The following article appeared this week in the Quad-City Times. This is a short excerpt–the entire article may be read by clicking here. Howard Johnson is pastor of the Grace Brethren Church of Davenport.
U.S. Rep. Jim Nussle, R-Iowa, defended proposed reductions in spending on federal poverty programs Monday, saying that reform is needed so the poor get the help they need and the taxpayer do not get cheated.
Nussle, chairman of the House Budget Committee, visited a Head Start program at Grace Brethren Church, 3919 N. Elsie Ave., Davenport, and read to more than a dozen preschool children. Later, he met with parents, teachers and administrators.
Two weeks ago, the House passed a Nussle-sponsored bill that would cut federal spending by $50 billion over five years. That amount is less than 1 percent of the federal budget, but it is still significant, advocates for the poor say, because the needs are great.
Nussle, who is running for governor, told reporters there is a need to reform many of the programs. “They’re important services,” he said. “What frustrates so many of us is that the bureaucracy has created programs that, oftentimes, aren’t delivering quality, aren’t getting the job done.”
