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Tuesday, May 21st, 2013
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Pawlenty’s cuts hit local organizations hard

By News Team

Fri, Feb 14th, 2003
Posted in Features

Blend a heap of revenue shortfalls and a bunch of budget deficits and simmer at low heat; fold in a pledge for no new taxes, then mix in a divided legislature. Chill and serve to a wary citizenry.

Sounds like a recipe for disaster, and for some local organizations in Fillmore County it is, as recent state cuts will run deep into the services they provide.

There is an axiom in public policy that “while you can’t do more with less, you can certainly do different with less.” And when your product is government services, doing different means changing the who, what, where, when and how of those services.

Over a week ago, Governor Tom Pawlenty balanced the state’s 2003 budget through an unallotment process where he slashed spending, delayed certain payments and borrowed from state reserves.

 Pawlenty ordered cuts to more than $281 million in state spending and also authorized that Sales Tax Reimbursements be delayed, which will save another $50 million. He also used $24 million in state reserves to come up with a total of $356 million in order to balance the budget.

Caught in Pawlenty’s numbers game were several local organizations:

•Semcac, a Community Action Agency (CAA) that delivers services to the poor in a six county area of southeastern Minnesota, will lose $207,000 in Minnesota Economic Opportunity Grants.

•Fillmore Family Resources, a non-profit group in Preston, who works with victims of domestic violence will lose $24,000 that funds a child counseling program.

•Workforce Development Inc., a work training program based in Preston, will see a youth school-to-work program eliminated.

•Pro-Corn Ethanol Plant in Preston will lose approximately 80% of the estimated $3,000,000 they were expected to receive in ethanol subsidies for 2003.

“We were taken off guard, Bruce Hartert, Executive Director of Semcac, said. “In the governor’s first proposal there were no cuts.”

Governor Pawlenty cut 60% of the $9 million ($5.3 million) allocated in Minnesota Economic Opportunity Grants (MEOG) for 29 CAA agencies working in 87 counties.

According to Hartert, the reduction in MEOG money will have a severe impact on Semcac and the state-wide Community Action Agency network. Unrestricted funds, the state gran .....
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Fillmore County District Court:Heath guilty of drug charges

By News Team

Fri, Feb 14th, 2003
Posted in Features
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Mark Anthony Heath of Lanesboro was found guilty in Fillmore County District Court on five counts related to the manufacture of methamphetamine, stemming from an incident on May 6, 2002 in Rushford.

According to the criminal co ..... 
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Budget concerns drive Rushford Council decisions

By News Team

Fri, Feb 14th, 2003
Posted in Features
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Police Chief Sam Stensgard joined the Rushford City Council at their February 10 meeting to discuss the possibility of purchasing a new squad car. Stensgard had previously sent a memo to the council outlining his recommendation to purchase a second p ..... 
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Initiative Fund helps Rushford evaluate their community

By News Team

Fri, Feb 14th, 2003
Posted in Features
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The Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) presented their "site visit reflections" to the Rushford Community Thursday night at the Rushford-Peterson school theater to an audience of approximately twenty-four people. SMIF had visited Rushfor ..... 
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New administrator attends first Harmony council meeting

By News Team

Fri, Feb 14th, 2003
Posted in Features
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Due to bad weather on the evening of the Harmony City Council’s meeting, this reporter wasn’t able to attend. However, a telephone interview with the city’s new Administrator was conducted.

Jerome Illg of Brooklyn Park, MN atten ..... 
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Lanesboro City Council Report

By News Team

Fri, Feb 7th, 2003
Posted in Features
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Editor’s note: Due to inclement weather, the Journal’s reporter was unable to attend Monday night’s meeting. The following article is based on an interview with City Administrator Barbara Hoyhtya.  By John Torgrimson&n ..... 
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Choosing to live in rural America

By News Team

Fri, Feb 7th, 2003
Posted in Features
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A December article in the New York Times was titled "Pastoral Poverty; The Seeds of Despair." The article compared the current "rural collapse" to the inner city collapse of a few decades ago, and focused on poor rural counties all over the United St ..... 
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Commissioners’ Report

By News Team

Fri, Feb 7th, 2003
Posted in Features
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"With the Board’s approval, I will be applying for a state and federal Domestic Preparedness Equipment and Training Grant," said Larry Hunt, Emergency Services Director, as he addressed the Commissioners during their weekly meeting. The money would b ..... 
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Preston City Council Report

By News Team

Fri, Feb 7th, 2003
Posted in Features
Comments

The Preston City Council met February 3, even though Monday presented the Preston area with the most inclement weather of the season. In what has been an unusually calm winter, the intense wind, blowing snow and falling temperatures brought everyone ..... 
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