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DC nonprofits urge Council to save critical human programs
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WASHINGTON, DC - Nonprofits serving the District of Columbia have one lone message for the DC City Council: adopt a balanced approach to the FY2011 budget.
During this budget session, city officials have favored cutting funding for critical services as a way to deliver a balanced budget to Congress. The Think Twice Before You Slice Campaign, representing nearly 1,000 area nonprofits, know just how short-sighted a “cuts only” approach can be.
“You cannot cut services when the needs for those services continue to increase,” Chuck Bean, executive director of the Nonprofit Roundtable for Greater Washington, said. “This is time for the city to strengthen its investments in DC communities.”
Representatives from a coalition of nonprofits recently delivered a joint letter to DC Council Chair Vincent Gray and members of the DC Council. In the letter, the group urges the Council to consider income tax and sales tax increases in order to spare drastic cuts from critical “safety net” services.
“Please look past quick or across-the-board program cuts as a way to balance the budget,” the letter states. “Adopt a balanced approach to the budget, one that includes revenue enhancements, federal support and other funding options. We are not supporting a specific tax or plan; we are stressing the importance of weighing all options and identifying the one that does the best job protecting critical human services.”
Glen O’Gilvie, CEO of the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, cites the actions of fellow Northern Virginian counties as model budgets that protected programs and services counted on by residents in need. “Leaders in Fairfax, Loudoun and Arlington counties were able to deliver a balanced budget without severely damaging the quality of life for its residents. The District should be able to do the same,” he said.
Nonprofits plan to reach out to the DC Council prior to its Wednesday vote. “We should be able to find a better way to handle budget problems,” Bean said. “We need to work together to ensure continued support for thousands of District residents who turn to city-supported services in order to survive.”
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