Connecticut Delegation Meets with Local Officials
By Sara Hatch
WASHINGTON, March 15 – The Connecticut congressional delegation promised representatives of Connecticut municipalities Wednesday to bring federal money to state municipalities through all possible means.
During a meeting Wednesday morning at the Capitol with representatives of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, Rep. Robert Simmons, R-Conn., acknowledged that “yeah, the president submitted a lousy budge.”
“They always submit a lousy budget,” Simmons said. “The President submits his budget, we decide what it’s going to be. It’s up to the Congress to decide what it’s going to be.”
He added that the way to address the problem is by earmarking funds specifically for Connecticut. He said Connecticut paid more in taxes to the federal government per capita than any other state but is 48 th in the percentage returned.
“The way we make up the difference is through earmarks,” Simmons said, adding that he plans to work to reform earmark spending.
The delegation promised to work to preserve Community Development Block Grants, which the budget has targeted for steep cuts. According to the nonpartisan Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, Connecticut could lose up to $9.3 million in such grants under President Bush’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2007.
“There has really been a tremendous amount of good that has come out” of the grants, said Paul Duarte, the deputy mayor of the City of Groton.
Duarte said his city’s Community Development Department has used the grant money to revitalize one of the city’s neighborhoods. He estimated that more than $10 million has been funneled through the Town of Groton, which comprises all of the area between the Thames River and the Mystic River. The city is a political subdivision of the town.
Duarte added that a lot of the money had been used to provide low-interest loans that have been used to renovate homes and have by extension promoted home ownership.
“All I know is that the Community Development Block Grant is very important to Southeastern Connecticut,” Duarte said.
Simmons’ district director, Jane Dauphinais, said New London and New London County rely on Community Development Block Grant funding and get “a tremendous value for it.” She added that preserving Community Development Block Grants and the Community Services Block Grants are one of Simmons’ priorities this year, as well as increasing education grants.
Town of Groton Mayor Harry Watson said that he has felt that Simmons “is on our side in Southeastern Connecticut.” He praised Simmons’ work in saving the Navy’s submarine base there and said that town officials have always been able to get access to Simmons’ office.
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., said that he hopes to continue funding for all the Community Development Block Grant programs.
“These are great programs,” he said. “We’re going to try to restore the cuts.”
Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., said even now the state is not getting all the money it needs to fund the No Child Left Behind Act.
“Funding is an issue; we’re $12 billion short” nationally, Dodd said.
Dodd also stressed that because Connecticut is such a small state-smaller, he said, than San Diego County, Calif.-the entire delegation needs to work well together and local officials need to feel comfortable approaching anyone in the delegation.
“We need to start thinking more cohesively and together,” Dodd said.
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