Agenda Packets - 1985/03/11 - Laserfiche WebLink

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c oil F� 1111' 111111 1.64 GEORGE LATIMER MAYOR February 26,1985 Donald F. Pauley Clerk Administrator 2401 Highway No. 10 Mounds View, MN 55112 Dear Mr. Pauley; CITY OF SAINT PAUL DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JAMES J. BELLUS, DIRECTOR 25 West Fourth Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102 612-292.1577 As you are undoubtedly aware, the Reagan Administration has proposed a series of budget cuts that would all but eliminate federal aid to cities for housing and community development activities. Their plan calls for eventual elimination of general revenue sharing, urban development action, grants (UDAG), small business administration (SBA) loans and grants, all subsidized housing programs, economic development administration (EDA) programs, all new sewer grants and severely limits federal funds for transportation projects and the Community Development Block Grant Program. We have all gotten used to repeated attempts over the past several years to reduce federal aid to our cities. If anything, we have become a little complacent in our willingness to continue to accept "minor" cuts in our program as a way of life. My reading of the present situation, however, is that the Reagan budget proposals of this year are not ploys aimed at simply trying to get minor reductions in city programs but that they are very directed attempts to totally eliminate federal aid to cities. The threat is real and one which we cannot afford to ignore. The purpose of my letter today is to urge you to take a very active role in ensuring that our feelings are made known to our Congressional delegation about the value of such programs in our communities. There is a great story to be told in each community about the positive impacts of the programs we administer. Unless the story is told strongly and convincingly to our Congressional delegation in the immediate future, we may find that cities no longer have any community/economic development programs available to assist our business people and residents. 1 would suggest that you communicate formally, in writing, and informally, if you happen to have personal contact with someone in a Congressional office. Give them a list of specific projects that would not have happened in your community without the programs mentioned above. There is a fantastic story to be told of small businesses that would not exist, of public facilities that would not have been built, and of people who would not be housed, if it were not for federally assisted programs. 1 am convinced that if the people in Congress can see the concrete and tangible results of these programs, if they can see the facts of the number of jobs created, number of housing units built and the amount the tax base has been increased and if they can be made aware that all of these programs have directly affected their constituents, then they will overwhelmingly reject the Reagan plan.