Tough Cuts for the Community Organizer in Chief
With the release of his 2012 budget proposal, President Obama made it clear that everyone will feel the pain of difficult fiscal times. While few are completely spared, we are glad to see that the President appears to be doing what he can to protect low-income families and particularly children. For example, the president۪s budget includes a proposed $1.3 billion increase for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), a proposed $866 million increase for Head Start and a proposed $350 million to create an Early Learning Challenge Fund.
The budget proposal also includes some tough cuts for low-income families, particularly to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Community Services Block Grant program. During a press conference today, the President addressed the struggles low-income working families are facing. But when challenged by reporters about these program cuts, his answer evoked his past work as a community organizer:
“I’m so inspired by the strength and resilience of the American people but frustrated by the number of people who are struggling….you feel like you want to be a case worker and pick up the phone and start advocating for people who are working hard and trying to do right by their families, often times through no fault of their own.”[Watch the full video below].
Difficult fiscal times require difficult choices, but we hope upcoming budget negotiations won۪t leave struggling families behind.
Posted by Amy
recorded February 15, 2011 press conference
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