Sign-on Letter on Federal Budget Priorities

Over 100 organizations have joined the Minnesota Budget Project in a letter to Minnesota's congressional delegation in support of federal budget choices that protect the nation's fragile economic recovery, take a balanced approach to long-term budget deficits, and reduce federal deficits without increasing poverty.

We delivered the letter to our Congressional delegation on May 10. But we will be continuing to discuss these issues through the budget debate ahead. Organizations are still welcome to sign on using the form at the bottom of this letter or by downloading the PDF. Contact Steve Francisco at 651-757-3088 with any questions. We are only seeking organizational sign-ons at this time.

Support Balanced Budget Choices

Dear Senator / Representative:

On behalf of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and the organizations listed below, we urge you to take a responsible and balanced approach toward deficit reduction as Congress makes critical budget decisions.

Our nation is starting to recover from the longest and deepest recession since the Great Depression. Yet many Minnesotans are still struggling with unemployment, underemployment and rising costs for energy, housing, health care and other basic needs. At the same time, the federal government is facing a serious long-term imbalance between spending and revenues.

We urge you to support the following principles as Congress develops its budget and considers appropriations bills for the current fiscal year 2011 and for fiscal year 2012:

1. Congress’s budget decisions should not undermine the fragile economic recovery now under way.

The nation’s most pressing short-term need is to return to economic health. Dramatic cuts in federal spending will be a drag on the economic recovery and could cost the nation jobs. Cuts in federal funding to state and local governments similarly will bring about larger budget cutbacks at the state and local level, with a further loss of jobs.

2. Long-term deficit reduction should be achieved through a responsible and balanced approach that is equally divided between spending reductions and increases in needed revenue.

We urge you to support fair and appropriate options for increasing revenue as well as reducing spending. Allowing the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for high-income households to expire after 2012 is necessary and appropriate. Also, restoring the federal estate tax at its 2009 parameters would help to reduce long-term deficits.

3. Deficit reduction should not lead to an increase in poverty or inequality.

Low-income Americans and other vulnerable populations should be protected from budget cuts that would create undue hardship. In fact, all three major deficit reduction packages of the last two decades adhered to this principle.

We recognize that reductions in spending will be necessary to achieve deficit reduction. But focusing a disproportionate share of spending cuts in non-security discretionary spending – the area of the budget including our investments in affordable housing, medical research, nutrition, education, environmental protection, energy assistance and other vital services – or enacting multi-year hard spending caps with no flexibility is both unwarranted and unbalanced. This area of the budget is not a major contributor to growth in our long-term budget deficits, and such an approach will create significant hardship for the most vulnerable people in our communities and increase poverty.

4. A constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget is not an appropriate option to achieve deficit reduction.

We urge you to oppose a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget. Such an amendment would make it more difficult for future presidents and for Congress to respond to future economic emergencies, and could well make a bad situation worse and turn a recession into a depression.

We look forward to working with you to ensure that the next federal budget and appropriations bills are responsible, balanced and reflect Minnesota values.

Signed by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and the following organizations:
A Minnesota Without Poverty
A+ Home Care, Inc.
Affirmative Options Coalition
African American Family Services
AFSCME Minnesota Council 5
Alexandra House, Inc.
Alliance for Sustainability
Anna Marie's Alliance
ArtiCulture
Basic Needs Inc. of South Washington County
BeechWood Inc.
Brain Injury Association of Minnesota
CAPI
Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud
Central Minnesota Housing Partnership
Child Care WORKS
Children's Dental Services
Chinese Social Service Center
Churches United in Ministry
Clare Housing
Community Action of Minneapolis
Community Partners with Youth
Cornerstone
Dads Make a Difference
Domestic Abuse Project
Duluth LISC
Early Childhood Resource and Training Center
East Side Neighborhood Development Company, Inc.
Everyday Tax Service
Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation
Growth & Justice
Habitat for Humanity of South Central Minnesota
Hastings Family Service
HIRED
HOME Line
Housing Preservation Project
Hunger Solutions Minnesota
Jewish Community Action
JOBS NOW Coalition
Justice Commission-Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and Consociates
Land Stewardship Project
League of Women Voters of Minnesota
Lee Carlson Center for Mental Health and Well-Being
Legal Rights Center
Legal Assistance of Olmsted County
Legal Services Advocacy Project
L.I.F.E.! Partners In Progress, Inc.
Listening House of St. Paul, Inc.
Mankato Area Environmentalists
McKenna Corp.
Meeker County Emergency Food Shelf
Merrick Community Services
Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers
Metropolitan Economic Development Association
MICAH
Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance
Minneapolis Highrise Representative Council
Minnesota Citizens for Tax Justice
Minnesota Community Action Partnership
Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities
Minnesota Council of Child Caring Agencies
Minnesota Food Association
Minnesota Naturalists' Association
Minnesota Renewable Energy Society
Minnesota Valley Action Council, Inc.
National Association of Social Workers, Minnesota Chapter
Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness
Northwestern Mental Health Center
Open Access Connections
Parenting Resource Center, Inc.
Partners for Affordable Housing
Phyllis Wheatley Community Center
Productive Alternatives, Inc.
Progressive Action Alliance of Washington County
Project for Pride in Living (PPL)
Reach for Resources, Inc
Ready 4 K
Rebuilding Together Twin Cities
RESOURCE, Inc.
Restorative Justice Community Action
Second Harvest Heartland
Second Harvest North Central Food Bank
SEIU Healthcare Minnesota
Simpson Housing Services, Inc.
Southeastern Minnesotans for Environmental Protection (SEMEP)
St. Stephen's Human Services
Store To Door
TakeAction Minnesota
The Arc of Minnesota
The Family Partnership
The Link
The Mercy Hospital Foundation of Moose Lake, MN
Theresa Living Center
Twin Cities RISE!
United Cambodian Association of Minnesota
Vail Place
VSA Minnesota
Wealth for the Common Good
West Central Industries, Inc.
Wingspan Life Resources
WIT Group
 

We are only seeking organizational sign-ons at this time. Only sign on if you are authorized to sign on behalf of your organization.