Proposed Budget Cuts Impact Iowa Law Enforcement, Domestic Programs

Funding for many domestic programs is on the chopping block as President George W. Bush’s 2009 federal budget proposes increased military spending and permanent status for earlier tax cuts. The budgetary cuts take aim at Child Care and Development Block Grants, Community Development Block Grants, Improving Teacher Quality State Grants, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance, Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and the Social Services Block Grants.

Congressman Dave Loebsack, a Democrat representing Iowa’s 2nd District, voiced his disapproval this morning at Bush’s attempt to slash funding for Iowa’s law enforcement and drug prevention efforts in the recently released fiscal year 2009 budget. Included in the $3.1 trillion budget was a severe cut in Edwards Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant funding and the complete elimination of Community Oriented Policing Service (COPS) funding.

“The President’s proposed cuts in law enforcement funding are simply not acceptable; they will decimate Iowa’s local law enforcement and halt our state’s drug prevention efforts,” Loebsack said. “To ensure the safety of our communities, we must give local law enforcement every tool necessary to protect our families. Instead the president is cutting the very funding our state relies upon to protect our neighborhoods, families and children.”

The funding allows law enforcement and local drug task force groups to locate and close meth labs, take drug dealers off the streets and help prosecute those charged. The proposed 2009 federal budget eliminates all formula funding for the grants, and replaces it with $200 million in the form of competitive grants. This funding level, said Loebsack, is $174 million below the needed level to maintain services at the 2008 level, which was also a decrease from previous years. He added that Iowa stands to lose $1.6 million in law enforcement funds, resulting in the loss of 39 police officers across the state.

COPS, a component of the Department of Justice, advances the practice of community policing as an effective way to improve public safety. The grants are awarded to local law enforcement agencies to “hire and train community policing professionals, acquire and deploy cutting-edge crime-fighting technologies, and develop and test innovative policing strategies.” In the 2008 budget, Loebsack secured $423,000 in COPS funding for Henry, Lee, Linn and Wapello counties. All such funding has been eliminated from the proposed 2009 budget.

If the proposed budget stands, Iowa’s law enforcement won’t be the only organization facing difficult choices. The budget, according to analysis done by the Massachusetts-based National Priorities Project, slashes $386,000 in Child Care and Development Block Grants, nearly $10.5 million in Community Development Block Grants, over $1 million in Improving Teacher Quality State Grants, nearly $6 million in the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program, over $2 million from Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, and $5.3 million from Social Services Block Grants. And those are only the cuts that will have a direct impact on Iowa. Overall, the proposed budget cuts discretionary domestic programs not related to security by $2.4 billion.

In other funding, the White House proposes $70 billion in war-related spending — on top of the $102.4 billion the administration continues to pursue for 2008. Thus far, the Iraq ware has cost taxpayers $522 billion.

The non-war military budget is also slated for a 5 percent increase from 2008, reaching $541 billion. This includes funding for nuclear weapons under the Department of Energy budget.

Finally, the budget request makes permanent the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003. According to the Center on Budget Policy Priorities, the wealthiest 1 percent would receive 31 percent of the windfall over the next 10 years, the top 20 percent would receive 74 percent, and those in the lowest 60 percent of households would receive 12 percent.