HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC RESO 2012-212RESOLUTION NO. 2012 — 212
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY
OPPOSING FURTHER CUTS TO FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT
FURTHER IMPACT CORE LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS
("SEQUESTRATION")
WHEREAS, last year President Obama and congressional leaders reached an
agreement to raise the debt ceiling by $2.1 trillion and reduce spending by the same amount;
and
WHEREAS, this agreement was enacted by Congress and signed into law (PL
112-25) by President Obama in August, 2011; and
WHEREAS, PL 112-25 instituted annual caps on non -defense discretionary
spending that are designed to reduce the deficit by $935 billion over the next ten years; and
WHEREAS, the $935 billion in cuts to non -defense discretionary spending have
already significantly impacted core local government programs such as CDBG, HOME,
infrastructure grants and local law enforcement assistance; and
WHEREAS, PL 112-25 also created a 12-member congressional Joint Select
Committee on Deficit Reduction (the "Super Committee") that was tasked with reviewing the
entire federal budget and finding an additional $1.5 trillion in spending reductions over the next
ten years by November 23, 2011; and
WHEREAS, the Super Committee deadlocked; and
WHEREAS, in the event of a Super Committee deadlock, PL 112-95 called for an
additional $1.2 trillion in cuts to discretionary spending to be spread over the next nine years
beginning in FY 2013, and split evenly between defense ($600 billion) and non -defense ($600
billion) discretionary spending; and
WHEREAS, the additional $1.2 trillion cut is called "sequestration" and is
scheduled to be implemented in January, 2013; and
WHEREAS, the spending levels imposed by sequestration would lead to non-
defense discretionary spending levels that would cripple or eliminate core local government
programs; and
WHEREAS, the spending levels imposed by sequestration would severely impact
the Defense Department budget, would lead to declined investment in local military bases and
could lead to another round of bases closures and realignments; and
WHEREAS, discretionary spending (defense and non -defense) makes up Tess
than one-third of the federal budget; and
WHEREAS, total discretionary spending (defense and non -defense) was less
than the budget deficit in FY 2011 and will probably be less than the budget deficit in FY 2012,
meaning that the deficit cannot be eliminated solely through discretionary spending cuts; and
Resolution No. 2012 — 212
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WHEREAS, budget experts and economists are calling the combination of
expiring tax provisions and sequestration a "fiscal cliff' that needs to be urgently addressed; and
WHEREAS, most non -partisan budget experts and economists agree that
eliminating the budget deficit will require a balanced approach that includes reforms to the
mandatory spending programs that make up the bulk of the budget, increased revenue and
reasonable discretionary spending caps; and
WHEREAS, metro areas have been responsible for nearly 88 percent of the
recovery in the nation's real GNP and over 83 percent of employment growth to date; and,
WHEREAS, non -defense discretionary programs are successful and productive,
leveraging significant funding from non-federal sources to help spur economic recovery; and
WHEREAS, National City has a strong military presence; its three-mile port area
along the San Diego Bay is part of Naval Base San Diego, the largest U.S. Naval base on the
west coast; and
WHEREAS, the San Diego region is home to military forces, bases, and activities
which contribute greatly to the health of the local economy. The San Diego Military Advisory
Council's 2012 Economic Impact Study by Fermanian Business and Economic Institute at Point
Loma Nazarene University, states that "An estimated total of $20.6 billion of direct spending
related to defense will flow into San Diego County during fiscal year 2012..." and "The military
sector is responsible for 311,000 of the region's total jobs in 2012 after accounting for all of the
ripple effects of defense spending," representing one out of every four jobs in San Diego's
economy; and
WHEREAS, San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation estimates
that 31,000 jobs in the San Diego region could be lost as a result of automatic reductions in the
Department of Defense budget; and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of
National City, this 16th day of October, 2012, opposes sequestration; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of National City
opposes further cuts to discretionary spending that hurt the mission of or the troops at Naval
Base San Diego or that further impact core local government programs; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of National City
calls upon President Obama and Congress to avert sequestration and craft a balanced
approach to deficit elimination that shares the burden evenly, does not disproportionately harm
national economic growth by shifting costs to local governments or harm national defense.
--- Signature Page to Follow ---
Resolution No. 2012 — 212
Page Three
PASSED and ADOPTED this 16th day of October, 2012.
ATTEST:
//
Michael R. Dalla, CityClerk
A''' ROVED AS TO FORM:
ua Silva
City Atto
Ron Morrison, Mayor
Passed and adopted by the Council of the City of National City, California, on October
16, 2012 by the following vote, to -wit:
Ayes: Councilmembers Morrison, Natividad, Rios, Sotelo-Solis, Zarate.
Nays: None.
Absent: None.
Abstain: None.
AUTHENTICATED BY: RON MORRISON
Mayor of the City of National City, California
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of the City of N Tonal
City Cler City, California
By:
Deputy
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the above and foregoing is a full, true and correct copy of
RESOLUTION NO. 2012-212 of the City of National City, California, passed and
adopted by the Council of said City on October 16, 2012.
City Clerk of the City of National City, California
By:
Deputy