Another Bush budget, another means to screw Indians...
From Indianz.com:
Bush administration seeks another cut in BIA budget
Tuesday, February 5, 2008In the last budget of his administration, President Bush on Monday announced a cut of nearly $100 million to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The fiscal year 2009 budget seeks $2.2 billion for the agency that serves more than 550 tribes and more than 1.6 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. The request represents a 4.4 percent decrease from current levels and a 5.1 percent decrease from last year's budget.
At a press conference in Washington, D.C., Secretary Kempthorne acknowledged the financial constraints facing the Interior Department. But he said the fiscal year 2009 budget includes increases to beef up law enforcement on reservations and improve education levels at BIA schools.
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The only other area that saw a notable increase was economic development. The budget seeks $8.2 million, an increase of $2 million, for the BIA's guaranteed loan program, which helps tribes and Indian businesses.
That meant that reductions were seen in almost every part of the agency. There was a $27.6 million cut to school construction, $22 million cut to welfare assistance, a $12.5 million cut to roads maintenance, a $10.6 million cut for self-governance compacts, a $5.9 million cut to scholarships and adult education and a $2.3 million cut to tribal courts.
There were also three outright eliminations. The budget seeks to remove $21.4 million in Johnson O'Malley education grants, $13.6 million for the Housing Improvement Program and $9.8 million for Indian land consolidation.
