Walkers,
You can take action on the message below by going here:
http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=5793
Thanks!!
Terry Preston
Complete Streets Coordinator, WALKSacramento
916-446-9255
———————————————————————————
From: Judy Corbett [mailto:mkwarren@lgc.org]
Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2011 5:19 PM
To: Terry Preston
Subject: Speak out now for federal support of local smart growth efforts: send a letter to Your Senators today
Dear Terry Preston,
You are receiving this email because you are either a member of the Local Government Commission, someone who has attended a recent New Partners for Smart Growth Conference, or both. As such, we believe you are someone who supports the idea of sustainable communities, and the programs that have been established to provide the resources and tools to create them.
Last week, the House of Representatives voted to cut funding for innovative transportation and development programs that help communities across the country build stronger economies, create jobs and provide transportation choices. The Senate will soon be faced with the same decision and we need your help to make sure these crucial programs are preserved for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Among the cuts proposed are funds for the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, an unprecedented collaboration between three federal agencies that helps communities across the country implement their smart growth plans. The Partnership helps community leaders get the most out of each federal or state dollar invested in their neighborhoods. By leveraging private sector investment, saving money in municipal budgets, helping families save on things like transportation and housing, programs like the Partnership for Sustainable Communities make sure federal funds go as far as possible.
Two of the many projects supported by funds on the chopping block include the eight-county San Joaquin Valley and six-county Sacramento regions in California that will be receiving support to develop regional plans and solutions to address shared issues, such as affordable housing, economic development, social equity, and transportation choices. These two regional planning efforts will not only positively impact the health and prosperity of each region, but the entire state of California and the nation. These are just two of the hundreds of projects from around the country that applied for grants through the Partnership for Sustainable Communities but these programs need our help.
Support local projects in communities across the country: tell your Senator to protect federal funding.
This year¹s federal budget decisions are difficult ones and Congress does need to cut wasteful spending, but smart growth investments like the Partnership for Sustainable Communities help the federal government work smarter. Cutting these programs would be a shortsighted solution to the budget shortfall, and one, which would stunt the economic growth of regions currently benefitting from the program.
Join the effort to preserve these programs by speaking out today.
Sincerely,
Judy Corbett
Executive Director
Local Government Commission