[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 38 (Wednesday, April 6, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E559-E562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TAUNTON GAZETTE DOCUMENTS THE VALUE OF CDBG
______
HON. BARNEY FRANK
of massachusetts
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, April 6, 2005
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, the Taunton Gazette recently
ran a very comprehensive series documenting the social and economic
importance of the Community Development Block Grant Program. Taunton,
Massachusetts, which I am privileged to represent, is a very good
example of how when this program is well administered, as it has been
in Taunton, it can be of such enormous benefit in a variety of ways to
its citizens. Joanna James of the Taunton Gazette deserves a great deal
of credit for her thorough and insightful reporting, and the Taunton
Gazette deserves a great deal of credit for devoting the space to this
story. Too often today people are given only snippets of information
about important public policy issues. The Taunton Gazette's in depth
exploration of how the CDBG Program works in that city is a tribute to
the program itself, and to its continued importance, to the people in
the City of Taunton led by Mayor Nunes who administer it, to Joanna
James for the quality of her reportage and to the Taunton Gazette for
giving so much space to such an important public policy issue.
I find it hard to believe that anyone could read this series of
articles and still feel that this is a program ought to be
substantially diminished, as the President's budget would do.
(By Joanna James)
Taunton.--President George W. Bush's recommendation to
dismantle the Community
[[Page E560]]
Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) in his proposed budget
would filter down the federal bureaucracy in no time and aim
directly at the heart of each community nationwide, according
to local and state elected officials.
David Bachrach, director of the Mayor's Office of Community
Development (MOCD), predicts a looming crisis targeting the
community, whether or not the CDBG program is cut. Taunton
received $1.2 million from its funding for 2004.
If the program isn't eliminated, then the question will be
how much funding will be allocated to it, according to
Bachrach. Bachrach said if it's significantly cut that will
cause unnecessary Congressional pressure to take money out of
other programs.
``These are huge resources that only government can will
upon the community.'' Bachrach said. ``It's a shame that the
cuts are even a suggestion.''
Bush proposed to eliminate the community funding program
and replace it under the Department of Commerce while cutting
its funding by 35 percent. The CDBG aids statewide
municipalities with low income housing, public enhancements
such as park and street renovations and a plethora of other
community resources left to the discretion at the local
level.
Mayor Robert G. Nunes said the CDBG is a ``tremendous
program'' that will have dire effects on Taunton if it is
cut. Nunes said over the last 10 years, the program has
provided $15 million to Taunton. The funds have been used on
community issues such as housing, public safety,
infrastructure, parks, roads and the hiring of police
officers.
``There's a national, bipartisan effort from mayors
lobbying heavy on this,'' Nunes said.
Last week Nunes attended a roundtable discussion on the
CDBG cuts in Boston with seven other Massachusetts mayors
hosted by Rep. Michael E. Capuano, D-Mass.
``We discussed the impact the cuts would have across the
country.'' Nunes said, ``not just our communities.''
As the former mayor of Somerville, Capuano spoke from
first-hand experience on how the CDBG funding was critically
important to the quality of life in communities.
``President Bush said in his State of the Union address
that he wants to help the faith-based and community groups .
. . yet he's cutting the very programs that help kids stay
away from drugs, provide housing and opportunity,'' Capuano
said.
Bush's CDBG proposal fueled mayors nationwide to take a
stance against it because the CDBG program offers them
flexibility to decide where to direct the funding at a local
level.
Locally, Nunes is working with the person who utilizes the
CDBG program the most. Bachrach's Office of Community
Development is the second largest in the city to receive
federal level funds (the first is Title I education).
``The CDBG is a significant tool,'' Bachrach said, ``It's
hard to fathom what will happen without the funds.''
Currently the CDBG is funding 12 programs under the Office
of Community Development; whereas if the grant was eliminated
Bachrach would have to competitively find 12 separate grants
toward neighborhood revitalization, head starts for small
businesses, elder services, police detail and teachers--to
name a few.
Over the past three years, the Office of Community
Development has used the CDBG to benefit: 515 elderly, 740
single-parent households, 96 disabled persons, 348 youth and
622 families. The CDBG has also impacted Taunton's business
growth and infrastructure improvements.
``We're going to have to reevaluate the direction of
money,'' Nunes said, ``less money, then less money toward
infrastructure and other community needs.''
Although locally there has been a collective effort to
prevent the cuts, Nunes said at this point there is nothing
more that can be done other than wait for Congress's
decision.
