HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 506 R
ESOi,U!'ION FILE NO.
SUPPORTING SUNBELT ACTION
WHEREAS, several regional organizations including the Northeast-Midwest
Economic Advancement Coalition, the Coalition of Northeastern
Governors, the Northeast-Midwest Research Institute, the Council
for Northeast Economic Action, and the Domestic Outlays Working
Group have been formed to advance the national legislative interests
of sixteen midwestern and northeastern states in Congress; and
WHEREAS, it is the avowed mission of these numerous coalitions to pressure
Congress into changing federal spending patterns in order to insure
the expenditure of additional U.S. government funds in "frostbelt"
states and cities, even though the level of federal spending in other
parts of the nation would be reduced proportionately; and
WHEREAS, in just one year frostbelt forces have designed and successfully
lobbied through Congress several large-scale proposals to provide
maximum benefits for northeastern and midwestern states and cities
and minimum benefits for sunbelt states and cities in the south and
southwest United States, to wit.
1. A four billion dollar counter-cyclical plan under which frost-
belt states receive billions to alleviate their economic and
unemployment problems and sunbelt states receive millions;
and
2. A community development reenactment measure which dis-
criminates against Texas cities even more than the original
1974 act, by weighting fund allocations heavily in favor of
frostbelt cities and by creating a special 1.2 billion dollars set
aside for the virtual exclusive benefit of older deteriorated
cities in the northeast and midwest; and
WHEREAS, frostbelt forces are promoting enactment of a "share the grief"
natural gas allocation plan under which the federal government,
during periods of cold weather, can divert gas from Texas consumers
and pipe it to New York and other places in the frostbelt; and
WHEREAS, the agenda of the several frostbelt coalitions includes numerous
other national legislation objectives which, if achieved, will be
detrimental to states and cities in the sunbelt; and
WHEREAS, no organized response to the current situation in Congress exists at
this time, and no change in the status quo is likely in the near
future; and
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CITY OF FORT WORTH
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WHEREAS, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Fort E
Worth, Texas, are alarmed at recent trends in the United States
.�. Congress and strongly believe that immediate efforts need to be
initiated to inform state and local leaders throughout the sunbelt of
the enormity of such trends.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council that the City of Fort
Worth strongly supports the initiation and proposed city's share of financing
through the Texas Municipal League of an information campaign through the
south and southwest United States with the objective of:
1. Developing a complete picture of federal spending patterns
with emphasis on the impact of changes initiated by frostbelt
forces; and
2. Informing political and private sector leaders in the sunbelt of
the current situation in Congress and soliciting the counsel of
such leaders as to what might be done to respond to the
activities of the frostbelt coalitions; and
3. Providing a receptacle for the study of the feasibility of
funding and establishing a sunbelt congressional action pro-
gram to represent interests of states ,and cities in the south
and southwest United States; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Fort Worth City Council strongly urges
that this information campaign be initiated as quickly as possible.
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CITY OF FORT WORTH