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327 <br /> Dece/~ber 12, 1995 <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, . , failure to take action to eliminate the federal <br />deficit willcreate financial instability andgreater dependence <br />upon foreign lenders, crowd out Critical programs that invest in <br />the future of cities, and leave a legacy of growing debt for our <br />children and grandchildren; and <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, any effort to reduce the federal deficit will have <br />significant impacts on state and local governments; and <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, at the current rate, spending on federal <br />entitlement programs and interest on the national debt will <br />consume all federal revenues early in the next century; and <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, controlling the growth in federal entitlement <br />spending, along with all other federal spending, is critical to <br />future economic growth of cities and the nation; and <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, non-means-tested entitlement programs are <br />projected to be the most significant contributor to the possible <br />bankruptcy of this country; and <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, severe reductions in federal assistance without <br />addressing underlying needs and providing federal regulatory <br />flexibility would have a significant impact on state and local <br />resources; and <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, federal cuts in Medicaid that do not address <br />reducing the health care needs of indigent families would simply <br />shift burdens, responsibilities, and liabilities to state and <br />local governments; <br /> <br /> NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National League of <br />Cities, the Virginia Municipal League and local elected leaders, <br />working together with state elected leaders, should lead a grass <br />roots national campaign to create and stimulate a national <br />dialogne on eliminating the federal deficit and controlling <br />entitlement spending; and <br /> <br /> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that in acting any laws to <br />eliminate the federal deficit, the Council of the City of <br />Portsmouth, Virginia, believes thst all entitlement programs, <br />including tax expenditures, revenues, and all discretionary <br />spending, must be on the table; and <br /> <br /> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a needs assessment component <br />should be created and applied to all non-means-tested <br />entitlements and that if, based upon this assessment, the <br />entitlement benefits are required, they should be taxed on the <br />basis of equity and the ability to pay; and <br /> <br /> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the federal government should <br />subject federal tax expenditures to review and change in order <br />that these programs contribute, along with entitlement programs, <br />to deficit reduction in a manner consistent with all other <br />expenditure programs; and <br /> <br /> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of <br />Portsmouth, Virginia, opposes any federal action to reduce <br />federal deficits that transfers responsibilities to or imposes <br />unfunded mandates on state and local governments; and <br /> <br /> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that implementation of any federal <br />deficit reduction plan must provide cities with sufficient <br />regulatory flexibility to be able to operate efficiently under <br />new fiscal realities; and <br /> <br /> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of <br />Portsmouth, Virginia, opposes any tax cuts until concrete <br />legislation to achieve a balanced federal budget has been <br />implemented; and <br /> <br /> <br />