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6/21/2011 - Freeholder Magazzu To Hold Town Hall Meeting
Freeholder Magazzu To Hold Town Hall
On Impact Of Federal Budget Cuts On County
Cumberland County Freeholder Louis N. Magazzu will be holding a town hall meeting Tuesday, June 21st, to discuss the impact on Cumberland County of the proposed federal budget that has been passed by the House of Representatives. Magazzu indicated that those on Medicare, Medicaid and those who are hoping to attend college through government scholarships should particularly attend.
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Freeholder Louis N. Magazzu will hold town hall meeting on Tuesday, June 21 at Luciano Center beginning at 9:30 AM.
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Magazzu noted that, “the proposed budget as passed by the House of Representatives will have an adverse impact on lives of the middle class as well as those at the very edges of the social services safety net. At the same time, the House budget will benefit the mega rich and big multinational companies such as the oil companies which are making billions at the gas pump.”
Magazzu added that, “If the House budget becomes law, those of us on the county level will have to find ways to utilize our already strapped budgets to fund the programs it proposes to eliminate. The consequence of this budget being passed is that those most in need will be put in real peril and the rest who have the ability to pay local taxes will wind up paying more to make up the difference.”
Magazzu concluded that in addition to the impact of eliminating Medicaid and privatizing Medicare, the other effect of the House budget is that it will continue to shift the responsibility from the federal government to county governments and virtually eliminate the ability of students who rely upon federal student loans to attend the county college.
The town hall will be on Tuesday, June 21 at the Luciano Center of Cumberland County College beginning at 9:30 am.
The town hall will be preceded by an outline of the differences between the budget proposed by the Obama Administration and that passed by the House of Representatives.
This town hall will be the first of similar ones being conducted throughout the nation by other county officials. Each town meeting will chaired by a county official and reflect the concerns of that particular county.
The end result will be a document which will reflect specific examples of the local impacts of the proposed House budget brought together in a national compilation which could be used in congressional hearings or in ongoing budget negotiations between the House, Senate and the Obama Administration.
On a national level, the following individuals will be invited to participate:
1) County Executives and County Judges;
2) County Commissioners, Supervisors, Police Jurors and Freeholders;
3) County Managers;
4) County Sheriff’s and Chiefs of Police;
5) County Prosecutors;
5) Board of Social Service Directors;
6) County Directors of Senior Services;
7) County Health Officials:
8) County College Presidents;
9) County Superintendents for primary and secondary schools;
10) County Transportation Directors;
11) County Wardens;
12) Social Service Agencies;
13) Faith Based Agencies;
14) Community Health Agencies
15) Advocates for the disabled community
Lou Magazzu is a Cumberland County Freeholder, serving his fourteenth year on the Board. He is also the President of the National County Democratic Officials.
Magazzu has invited the public to attend and learn about the differing budget proposals. He has also invited the following leaders from Cumberland County to attend and testify; all fourteen mayors; all six other Freeholders, Sheriff Bob Austino, Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae, Cumberland County College President Thomas Isekenegbe, Cumberland Technical Education Center Superintendent Darlene Barber, Director of Office on Aging Dale Finch, Executive Director Office of Employment and Training Dante Riete, Sandra Rosen, Chairwoman Disabled Advisory Council , Albert Kelly, CEO of Pathways and James Edwards of Complete Care of Cumberland County and Acting Director of the Board of Social Services Kathy Rodriguez.
Anyone wishing to testify or wanting more information should call Freeholder Magazzu at: 856-304-2033.