- $1,593,000.00 in cuts to Child Care Development Block Grants, which provide assistance with child care for low-income families.
- $38,814,000.00 in cuts to career and technical education.
- $21,786,000.00 in cuts to the Federal-Aid Highways Program, which helps states repair and improve bridges, highways, and other transportation infrastructure.
- $5,030,000.00 in cuts to Bryne Justice Assistance Grants, enough to fund 137 more law enforcement officers. (According to the Government Accountability Office, for every one percent increase in the number of officers, violent crime decreases by 0.4%)
- $8,410,000.00 in cuts to Assistance to Firefighters Grants, which help first responders get the equipment and training they need to stay safe while saving lives. (This represents a loss of a potential 93 individual grants to Georgia fire departments.)
- $2,572,000.00 in cuts to clean water programs through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which helps local governments build water treatment facilities.
- $15,337,000.00 in cuts to Community Development Block Grants to 60 Georgia communities. Community Development Block Grants provide funding to local communities for job creation, economic development, and affordable housing.
- $4,516,000.00 in cuts to job training and placement services for over 1,000 unemployed Georgians through the Dislocated Worker Program. (In 2005, 83% of Americans who participated in the Dislocated Worker Program found new jobs within 90 days.)
- $3,386,000.00 in cuts to LIHEAP, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps low-income families keep the heat on at home during the winter. The vast majority of households that receive assistance from LIHEAP have a child under age 5 or an elderly or disabled person.
