August 23, 2005
WASHINGTON -- New Orleans uses its Community Development Block Grants for everything from day care to housing rehab to treatment of AIDS patients. Jefferson Parish allots its CDBG funds to improve playgrounds, upgrade drainage facilities and rehabilitate deteriorating housing.
It's the flexibility of the $4.7-billion-a-year federal program that has long made it a favorite of mayors and parish presidents. That would explain the uproar when President Bush proposed major changes last month.
Bush said he wants to consolidate a retargeted grant program, geared to the poorest communities, along with 17 other development programs into a new $3.7 billion program called Strengthening America's Communities.
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard, both Democrats, say they're skeptical a less expensive program, incorporating other programs, can provide the resources their communities have counted on since President Ford signed the block grant law 31 years ago.
"The CDBG has been the most successful program getting federal dollars to needy people that I've ever seen in my 30 years of office," Broussard said. "So many of our neighborhoods benefit. We've improved streets, improved infrastructure, done drainage and sewage work, revitalized homes and raised homes to livable standards, and built affordable housing. We can't afford to lose it."
Thanks for that.
Apparantly neither the major or the parrish president was concerned about the money being used to strengthen the levies.
Can you post a website to connect with this article? Thanks for posting the article...it's terrific!