Bishops positive toward state budget proposal

Executive director John Kerry of the State Catholic Conference, which represents the bishops on public policy matters, told the Governor in the letter that the 2000-2001 budget "is cause for much encouragement."

The budget, he said, "responds positively to a number of the bishops' concerns," including welfare reform, the needs of families, health care, reform of the budget-making process and education.

Pleased

All three proposals coincide with the bishops' recommendations on helping people move from welfare to work.

The bishops, said Mr. Kerry, have also "paid particular attention to the needs of families transitioning from welfare to work." He noted that Gov. Pataki has responded in the budget with funding for 15,000 new child care subsidies, $25 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding, creation of a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and food stamp outreach to families entering the work force.

While the bishops are concerned about the loss of services for neglected and abused children, they applauded the Governor's inclusion of $70 for local governments' child protective services.

Pluses

The bishops were "most gratified" to see $1.3 million in the budget for the Maternity and Early Childhood Foundation, the only state-funded program providing alternatives to abortion; and $2.6 million for abstinence education.

Regarding education, the bishops were pleased by increases in textbook and software aid, and hopeful that reading and teacher recruitment proposals would involve all schools. However, the bishops were concerned about shortfalls in Academic Intervention Aid and in Mandated Services Aid for non-government schools.

Finally, the bishops lauded the Governor's early presentation of the 2000-2001 budget, in light of a recent letter criticizing the detrimental effects of late budgets.

While "no budget is perfect," the letter concluded, this one "responds in a very positive way to many of the policy recommendations offered by the state's Catholic bishops."

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