____
Taunton.--President George W. Bush stands firmly by tax
cuts as a means to economic growth, promoting the creation of
more small businesses. Yet in Bush's 2006 proposed budget he
supports cutting a grant that area officials and business
people say is at the heart of creating small businesses.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) has helped
many local business owners take the first step in making
their dream come true from working as an employee to becoming
an employer.
Over the past three years, the CDBG program has helped
create 26 new local jobs, provided 10 businesses with loans
totaling over $218,000 and provided more than 30 start-up
businesses with training, according to the Mayor's Office of
Community Development.
Mezzaluna Deli on the Taunton Green is one of the
businesses which got its start--and has also sustained
itself--from the CDBG program. Holly and Harold Roderick,
owners of the delicatessen, received $25,000 from the CDBG
and used its entrepreneurial workshop to learn how to create
a business plan and present it for financing.
``If the city doesn't have the program, a lot of small
businesses aren't going to get started,'' Holly said. ``A lot
of the new restaurants will be chains and the city will lose
that little downtown business.''
The Rodericks both earned bachelor's degrees from Johnson &
Wales University and Harold (known as Butch) always wanted to
own his own business. Holly said most banks won't finance
restaurants because of the high risk involved, so they needed
to get creative to find money. Holly said they attended the
Taunton Entrepreneurial Workshop, which showed them how to
create a business plan and helped them to apply for
financing.
David Bachrach, director of the Mayor's Office of Community
Development, said his office and the Southeastern Economic
Development Corp. (SEED) often collaborate to get business
owners started.
``Once someone is funded and business savvy, then SEED is
the next step,'' Bachrach said.
The community development office provides funds from the
CDBG program to Weir Corporation, which is a local community
development organization. Weir Corp. provided the Rodericks
with the first-tier help for them to get the entrepreneurial
training they needed and to obtain $25,000 for renovations.
Weir Corp. provides loans to approximately 25 small
businesses per year, and training to more than 100 small
businesses per year. Jill Cowie, Weir Corp. co-director, said
the organization would not have been able to help in the
creation of such local small businesses such as Golden Years,
Ultimate Fitness or recently Dyetex without the CDBG.
``We wouldn't be able to do it anymore,'' Cowie said. ``The
CDBG is the source of our loan pool, our core funding.''
Cowie said once the businesses need more than $25,000, the
risk is spread by working with SEED Corp. which will put up
to 40 percent of the loan, while a bank will finance up to 50
percent.
SEED Corp. acted as a conduit for the Rodericks. The
Rodericks were financed $85,000 from SEED Corp. and Mechanics
Cooperative Bank financed the rest of the $179,900, so they
could buy the property and start the business.
Mezzaluna will celebrate its third anniversary this
November, and Holly said they have seen a 40 percent increase
in sales from last year. Holly pondered about the time when
she and Harold couldn't find any bank to finance them, and
how the CDBG program was the only way they got started and
spurred their success.
``If I went out of business tomorrow a lot of people would
say, `where am I going to eat lunch now,' '' Holly said. ``I
really hope they keep the program in effect.''
Bachrach said there has been a philosophical change with
the Bush administration in terms of helping the community.
``For Bush, community problems can be met with the open
market,'' Bachrach said. ``The administration no longer sees
the need for the private and public working together.''
The business collaboration by these different venues from
the CDBG program provides sound community investments and
creates opportunity in the community for more jobs, according
to Bachrach.
``This is beyond myself because I have plenty of
opportunity for work, it's the people we serve who don't have
these options,'' Bachrach said. 'It's going to be
heartbreaking.''
____
Funds That Help Repave Streets May Face Elimination
(By Joanna James)
Taunton.--One local official worries that motorists who
drive through city streets will think bombs have been dropped
and the streets were never repaved.
The official--David Bachrach. director of the Mayor's
Community Development Office--now fears that the potential
loss of federal funding for repair projects may make the
situation worse.
For the coming summer, Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG) money will provide $1 million toward repaving roads
and other infrastructure projects. Yet the federal funding
may be eliminated if President George Bush's proposed budget
is approved by Congress.
Even with more than a million dollars from the CDBG going
toward roads and other infrastructure projects, city
officials said borrowing will be necessary to repair potholes
and repave streets.
Mayor Robert G. Nunes said he is confident the allocated
CDBG money will remain for the upcoming projects, but he is
nervous about the future.
``It [CDBG elimination] will have a devastating impact in
terms of infrastructure,'' Nunes said. ``The CDBG supplements
operating projects for the next five years.''
Forty-three percent of all Taunton streets need
resurfacing, according to statistics provided by the
Department of Public Works (DPW). In 2004, the CDBG paid
$360,000 toward local DPW projects, and $640,000 for 2002 and
2003 improvements. For just the coming summer, CDBG will
provide $1 million for city projects.
