Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Tomorrow night's City Council meeting about the impact of federal funding cuts

Good evening Alums!

Here's a press release about a City Council meeting tomorrow night. People from the public will be allowed to speak for 3 minutes each or they can submit written input. The Council is hoping for lots of speakers and hundreds of attendees. If you can pass this along to members, other programs and other supporters, that would be terrific. Current members are not allowed to be involved in lobbying as official representatives of AmeriCorps, but alums can! 

For questions, this release was forwarded by Erin Cooperman at HPER from Doug Wilson (which was generated on his own time and not with federal resources :)). 

Doug Wilson
Director of Communications and Development South Central Community Action Program
812-369-1423 (cell)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 21, 2011

Bloomington Common Council to Hold a Community "Listening Session" on Wednesday, February 23, 2011 to Hear From the Public on Pending Federal Cuts to Social Services Programming.

Bloomington, IN -- The City Council will hold a Special Session on Wednesday, February 23, 2011 to hear from the public about pending federal cuts to social services programs. The Special Session will immediately follow the Council's Committee of the Whole discussion, starting at 7:30 p.m.

On Saturday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to reduce the
2011 federal budget by $60 billion. This includes billions of cuts to social services programs. The measure will be sent on to the Senate for consideration the week of February 28, 2011.

The cuts to social service programs include: The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, Community Health Centers, Head Start, Maternal and Child Health Block Grants, Family Planning, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, Community Services Block Grant, HUD Community Development Fund, AmeriCorps, Legal Services and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

These reductions jeopardize a number of local programs that serve Bloomington's most vulnerable residents. "Decisions are being made in Washington, D.C., but the negative impacts of those decisions are very real and very immediate to our community," said Council President Susan Sandberg. "Pain does trickle down from the Hill and Bloomington citizens are about to get hurt."

In an effort to better understand the scope of these funding losses, the Council invites members of the community to come to the Special Session and speak to the ways in which agencies and individuals will be affected by these cuts.

Residents unable to attend this Special "Listening" Session are encouraged to give the Council their feedback via e-mail:
council@bloomington.in.gov

For additional information, please contact the Office of the Common Council at 349-3409 or at council@bloomington.in.gov

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