Congressman pushes for St. Mary CAA funding

U.S. Congressman Jeff Landry said he makes no apologies for casting a vote in favor of H.R.1., the proposal passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that would cut non-security discretionary funding by 13.8 percent.

This funding, if passed by the U.S. Senate, would negatively affect low-income families and children, according to the Louisiana Democratic Party.

In St. Mary Parish, Community Action Agency Director Almetra J. Franklin believes the cuts will trim the parish Head Start program as well as programs that offer assistance with utilities, job training, food services and transportation.

Landry, R-New Iberia, represents the Louisiana Third District in Congress, which is comprised of Iberia, St. Mary, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. James, St. John and St. Bernard Parishes.

Landry is also the freshman legislator who replaced former U.S. Congressman Charlie Melancon, who resigned last year to make a bid for one of the two federal Senate Seats belonging to Louisiana.

Landry, in the Tri-parish area for his first official visit, was briefing the St. Mary Parish Council on offshore drilling expectations when he was questioned about his vote on the house bill by Councilman Craig Matthews, and Councilman Charles Middleton, both of whom have business with St. Mary Community Action.

“Helping the disadvantaged and the underprivileged is always popular and always proved, and I know it’s about 7,000 people that ya’ll affect,” Landry said. “But one thing I want ya’ll to make sure of is this – that we’re all on the same page and that we understand where this country is headed.”

Rep. Landry said the President’s budget, as it came to Congress, was $1.5 trillion in the hole. Collectively, he said the House managed to cut $100 billion from fiscal year 2011, “…and there was a lot of gnashing and grinding of teeth.”

“But let’s just do the math real quick,” the congressman said. “If we’re complaining over $100 billion in a one year cut, and we’re $1.5 trillion in the whole for FY 2011…if we continue to cut $100 billion each year, it would take us 15 years to cut the principal out, not including any interest on this particular debt. And guess what? We’re still $13.5 trillion in the whole behind President Obama’s $1.5 trillion budget, that’s in the hole!

“Washington is bloated. It’s the problem we have with the U.S. Corps of Engineers and it is the problem Mrs. Franklin, and others, are having as well, and I am not afraid of the scare tactics D.C. continues to use,” he added.

Franklin said the proposed cuts would negatively impact her agency’s 300 plus employees, and over 200 vendors with an impact of $9.7 million dollars annually.

“But most importantly, our most vulnerable residents, our senior citizens, who depend on many of these services, will be devastated. Some even, could die,” she said.

“I’m sorry, but I make no apologies for my vote,” Landry said. “This country is broke, and a good bit of it is due to Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Congress that was in control for way too long. And I don’t want my kids or anyone else’s kids to face such a bleak future when they’re trying to raise their own families.”

Kevin Franck, communications director of the Louisiana Democratic Party, said the proposed cuts would affect these programs: Title I Grants that provide funding for elementary and secondary education would be reduced by $15.6 million; Special Education programs by $9.1 million; Job Training programs that provide employment assistance, job search, and job training would be reduced by $19.1 million affecting 52,000 low-income youths and adults; and, Pell Grants would be reduced by $83 million.

Franck said the Pell Grant program provides grants to low- and moderate-income undergraduate students to help pay for college and help low-income working adults to return to school to improve their skills. He said cuts to the Pell Grant program would negatively affect 129,000 college students, discouraging many prospective low- and moderate-income students in the state from starting college, while making it harder for those who do continue their studies to graduate.

Also, Franck said Head Start programs would be cut by nearly $1.1 billion statewide, affecting 21,000 children. He said Head Start programs promote school readiness among at-risk children up to 5 years old by enhancing development through education and other services.