Frank Nichols, director of the Department of Public Works,
said the city already has a hard time filling potholes, and
the situation will grow worse if the extra help from the CDBG
was lost.
``Ultimately the city would have to come up with the money
for the loss and I don't know from where,'' Nichols said.
``Absolutely, it helps relieve some of the issues we would
have to deal with.''
Bachrach said Weir, High and Adam streets are three of the
11 streets where CDBG money helped pay for 8,000 linear feet
of road reconstruction and 5,000 linear feet of new water
lines over the last five years.
However Bachrach said the Whittenton Area is in dire need
of road and water line reconstruction and is next on the list
of projects.
[[Page E561]]
``If you drove the streets you'd think they accidentally
dropped bombs in this area,'' Bachrach said. However
Whittenton is an upcoming project site funded by the CDBG.
``Once it's done they're going to be dancing in the
streets,'' Bachrach said.
Debbie Maloney, owner of End of the Road T-shirts on Weir
Street, said she is grateful Weir Street was repaved from
CDBG funds. Maloney's business is also one of the local small
businesses which received $25,000 start-up help from CDBG
funds.
``This road is really good compared to others,'' Maloney
said. ``I know I wouldn't be happy if it [CDBG) was cut, a
lot of my customers complain the roads of Taunton are
disgusting.''
Other types of infrastructure completed from CDBG funds
were the Paul Bunker Drive basketball courts, the Hopewell
pool and 15,000 sq. ft. of new sidewalks including Park
Street.
____
In Jeopardy
(By Joanna James)
Taunton.--Here are some faces hidden behind the numbers.
Here are some people's stories hidden behind the political
speak.
Local residents and officials said they would be
heartbroken if services provided by the Community Development
Block Grant (CDBG) were eliminated. If Congress accepts
President George W. Bush's 2006 budget proposal to eliminate
the CDBG--three-year-olds, to high school students, to senior
citizens--will feel the loss and city officials said they
couldn't bear the burden.
David Bachrach, director of the Mayor's Office of Community
Development (MOCD), said 348 youths have benefited from the
CDBG over the last three years.
Project Achieve received approximately $25,000 this year
towards MCAS tutoring and providing after school jobs to 17-
and 18-year-old students who may be the only bread-winners in
their families.
Leonard Hull, budget coordinator for Project Achieve, said
many of the students Project Achieve helps are born into
difficult environments that they had no control over and can
easily lose hope.
``We're trying to help them believe that the American dream
is still a possibility,'' Hull said. ``They can make
something of themselves, and in the long run the community
gets a lot more back.''
Three students--who work two hours, five days per week
after attending full-time classes at Taunton High School and
receive MCAS tutoring a few hours per week--said they now
believe in the American dream because of Project Achieve.
Yarelis Rivera, 17, works at JC Penney in customer service
and hopes to be a nurse or flight attendant one day after
graduating from a community college.
``Once you set a goal and you have people to help you, you
can make it come true,'' Rivera said, regarding her
experience with Project Achieve.
Cheryl Bileau, 17, helps her mother by working after school
at Redcats U.S.A./Chadwicks and babysitting her cousin and
younger siblings. Since Bileau's father died last Christmas
from a massive heart attack she said it has been ``tough'' on
the family, but she has been surrounded by supportive people
from Project Achieve.
Once Bileau graduates, she has been offered a full-time job
from Redcats. She said she is saving her money to attend Rob
Roy Academy to become a cosmetologist.
Edwina Orelus, 19, came to the U.S. from Haiti in 2003 to
conquer the American dream, and from the CDBG funding, her
parents' dream for their daughter to get an education may
come true.
Orelus first took the MCAS a few months after she came to
the U.S. and failed from not knowing the English language
well. Presently two years after, Orelus is more confident
speaking English, and if she passes the MCAS, she has already
been accepted to a community college in Staten Island, N.Y.
All three girls said they would be very disappointed if the
CDBG was cut because it has funded a program that they said
``everyone deserves the extra help and support of.''
In a full year, the CDBG funds the Department of Human
Services with $81,000, which has helped 515 elderly people
over the past three years, according to the MOCD.
Anne Bisson, assistant director of the department of human
services for 21 years, said almost 100 percent of the
program's elders are low income and would be devastated if
the program was cut.
``They really rely on the staff and services. Some have no
family or their spouse died and they need some support,''
Bisson said.
Lois Meunier, 71, moved from her mobile home after her
husband died in 1999 and now lives in Caswell Grove Housing.
Meunier has no children or local family and said the
highlight of her week is the visit from her caseworker, Betty
Charette.
