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q, A-2- FEDERAL UPDATE from page 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ . . The CDBG program is the signature program new flexibility to manage the vo~cher program "In a for cities and counties to create jobs, increase way that controls costs." Details are not ye~ economic development opportunities and expand available to explain how this proposal would Impact homeownership. Under the new proposal, CDBG local housing efforts. will be consolidated with 17 other programs into a new program, called Strengthening America's Communities Grant Program. League, NLC Opposes Community Develop- ment Proposal The League oPPoses the elimination of this program because of the importance CDBG brings to the economic vitality of local communities. The National League of Cities (NLC) also denounced the proposal in a joint press held this week in Washington, D.C. with the United States Confer- ence of Mayors (USCM), the National Association of Counties (NACo), and a coalition of local officials and business leaders. According to NLC, in FY 2004 CDBG created or retained 90,637 jobs. For every one dollar of CDBG funding, approximately $2.79 in private funding was leveraged for economic development projects like shopping centers and grocery stores. Another major component of CDBG is the ability to expand homeownership and provide affordable housing. A Double Hit For Community Development in California Local community development efforts in Califor- nia already face funding cutbacks as a result of the Proposition 1 A budget agreement reached last year with Governor Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders. That agreement calls for redevelopment agencies to contribute to state coffers $250 million a year during California fiscal years 2004-05 and 2005-06. City officials are urged to write and call Sena- tors Feinstein and Boxer and their representative to OPPOSE this proposal. Visit the League's Advo- cacy Center (www.cacitiesora/advocacvcenter) to access a sample letter. (See related story for additional information.) Additional Impacts to Public Housing, Public Safety The budget also indicated that legislation will be proposed to provide public housing agencies with Further concerns in the presidenfs budget proposal include the elimination of COPS Hiring Grants, COPS law enforcement Technology Grants, Byrne Justice Assistance Grants, Byme Discretion- ary Grants and Juvenile Accountability Block Grants. While details on many proposals are not yet available, the NLC is gearing up its advocacy program to provide city officials around the country with infonnation and talking points to be used to contacting their representatives. The League will continue to monitor budget developments in Wash- ington and also keep our members apprised of developments. WRITE AND CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES TO OPPOSE ELIMINATION OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS City officials are urged to immediately contact Senators Feinstein and Boxer and your representative to tell them how eHmina- tion of this program would impact their cities. Specific examples of local irJ1>acts are essen- tial to help tell the story. Please visit the League's Advocacy Center (www.cacities.om/ aclvocacvcenter) to access a sample letter that you can personalze with information about how your city would be impacted by the presidenfs CDBG proposal. You can send this letter as an email or fax from the advocacy center. The most effective method, however, is to download and send the letter through "snailmair, using your city letterhead. An even better approach is to both send the letter, and for the mayor, a Cõüncil member or the city manager to call Senators Feinstein and Boxer and your representative to review the irJ1>acts this proposal would have on your city. PAGE 2IPRIORITV FOCUS Visit the League's Official Web Site--www.cacities.org