Rosapepe at Sept 2011 NCPCA
A proposed federal cost cutting measures may hurt the area with more job loss, warned Senator Jim Rosapepe at last night’s NCPCA meeting. The losses may include those in local federal facilities such as agricultural facility at Beltsville and at NASA operations at Greenbelt.
Congress has recently formed a Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, otherwise known as the “super committee,” to address economic downturn.
Rosapepe however said he MD Senate has worked with Gov. O’Malley to support President Obama’s efforts to preserve jobs and “put people back to work in Maryland”. Part of that effort includes restoring state funds to keep teachers in local schools and police in the neighborhoods.
He said the State has invested state funds to create construction jobs, including building schools, repairing roads and boosting energy conservation and pollution control.
To help those who have lost jobs and income, Rosapepe said the MD Senate supported Gov. O’Malley’s policies to cap college tuition hikes for local students at the University of Maryland and the other state Colleges. It also has protected medical insurance for those who have lost their jobs and extended unemployment insurance benefits to those who have exhausted 73 weeks of State and Federal benefits between January 2, 2010 and December 31, 201.