Board adopts interim policy positions
Many voice NACo opposition to budget cuts
In conjunction with the Legislative Conference, NACo’s policy steering committees meet to consider policy resolutions that deal with issues now current on Capitol Hill. If adopted, the resolutions are forwarded to NACo’s Board of Directors as recommended interim policy positions. If approved by the Board, the interim policy resolutions guide NACo’s advocacy work until the Annual Business meeting when the interim resolutions are put forward to NACo membership for final adoption.
Following is a list of the interim policy resolutions adopted by the Board.
Agriculture and Rural Affairs | Environment, Energy and Land Use | Health
Human Services and Education | Justice and Public Safety | Telecommunications and Technology
Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)
Policy: NACo urges Congress to oppose the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).
Support Reduction of Methamphetamine Use
Policy: NACo supports comprehensive legislation to reduce the use of methamphetamine.
Support the Inclusion of Hay as a Program Crop in the Next Farm Bill
Policy: NACo encourages Congress to provide a subsidy for hay production to assist agriculture communities prevent soil erosion and improve water quality.
Importation of Canadian Beef
Policy: NACo urges the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reconsider its decision to reopen the Canadian border to live cattle younger than 30 months on March 7, 2005. Furthermore, if USDA continues to pursue reopening the border to Canadian live cattle, NACo calls for the implementation of a pilot country-of-origin-labeling program for Canadian cattle.
Support for Significant Expansion of American Agriculture’s Role in Energy Production
Policy: NACo supports comprehensive legislation to encourage and enable that American Agriculture provides at least 25 percent of the total energy, including wind and solar, consumed in the United States by 2025 while continuing to produce abundant, safe and affordable food and fiber.
Opposition to Reduced Funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Policy: Urge Congress to reject the Bush administration’s proposal to cut USDA funding for rural development, conservation and commodity payments.
Community and Economic Development Support the Preservation of Essential Tax Code Incentives that Stimulate Investment of Affordable Housing
Policy: NACo urges the President’s Tax Reform Coalition to preserve, protect and expand existing tax code incentives that stimulate investment in affordable ownership and rental housing for low and moderate income Americans. These include tax-exempt housing bonds and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits.
Strong Support for Community Development Block Grants
Policy: NACo strongly urges Congress to preserve the CDBG program within the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and provide a FY06 funding level of at least $4.7 billion, with no less than $4.35 billion in formula grants.
Opposition to the Administration’s "Strengthening America’s Communities" Initiative
Policy: NACo strongly opposes the administration’s "Strengthening America’s Communities Initiative." The consolidation would completely eliminate the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), the Community Services Block Grant Program (CSBG) and key rural development resources such as the Economic Development Administration - policy changes NACo would not support. Moreover, the consolidated initiative would focus solely on economic development. While NACo is also a strong supporter of economic development planning and assistance, community development is a related but essential complement to economic development activities. Congress must preserve the functions of both community and economic development at the federal level to maintain effective intergovernmental partnerships that create and sustain viable communities.
Support for the FY06 Budget for the Department of Housing and Urban Development
Policy: Support for FY06 Appropriations for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), especially funding for programs fostering community and economic development and the provision of affordable housing in the United States.
Support the Preservation of Veterans Home Loans
Policy: NACo urges Congress to pass legislation to preserve Qualified Veterans Mortgage Bonds (QVMB), bonding authority for five states (Alaska, California, Oregon, Texas and Wisconsin) and remove the prohibition of lending QVMB monies to Post-76 Veterans.
Restore Funding to the Resource and Conservation Development Program
Policy: NACo urges Congress to fund the Resource Conservation and Development Program within the FY06 Agriculture Appropriations bill at $54 million.
Environment, Energy and Land Use
Support Efforts on Liquefied Natural Gas Platform Closed-Loop Heating
Policy: Because current technical and scientific research is inconclusive regarding effects of Open-Loop Systems on marine life, NACo supports cooperative efforts between state and federal agencies to reduce thermal pollution by appropriate and effective engineering and design of Off-Shore LNG platforms. Open-Loop Systems, if permitted, should be monitored regarding their effect on such marine life. Implementing necessary and all mitigation should be a part of such permit for Open-Loop Systems.
Opposition on Siting of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminals
Policy: NACo opposes any administration or Congressional effort to preempt state and local authorities under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) when siting liquefied natural gas (LNG) input terminals.
Support for Historical Easement Tax Credits and Conservation Easement Programs
Policy: NACo supports continued use (at the local government’s option and/or corresponding with local land use plans), of Historical Building tax credits and conservation easement programs for historical preservation and to foster economic development.
Haphazard Land Use and Health
Policy: NACo calls upon Congress to significantly fund research and demonstration projects to encourage counties and localities to develop efficient land use planning and infrastructure design practices that are fiscally sensible and produce better physical activity and health outcomes.
Agriculture and Rural Affairs | Environment, Energy and Land Use | Health
Human Services and Education | Justice and Public Safety | Telecommunications and Technology
Health
Health Disparity Reduction
Policy: NACo urges federal and state governments to eliminate disparities and provide health care access and mainstream support systems. The health care system must be designed to provide equal health care for all individuals. The existence of disparities in the system represents a failure of this system to provide equal, quality health care to all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, income, insurance status, rural or urban geographic location, sexual orientation, housing status or occupation.
