[nfbmi-talk] these cuts will hit mcb mrs too

[joe harcz Comcast]

Michigan Works may lose funding

April 01, 2011|By Lorene Parshall, Staff Writer

List of 1 items

• 

list end

 

NORTHERN MICHIGAN — Cuts are in the works for Michigan Works!’ funding at a time when the need for its services by the unemployed, under-employed and businesses

are at an all-time high.

 

The U.S. House passed an appropriations bill, H.R.1, affecting funding for the remainder of fiscal year 2011. The bill includes massive cuts, primarily

to domestic programs.

 

The Senate rejected the bill. There now will begin negotiations between the House and Senate to determine what domestic programs will be cut and by how

much.

 

The bill included $3.8 billion cuts to the Workforce Investment Act. If this portion of the bill passes, Michigan Works!, the primary employment and training

network in this country, would cease to exist by July of this year, according to Kurt Ries. Reis is the Michigan Works! director of an eight-county region

which includes Otsego, Montmorency, Crawford, Cheboygan, Alcona, Oscoda, and Presque Isle.

 

“The Senate is very supportive of employment programs,” said Ries. “The Obama administration also supports continuing employment funding. I feel we may

not be eliminated, but there will be cuts. The problem is that the House is focusing on domestic cuts which are a small percentage of the budget.”

 

According to the Office of Management and Budget, domestic funding constitutes only 17 percent of total federal spending. It includes budget items such

as education, transportation, energy and human service programs such as Michigan Works!. Military spending is roughly 55 percent of the discretionary spending

in the current fiscal year and will increase even more next year.

 

Michigan Works! may lose funding - Petoskey News

http://articles.petoskeynews.com/2011-04-01/michigan-works_29372953