FEBRUARY 28TH, 2008 | ryan.alexander
Tom Harkin delivered testimony to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs to call attention to the Bush Administration’s budget cuts to Iowa’s law enforcement community. The two-thirds cut to the Bryne Justice Assistance Grants program will cost Iowa $3 million and it will hamper Iowa’s sheriffs and police to tackle drugs, fight crime, and protect Iowa communities. In a statement released yesterday Harkin stated:
“It is no accident that over the past fifteen years, Iowa’s and the country’s law enforcement has made tremendous strides in reducing the level of crime and violence. This decline in crime was due in no small measure to federal assistance through the Byrne program,” said Harkin. “By insisting on devastating cuts to Byrne last year, and trying to kill the program in this year’s budget, the president’s cuts are trying to cripple law enforcement. His action shortchanges our law enforcement officers who are trying to keep our neighborhoods safe and his action means fewer officers on the street, fewer investigations, and more criminals preying on our communities.”
Due to Bush’s budget cuts, Iowa will be forced to eliminate 15 of its 21 successful anti-drug programs. Just last year the Bryne-grant supported drug task forces seized $31 million in illegal drugs and made over 2,000 drug-related criminal convictions.
Senator Tom Harkin plans to continue to fight to restore this critical funding for Iowa’s law enforcement personal so that Iowa’s neighborhoods will remain safe and drug free
On March 4th, 2008 at 07:41 AM, Kathy Taylor wrote:
First of all, President Bush has enabled a trading places technique to rid the program of working Americans that are being replaced by other nationalities but with a very high price; the price included the security of our databases and Identifications. It has cost Americans their jobs, homes and laws that we as a people have invested in and voted for.
On March 4th, 2008 at 07:46 AM, Kathy Taylor wrote:
The Faith based intitiative was an incentive formed by Bush campaign. It only elected to send all monies connected to the program to Bush’s Church. Every City and State is paying taxes for this program and should be allowed to use it according to its state criteria, as none was even set for the program and now we have problems with Church fighting with Cities and other groups for funding when the Church is the only vehicle equipped to get a program person from point A to B.
On March 5th, 2008 at 04:09 PM, Susie Renaud wrote:
Three words Mr. Senator,