Rising Cost of Prescription Medication
Policy: NACo is concerned that the advertising of prescription drugs in mass media formats (television, radio, magazines other than professional medical journals, etc.) increases the costs of prescription medications and may lead to misinformation among the non-medical public about their appropriate use. Costs for prescription medications have been escalating rapidly for several years, to the point that many citizens, especially the elderly, are unable to afford drugs that are prescribed by their physicians. National advertising of these drugs adds to the cost of the product, and may create artificially high consumer demand, thus forcing prices even higher. The decision to use any controlled substances such as prescription medications should be made exclusively by the medical provider, and not be influenced by the perception of medically untrained patients.
Medical Liability
Policy: Increasing rates of medical liability insurance are having a negative impact on access to medical services. Some medical specialties have been impacted especially hard.
NACo supports a multifaceted approach to the medical liability problem. Solutions cannot focus exclusively on capping non-economic damages, as that will not completely remedy the problem. NACo also supports solutions that would prevent frivolous lawsuits without obstructing the rights of citizens to due process.
Reduction of Health Care Costs Through Prevention
Policy: NACo urges federal and state governments and the private sector to collaborate with counties in reducing health care costs associated with preventable disease and disability by creating and supporting programs and actions that promote healthy behavior and the early detection and treatment of preventable diseases. Health care costs are growing, while federal investment in prevention and public health has been slowly eroding. The initial investment in prevention efforts will help to curb rising health care costs in many areas, specifically in chronic disease treatment. Early intervention and education can lead to cost savings for county governments in the treatment of these health conditions.
Human Services and Education
Court Appointed Special Advocates
Policy: NACo supports a 5-year reauthorization of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program under the Violence Against Women Act at a level of $24 million. NACo further supports annual appropriations increases until the program reaches its fully authorized level. CASA are trained community volunteers appointed by courts to advocate for the best interests of children who are involved in the juvenile and family court system due to abuse or neglect.
Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act
Policy: NACo urges an increase in the authorization and appropriations levels for all programs in the Older Americans Act. Additionally, NACo supports a new Title VIII to facilitate community planning and eliminating the age requirement for relatives raising children within the National Family Caregiver Support Program. The aging population is increasing rapidly, yet the funding for the Older Americans Act has remained static and does not meet the growing need such as adult protection, in-home services, nutrition, employment and transportation.
Community Services Block Grant
Policy: NACo urges Congress to fully fund the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) and opposes its consolidation into the Strengthening America’s Communities Initiative. The new initiative would be funded at $3.74 billion, which is less than the funding for the Community Development Block Grant. Thus, this new initiative is essentially an elimination of the CSBG.
Justice and Public Safety
HHS’ State And Local Bioterrorism Grant Program
Policy: NACo urges Congress to oppose the administration’s FY06 budget request to reduce funding for HHS state and local governmental bioterrorism preparedness grant program.
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG)
Policy: NACo strongly supports full funding of the JAG program. The Association also supports the inclusion of a new criminal justice expenditure-based block grant formula in JAG to direct block grant funds to local governments. The legislation should also contain incentive funds for promoting intergovernmental programs in rural counties.
(Note: A number of changes were also made to NACo’s Platform language in this issue area. The changes reflected NACo’s opposition to administration proposals to eliminate or significantly reduce funding for a number of necessary and popular programs, such as COPS, the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), Emergency Management Performance Grants, the Fire Fighters Assistance Grant Program and Homeland Security Grant Programs.)
Labor and Employment Governmental Retirement Plans
Policy: NACo supports full portability of retirement benefits between all types of retirement plans and opposes any policy that would eliminate or limit the special features of state and local governmental retirement plans.
Workforce Development Programs
Policy: NACo urges Congress to increase Workforce Investment Act funding in the fiscal year 2006 budget; at a minimum maintain current program year funding levels.
Public Lands Wildland Urban Interface Fire
Policy: NACo calls on counties to enact better local land use ordinances and local fuels management policies for wildland fire protection in and around communities at risk of wildland fire and reaffirms its support for federal, state and local efforts to collaborate and cooperate on issues associated with fire in the WUI.
Telecommunications and Technology
Federal Communications Commission Local Government Interaction
Policy: NACo urges FCC commissioners to ensure that they provide for an advisory committee, similar to the former Local/State Governmental Advisory Committee (LSGAC) or the current Intergovernmental Advisory Committee (IAC), for local and state government officials to interact with FCC commissioners. This committee should include several county elected officials and provide for opportunities for the national organizations (NACo, NGA, NLC and USCM) to support the committee.
Appointment of Federal Communications Commissioners
Policy: NACo urges the president to appoint FCC Commissioners who understand and appreciate local government perspective on telecommunications issues, and that Congress takes this into account as they consider vacancies on the FCC.
Transportation Railroad Competition Act
Policy: NACo supports the passage of the Railroad Competition Act. The Railroad Competition Act would require railroads to quote rates to their customers. It would provide arbitration for certain rail rates, services and other disputes. It would allow the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to identify areas that lack adequate rail competition, resulting in market remedies for rail customers in those areas. The monopoly on the rail industry has resulted in a lack of competition, causing exorbitant pricing and poor service. It is a deterrent to economic development and has caused, in some regions of the nation, the loss of jobs.
Agriculture and Rural Affairs | Environment, Energy and Land Use | Health
Human Services and Education | Justice and Public Safety | Telecommunications and Technology
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