Don’t Reduce ARC Funding
The IntelligencerOhio officials ought to be interested in leveraging every dime they can in the state budget. That is why a spending cut included in the budget plan approved by the Ohio state Senate is a bad idea.
The Senate budget bill decreases state funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission by $250,000. The ARC serves counties throughout the nation's Appalachian Region, including several in East Ohio.
While we can understand why lawmakers are eager to reduce state spending, cutting the ARC money is not sensible. That is because every dollar the state provides to the agency is matched by a dollar in federal funding. Loss of the $250,000 in state money results in a $500,000 net reduction in ARC funds.
Down through the years, the ARC has provided money for a variety of important public projects in our area. The agency helped Jefferson County with $50,000 for an airpark and provided $100,000 to help Martins Ferry upgrade its water plant, according to Lou Gentile of the Governor's Office of Appalachia.
We urge state senators to replace the $250,000 in ARC funding. If they do not, we recommend that the state House of Representatives refuse to acquiesce in the cut.
Gov. Ted Strickland - well aware of the importance of the ARC through his role as the states' co-chairman of the commission - should add his weight to the argument in favor of restoring the $250,000. Failing to do so, even in a time when state officials face severe budget concerns, might be penny-wise - but it certainly would be pound-foolish.
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EllisWyatt
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06-17-09 7:11 PM
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End ALL government grants, at ALL levels. Prohibit further printing of currency or selling of new bonds. Slash federal spending 25% starting next year. Cut taxes. Investigate a return to the Gold Standard. Pass a Constitutional Amendment that limits spending growth to the increase in population. End welfare for those who have never worked. Force federal contractors to be more efficient. We should let Wal-Mart, Fedex and UPS run the government bureucracy, in return for payments of $5 billion per year, each. Sounds like a lot of money, sure, but if they save us $350-$450 billion per year, it is well worth it.
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atoddh
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06-17-09 6:27 PM
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The funding would be better spent on public heath care for those uncovered. It is indeed schizo for the Editor to be promoting spending at all? One must agree,the public debt is way out of control and cuts must occur somewhere along with tax increases at this point. A national VAT is being proposed as is done in Europe and Canada.
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wvhoopie
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06-17-09 6:50 AM
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Hey editor, which way is it? You rail for cuts across the board but when that occurs you tell them not to cut spending. That is wishy washy.
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RockEReputation
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06-17-09 3:40 AM
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hmmm...One of the objectives of ARC is "to integrate health care delivery systems designed to provide universal access and comprehensive services at a reasonable cost which will serve all Appalachian Ohio counties"...so is the editor still onboard given that factoid?
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