``She's just so wonderful,'' Meunier said. ``She's a
Godsend for me.''
Charette is one of the five caseworkers who go to senior
citizens' homes to keep them company, talk and help them by
filling out insurance forms, meals, or in Meunier's case,
getting her hair done.
Other than the case workers, the CDBG also funds a visiting
nurse to help with medicines and a computer center for
elderly to use the Internet.
If the CDBG stopped funding the Department of Human
Services, the case workers and nurse wouldn't exist anymore.
``I would feel very badly about it [if Charette's position
was cut],'' Meunier said. ``I just look forward to it so
much, she's been such a comfort for me.''
More than 622 families and 740 single parent households
have used the CDBG funds over the past three years, according
to the MOCD.
The literacy program for families at educational risk
provides parents with the confidence to know they can be
their children's best teachers, according to Debbi Jenkins,
program's coordinator.
Home visitors bring educational toys, books, puzzles and
other tools to teach children shapes, numbers and how to
appreciate reading and learning. Every other week the parents
get to keep whatever educational toy is brought to continue
teaching the kids.
Jill Humann saw how much the program helped her daughter
and wanted her son James, 3, to get the same experience. Both
children were slow to speak and express themselves.
However, after their home visitor Lisa Smith has been
coming to their house for two half-hour visits per week, the
children have excelled.
``They really learn a lot, I love it,'' Humann said. ``I
think it's [CDBG funding towards the program] the best thing
for kids. They'd be lost without it.''
Humann said she has learned so much from Smith that she
continues the lessons with her children when Smith isn't
around.
Smith said when she first started lessons with the three-
year-old, she faced behavioral issues and had to make him
trust her.
``He loves social praise, how smart he is and how he wants
to show Mommy all his work,'' Smith said. ``Now he's
conversing and he's doing so well, I'm so proud of him.''
Bachrach said these success stories are just a few examples
of how the CDBG has impacted the community.
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed
resolutions to reinstate the CDBG program from receiving such
a powerful, national grass roots advocacy.
However, Bachrach said the real advocacy must begin now
that the Appropriations Committee decides how to focus the
funds.
Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass, will attend next Tuesday's City
Council meeting to discuss the CDBG program.
____
Taunton.--Congressman Barney Frank, D-Mass, congratulated
and thanked city officials and residents last night for
helping save the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
program from elimination under President George W. Bush's
2006 budget proposal.
Frank said a nation-wide, bipartisan effort over the past
few months has secured the CDBG program while proving
``democracy is still very alive.'' ``The efforts of people
from all over the country made this happen, and I can tell
you right now this vote is going to come out the right way,''
Frank said.
Frank said more than 50 senators from both parties signed a
March 2 letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee asking
to save the CDBG program and keep its current funding level.
The people who filled the standing-room-only City Council
chambers last night and worked hard to keep the program alive
heard what they hoped for from Frank.
David Bachrach, director of the Mayor's Office of Community
Development, has worked tirelessly to save the CDBG program
and said it was hard for him to put into words how happy he
was.
``This is a huge relief. I'm totally psyched,'' Bachrach
said. Local residents stood up and gave testimonials on how
they benefited from the grant program.
After buying a city home that was in need of major
renovations, Jeanne-Marie Beatty was laid off from her job.
She had nowhere to turn and no money. Beatty saw a CDBG
advertisement and said it was ``too good to be true'' when
she realized the program would help her finish her house.
``I couldn't be happier. I'm thrilled the program will
continue,'' Beatty said. ``It's a win-win situation for so
many people and it all goes back to the community.''
Frank said the administration had no horror stories to tell
about the CDBG program, because there were none. Rather.
Frank said the only reason President Bush proposed the CDBG
cut is because the Bush realized he has to reduce the
deficit, yet he's committed to tax cuts and the war, ``so to
do all three he can't.''
``It shows the president's philosophy that tax cuts to the
wealthy and his commitment to the war in Iraq come first and
everything else needs to get cut,'' Frank said before he
spoke at the council meeting. ``The president is denying that
we have value on our city programs.''
Some other city programs funded by the CDBG that local
residents spoke about were the business training and lending
programs for small business owners. City students also
benefited from Project Achieve through the Taunton Area
School to Career program.
Bonnie Brown, 17, and Cheryl Bileau, 17, both juniors at
Taunton High School, work after school with provided
transportation and get MCAS tutoring because the CDBG partly
funds Project Achieve. Frank said people should not settle in
just yet. City programs suffered from Section 8 cutbacks last
year, and Frank said keeping the CDBG should not be used as a
bargaining chip to hurt other programs.
[[Page E562]]
____________________