Tough decisions on Capitol Hill on The Murfreesboro Post

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Tough decisions on Capitol Hill

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By: MICHELLE WILLARD, mwillard@murfreesboropost.com

Posted: Sunday, February 27, 2011 6:12 am

Tough decisions on Capitol Hill | Congress, CDBG, Diane Black, John Callow, Tommy Bragg, Jonathon Fagan

In 2010 Murfreesboro Community Development Department awarded $10,000 to Read To Succeed, a community partnership created to promote literacy, through its Public Service Grant Program. That funding, along with the department's entire budget, could be cut

The U.S. Congress is faced with some tough budget decisions in the coming months.

"No one said getting the budget back in to balance would be easy, but it's something I was sent to Washington to do, and something we need to do for the future of our country," Rep. Diane Black (R-Gallatin) said about the dilemma she and her colleagues are facing.

Murfreesboro's Community Development Department, which is funded through a U.S. Department of Economic and Community Development block grant, is just one tough decision on the chopping block in this year's federal budget.

"Although there are 16 direct grantees in Tennessee, Murfreesboro is the sole direct grantee in the 6th Congressional District …" Murfreesboro Mayor Tommy Bragg said. "While the majority of the state ECD grants pay for infrastructure improvements, the Murfreesboro Community Development program serves a much broader spectrum of needs."

In 2010 the city received more than $700,000 to administer the program that helps low- to moderate-income residents purchase their first homes, rehabilitate run down properties and start new small businesses. It also funds more than a dozen local nonprofits, like Read To Succeed, Domestic Violence Program and Hope Clinic, through its public service grant program.

Rutherford County Democratic Party Chair Jonathan Fagan is concerned about Black's priorities if she is considering cutting the program's funding and questioned her vote in favor of spending $3 billion in House Speaker John Boehner's central Ohio district.

Last week, Black sided with 198 others in the House in support of building an alternative engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in Ohio.

Black's Communications Director Stephanie Genco defended her boss's vote explaining neutral parties, like the Government Accountability Office, said the engine would produce cost savings in the long term by increasing competition and providing another option for equipping the F-35 fighter.

Fagan countered both the Bush and Obama Administrations, as well as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, opposed the project, which was eventually killed by a swell of Tea Party outrage in a 233-198 vote on the House floor.

"By listening to the opinions of our men and women in uniform Rep. Black had the opportunity to save more than 3,000 times the amount that the city of Murfreesboro is requesting to save private sector jobs and invest in our community," Fagan said.

Black also reasoned the engine's research and development were about 80 percent complete, Genco said.

"And she didn't want to flush the money that had already been invested down the toilet," Genco said.

Fagan wondered about investment in the largest city in Black's district.

The Community Development Department has invested more than $20 million in Murfreesboro since 1994, Director John Callow said.

"That's a huge amount of money coming into her district," Callow said, adding the money isn't given away, recipients have to qualify for the zero- to low-interest forgivable loans that create jobs in the private sector.

In the past 16 years, Community Development has assisted 100 residents become homeowners, with only one foreclosure, Callow said. It also puts local contractors to work with its Housing Rehabilitation Program, which gives zero-interest, five-year loans to low-income homeowners, who own homes that do not meet minimum code standards.

"Since 2006 the city has invested more than $1.5 million … in our housing rehabilitation program." Bragg said. "Work on all these projects was awarded by public bid to private-sector contractors who have used (these) funds to pay wages and purchase goods and services in the community."

Genco said cutting the program won't be easy and "it's about shared sacrifice."

Black said she understands that some of the programs at risk are valuable.

"We cannot continue down this path of spend and borrow and expect our kids and grandkids to deal with it later," Black said, adding voters sent her to Washington to stopp the "spending spree."

Community Development is not part of the federal spending spree, Callow argued.

"It is a long-term investment in the housing stock and community in this city," he said.

Black understands how important this program is to Murfreesboro, Genco said, adding the House is only in the first round of negotiations in developing the next federal budget.

"We're spending money that we don't have and now is the time to make these tough decisions," she said. MP

Tagged under CDBG, Congress, Diane Black, John Callow, Jonathon Fagan, Tommy Bragg

Member Opinions:

By: Sprtman on 2/28/11
Rediculous to spend the tax payers money on items like this. This ecactly the kind of stuff that needs cut. the mayor is dead wrong. He is a tax and spend liberal. He must be voted out.

By: DMW on 2/28/11
Charity work needs to be done though charity organizations and not with our tax dollars.