By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS - It was an eye-rubbing sight, Republican Cass County commissioners bucking President Bush's attempt to reduce spending, with a lone Democrat appealing for fiscal restraint.
That's because at issue Thursday was the Amtrak subsidy. The National Railroad Passenger Corp.'s trains pass through daily, with four stopping in Dowagiac.
The commission "strongly requests that the Bush administration change its position, and that our congressional representatives do all within their power to insure that Amtrak can continue to provide full railroad passenger service throughout our entire nation."
Commissioners directed that a copy of their action be dispatched to President George W. Bush, Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, Amtrak and MAC, the Michigan Association of Counties.
In a letter to the editor in Wednesday's Daily News, U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta asserted, "The President and I want to save passenger rail, not kill it." Mineta said the railroad is unreliable, with fares subsidized to the point that "offering free plane tickets to customers would be cheaper for taxpayers."
The Bush plan would let states decide how and where to spend federal inter-city rail money. The federal plan proposes providing 50-50 matching funds for track, train and station improvements, freeing Amtrak to "focus on one thing - running the trains on time," Mineta said. "Whether you agree with our plan or not, there is no denying the fact that Amtrak is dying. Everyone knows it … The answer is top-to-bottom reform…"
The similar resolution Taylor alluded to before the commission concerned Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency (SMCAA), the community action program serving Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties.
It provides such services as weatherization, food commodities and assistance with emergencies such as utility disconnects and evictions.
SMCAA also provides emergency shelter for those who are homeless and administers programs for permanent supportive housing and transitional housing.
SMCAA offers the only individual development account program in southwest Michigan and offers home ownership and budgeting classes throughout the tri-county area and is the lead entity and fiduciary for the free tax assistance program.
In a word, the kind of big government the GOP usually rails against, yet all the Republicans voted against President Bush's proposed FY2006 budget eliminating funding for the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG), which is the core funding for community action programs.
The SMCAA resolution is destined for Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, state Sen. Ron Jelinek, U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, state Reps. Rick Shaffer, R-Three Rivers, and Neal Nitz, R-Baroda, and MAC.