Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Forward from Dr. Lucianne Lavin

Hi Folks,

The proposed change in funds from the CT Community Investment Act will devastate historic preservation, farm preservation, and archaeology grants in CT. Please read and follow up if you value your historic and agricultural heritage.

----- Original Message -----
From: Lennon Hite
Sent: Monday, December 29, 2008 8:14 AM
Subject: Hartford Preservation ALERT
Dear friend of Hartford Preservation Alliance, Please read the message below and find some time to help us save this critically needed funding. Every voice counts! Warmest regards for the New Year, Laura
Dear Preservationist, Last Wednesday, Governor Rell proposed $365.3 million in cuts in spending and increased revenues for the current fiscal year to cover the deficit predicted by the State Comptroller. One line item for a proposed $10 million is to suspend payments for the rest of this year from the Community Investment Act of 2005, and to instead deposit the funds into the General Fund.
The Community Investment Act relies on a $30 fee charged by town clerks for all land record filings. The municipality keeps $4, and the remaining $26 is divided among historic preservation, farmland preservation, open space protection, and affordable housing. In the past three years, hundreds of grants to municipalities around the state have resulted in significant infrastructure improvements, created jobs, and preserved land and buildings that define the character of our state. After decades of limping along on small federal grants, historic preservation finally has a source of funds commensurate with its pent-up needs, and now the Governor’s proposal would ZERO it out. No other fund was completely zeroed out this way.
The loss of this income stream would be profoundly devastating to historic preservation in Connecticut. We will lose staff, programs, grants, and momentum on dozens of improvement projects.
Please call your legislator and the leadership of the legislature to ask them to leave the Community Investment Act intact. All pertinent contact information can be found at www.cga.ct.gov <http://www.cga.ct.gov/> , and the address for all legislators is: (Legislator’s Name), Legislative Office Building, Hartford, CT 06106-1591.
We must act now, before any Special Session is called to deal with the deficit. We must save this dedicated income stream now, or it will never come back to us in the next biennial budget. Please act! If you email your legislator, think about putting the email address below on the Bcc line, and share your talking points with CPA.
Anita L. Mielert

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