From: Nigel.Allen@lambada.oit.unc.edu
Subject: Report Finds Reagan, Bush Slashed Domestic Programs by $231 Billion
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: Echo Beach
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 19:48:42 GMT

Here is a press release from the American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Employees

 New State-by-State Report Finds Reagan, Bush Slashed Domestic
Programs by $231 Billion Since 1981
 To: National Desk, Political Writer
 Contact: Janet Rivera of the American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Employees, 202-429-1130

   WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Domestic programs
suffered a $231 billion cut during the Reagan and Bush administrations,
and each state witnessed massive federal aid cuts in programs aimed
at helping children and families, according to a report released
today by Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn and the American Federation of
State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO.
   "The Republican Record," prepared for AFSCME by Fiscal
Planning Services Inc., a Bethesda, Md.-based firm that tracks federal
funds for states and cities, is a comprehensive, state-by-state,
program-by-program, year-by-year analysis of federal spending on
domestic programs.  The report documents the loss in funding from
what would have been necessary simply to keep up with each year's
inflation and population changes.  The cuts are restated in
today's (1992) dollars, which would be the amount now needed to restore
funding to the levels received by these programs before the
Reagan-Bush cuts.
   The $231 billion cut means that on average, each man, woman
and child in America received nearly $1,000 less in federal aid for
programs from education to economic development than they would
have received had spending remained as it was before the Reagan-Bush
cuts.
   Speaking at a Washington press conference, AFSCME President
Gerald W. McEntee said: "The record is clear.  The path of undermining
domestic programs begun by President Reagan has been perpetuated
by President Bush.  And let's not forget that George Bush was in the
White House throughout this whole time period.  All of these cuts
over the decade took place under his watch.  This report shows
that, unfortunately, some of the programs that received the worst cuts
were those that would be helping our economy get going today.  For
example, job training programs received the largest cut of all
programs.  This short-sightedness has not only left many
individuals ill prepared for our changing economy, but our whole national
economy badly prepared for the global marketplace."
   Flynn said "The Republican Record" "documents a decade of
'domestic abuse' by a Republican government that has been
anti-children, anti-family, anti-American.  They have slashed
programs that help working families, young people and the
elderly, while at the same time setting new records for federal budget
deficit and for pink slips for the American worker."
   "The Republican Record" demonstrates that Presidents Reagan
and Bush aimed their budget attacks on services that have a direct
impact on workers, families and children, health care, and the nation's
infrastructure.  The following are five of the ten largest
program cuts, as measured in 1992 dollars:

   PROGRAM                     10 YEAR CUT

   Job training                $73 billion
   Medicaid                    $62 billion
   Community Development       $16 billion
   Child Support               $10 billion
   Mass Transit                $ 7 billion

   The report details the policy failure behind many of the
nation's domestic programs.  For example, as middle-income families
suffered from soaring health care costs, the White House eliminate $69
billion, measured in 1992 dollars, from health care spending.
Similarly, in the decade before Los Angeles erupted in riots, the
White House drained $150 billion in today's dollars from programs
aimed at helping children and families, another $18 billion from
housing and the homeless, and $10 billion from education
programs.
   President Reagan cut grants to states by $195 billion, and
Bush slashed this by another $35 billion to bring the 10-year
reduction to $231 billion.  Their policies were not identical.  While cutting
most programs, President Reagan launched a few new domestic
initiatives such as help for the homeless, math and science, and narcotics
control.  President Bush has launched no new domestic program of
consequence.
   Sharp reductions in federal aid explain much of today's fiscal
crisis among state and local governments.  To make up the
shortfall, states have long since drained surpluses, cut back services, and
instituted new taxes.
   "Federalism once meant a partnership where Washington helped.
What we've got now is 'fend-for-yourself' federalism," McEntee
said.
   Job training funds were reduced most drastically in Alaska,
Louisiana, Mississippi and Michigan, all states facing serious
unemployment problems.  Community Development Block Grants were
cut deepest in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Rhode
Island, states with troubling inner-city housing problems.  The report
details what the domestic cuts meant for each state and each
program.
For example, it shows a $594 loss in Medicaid funds for each New
Yorker, a $320 loss in Appalachian Regional program help for each
West Virginian and a $152 loss in waste water treatment support
for each resident of Wyoming.
   The Republican Record shows that the federal deficit has
skyrocketed despite domestic cuts.  While the Republicans have
continually cut back domestic programs, the federal deficit has
continued to rise.  According to McEntee, the federal deficit
grew under the Republican administrations because of "incredible
increases in defense spending, the savings-and-loan bailout, tax cuts on
the rich and now a weakened economy."
   The programs examined include nearly 200 that provide aid to
state and local government.  Actual spending on these programs each
year is compared with the amount of spending that would have been
necessary to keep up with inflation and demographic changes each year over
the last decade.  In addition, the figures for each year are restated
in 1992 dollars to show what it would cost to restore the loss in
federal aid to state and local governments over the past decade
in today's dollars.
 ------
   Note: Journalists may obtain "The Republican Record" by
calling
AFSCME's Public Affairs Department at 202-429-1130.
   Photographs of the news conference are available upon request.
 -30-


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