Thread: MD:County Defends Grant Cuts To Hispanic Groups

County defends grant cuts to Hispanic groups

By LIAM FARRELL Staff Writer
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County government took its defense of grant cutting on the road this week, justifying the reductions to Hispanic nonprofit groups in a room full of Hispanic activists.

Sheryl Banks, the county's special assistant for minority affairs, answered questions about why County Executive John R. Leopold cut $115,000 to Centro de Ayuda and the Organization for Hispanic and Latin Americans. The questions came during a meeting of the Governor's Commission on Hispanic Affairs in Annapolis.

"Every minority community is important to him," Ms. Banks said.

The Hispanic organizations were part of $3.17 million in cuts to nonprofit organizations in Mr. Leopold's budget.

The county executive said he made the cuts to Centro de Ayuda and OHLA as part of his pledge to withhold money from any group giving support to illegal immigrants.

"That does not mean we do not support the Hispanic community … with the limited resources we have," Ms. Banks said.

More than 18,000 people of Hispanic or Latino origin live in Anne Arundel County, according to 2005 Census statistics, which makes them almost 6 percent of the population. Estimates of illegal immigrants put that number closer to 40,000.

The county offers programs through its health, social services and aging agencies that assist the Hispanic community, Ms. Banks said. It also plans to hold resource fairs that give minority communities a chance to find employment opportunities. All of these efforts are occurring during tight budget times, she said.

"These are all initiatives that cost money," Ms. Banks said. "The county executive is footing the bill."

But that is not enough, said Mary Schumaker, founder and past president of Centro de Ayuda and a member of the commission.

Without the county funding, the center would have closed and left the Hispanic community without a valuable resource, she said.

"We were cut at the knees," Ms. Schumaker said.

Recently the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation gave $50,000 to Centro de Ayuda, and Columbia-based storage company ezStorage also gave the center $50,000. The state also gave it a $5,000 grant to be used for youth gang prevention and a now-defunct nonprofit group also gave $4,000.

The money will keep Centro de Ayuda open - a necessity considering county agencies frequently refer Hispanics to the organization, Ms. Schumaker said. But the group has curtailed plans to expand in north county.

"It's a double-edged sword if we're not there," she said.

In order to properly serve minority communities, all parties involved have to move beyond the budget cuts, Ms. Banks said.

"I know there will be some of you who can't get past that," she said. "I can't do anything about it personally … I just send (Mr. Leopold's) message."

Whether the community representatives get beyond it before the next election, however, is questionable.

"The beautiful thing about America is you get to vote people out," Mauricio Barreiro, the chair of the commission, said to applause. "At some point the Hispanic community will respond."

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Published 07/21/07, Copyright © 2007 Maryland Gazette,
Glen Burnie, Md.


http://www.hometownglenburnie.com/vault ... /21-38.HTM

"These are all initiatives that cost money," Ms. Banks said. "The county executive is footing the bill."

I BEG TO DIFFER - THE TAXPAYERS FOOT THE BILL!!!!

"At some point the Hispanic community will respond."

THE CITIZENS AND LEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAN RESPOND ALSO.

I am under no obligation to "serve" a community, especially if most of the members are illegal aliens who have no right to "demand" special services from me in the first place.

The utter ARROGANCE of these people is just nauseating.

I have an idea - why don't we cut out all the 'minority' stuff and start working on what is best for the American citizen and the country?

What is this 'minority' stuff anyway? I mean really?

Is that not racism? Is it not divisive? Is that not discriminator?

The county executive said he made the cuts to Centro de Ayuda and OHLA as part of his pledge to withhold money from any group giving support to illegal immigrants.

This guy had better get a congressional commendation and get elected Governor!

Good grief!! How long must we house, feed, clothe, educate and provide health care for these damned loser freeloaders??????????

We American taxpayers are saying enough! So listen up all you "enablers" who perpetuate dependence from minority groups on the American taxpayer...Americans are SICK AND TIRED of footing the bill for these parasites. Got that????????