The Congress over the years transferred basic commitments in public services from infrastructural funding included in the annual budget to Block Grants. By doing so, it made all kinds of programs vulnerable to the whims of political callousness. We are now seeing the fruits of this trend. The money is a small part of the federal spending. These cuts defund programs that are productive and cornerstones of opportunities for vulnerable populations. Funds lost in government allocations are often not replaceable. 

Here is information about one impact on young people: “Youth Charities Protest House Spending Plan. March 10, 2011, 10:22 am By Peter Bolton

WASHINGTON–A coalition of youth charities rallied here on Wednesday to protest billions of dollars in proposed federal budget cuts to youth and education programs, including Head Start, Pell Grants, and Community Services Health Block grants.

The Children’s Leadership Council, which unites 57 organizations that provide services to young people, brought together advocates to protest proposed spending cuts that, if approved, would represent the largest loss of federal funding for youth organizations in nearly 50 years, Matthew Melmed, the group’s chairman and executive director of the youth charity Zero to Three, told a news conference.” To see the rest of this article, follow link.

Posted by Walter Davis