In a state that voted for Trump, worries over his budget
Published 4:53 pm Monday, March 27, 2017
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump, but the president’s budget blueprint is causing concern for some state Republicans.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs said there are seven programs the agency administers, including Community Development Block Grants which provide money for programs ranging from job training to providing running water — that would be eliminated under the “America First” budget.
Gov. Robert Bentley said he raised concerns to the White House in a recent trip to Washington, D.C.
“I told the story to the White House. I said block grants are essential for rural parts of this country. Two months ago, with a block grant, we were able to get 29 families running water that they’d never had before.”
“Those type grants are essential for rural poor areas of any state, not just Alabama. …. These help the people. Also, it helps the people who voted for President Trump if you really want to look at it that way.”
According to ADECA, programs that could be hit include: the Appalachian Regional Commission, Community Development Block Grant funds, Low Income Home Energy Assistance funds and the Delta Regional Authority which provides funds to the eight-state Delta region. Alabama has 20 counties eligible for Delta Regional Authority programs.
“The federal programs that ADECA manages address critical needs across Alabama that helps our state grow and move forward. We are concerned about the ability to help rural Alabama and our state’s neediest citizens with the elimination of certain programs in the America First budget,” Jim Byard Jr., the director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, said in a statement.
The Community Development Block Grant program provided $12.9 million to 56 projects in Alabama in fiscal year 2016, according to ADECA. One of the projects was a $200,000 grant to Red Bay to help the city repair a collapsed sewer line to help keep one of the city’s largest employers, a pet food manufacturer, open.
The Appalachian Regional Commission last fiscal year awarded $5 million to support infrastructure and job training in 37 Alabama counties. It included a program to provide pre-apprenticeship training to students at community colleges.