Candidate asks government
O DOYLESTOWN - Arlen
Specter, Republican can
didate for U.S. Senate,
Friday called for more ef
ficient government
assistance to “the rural
areas of Pennsylvania and
the nation that have long
been shortchanged by the
federal government.”
Specter said, “The serious
economic and social
problems faced by rural
America have been largely
ignored by the federal
government. Rural areas
are the home of one-third of
the nation’s population, but
have nearly one-half of our
nation’s poor.
“The problems of rural
unemployment, inadequate
housing and poor health care
are increasing. For every
single substandard housing
unit in the metropolitan
areas of this country, two
can be found in rural areas,"
he said.
Rural America has a
higher infant mortality rate
and a higher incidence of
chronic disease than urban
areas, and yet is served by
only 12 percent of the doctors
and 18 percent of the nurses.
The problem is particularly
acute for minorities in rural
areas whose infant mortality
rates are double the national
average, he said.
help for
These statistics are
merely symptomatic of the
problems faced m the rural
areas of Pennsylvania and
throughout the nation, he
continued. It is an especially
critical problem in Penn
sylvania, where over 3.5
million people live in rural
areas, the largest rural
population m the United
States, he said.
“Federal assistance to
meet these problems has
incaster Farming, Saturday, October 11,1980—A17
state’s rural areas
been woefully inadequate.
Rural America receives only
about 18 percent of the
federal dollars spent to
provide or improve housing,
and only 23 percent of the
Department of Health and
Human Services Social
Service funds.
“A principal reason why
rural areas in small towns
have not received their fair
share of federal funds has
been the complex federal
grant procedures, inflexible
grant programs, and bur
densome paperwork
requirements.
“Small towns in rural
communities are simply not
getting their fair share of
federal funds because they
lack the expensive staff and
resources needed to respond
to government regulations,
requests, rules and audit
procedures, ’ ’ he said.
“Senator John Heinz has
worked hard to remedy this
problem by his sponsorship
of the Small Communities
Act. Regrettably this
legislation has not been
passed.
“It is essential that we
continue to work for
legislation designed to
eliminate the oppressive
regulatory burden on rural
communities that effectively
denies them crucial
assistance, and increase the
automony of these com
munities in grant-related
decision making. I will
propose legislation that
includes the following
measures:
Greater flexibility in grant
formula - Procedures should
be established to ensure
consultation and coor
dination with small rural
communities concerning
their needs and resources
when determining the
allocation of funds under
federal grants formula.
Increase regulatory
flexibility - The director of
the Office of Management
and Budget should be
granted the authority to
waive any federal rule,
regulation or order as it
applies to small com
munities. Wherever
possible, a second tier of less
stringent regulations should
be designed for rural
communities.
One-step certification of
the requirements for
qualifying for federal grants
- Specified agencies should
establish across-the-board
federal grant eligibility
standards for small com
munities. The community
would thereafter not be
required to give any further
proof of compliance when
applying for federal grants,
loans or other federal
assistance.
Accelerate appropriations
- In order to allow increased
fleiibility for planning and
administration of multi-year
grant programs, procedures
should be established for
budgeting advanced ap
propriations to small rural
communities one year
before the funds are to be
spent.
Small community set
aside payments - Congress
should establish a procedure
for allocating a single cash
grant to small communities,
at their option, as a sub
stitute for the yearly grants
that are to be received.
LFA meeting
Tuesday
LANCASTER - The
Lancaster County Fanners’
Association will hold its
annual meeting and banquet
at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the
Harvest Drive Restaurant.
Tickets can be obtained by
contacting LFA directors or
calling 426-1303, 426-1501 or
687-7353.
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