Rabbi Talve Addresses Concerns
About Budget Cuts @ Town Hall Meeting

Rabbi Susan Talve of Central Reform Congregation was one of several representatives from sponsoring organizations who stated her concerns about 2010 state budget cuts for social services at a Town Hall meeting recently at the Kirkwood Baptist Church. Representative Rick Stream of Kirkwood, vice chair of the House Budget Committee, was there to state his position and answer questions from the nearly 100 St. Louis area residents who attended. Pastor Scott Stearman of Kirkwood Baptist Church moderated.

This Monday, March 23, there will be an urgent meeting of St. Louis area faith leaders regarding the proposed 2010 budget cuts followed by a Press Conference at Kirkwood Baptist Church, at the corner of Woodlawn and Adams, at 10: 30 a.m.  

According to a press release issued from Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice: Rep. Stream of Kirkwood, vice chairman of the House Budget Committee, does not favor using federal stimulus funds to support health care and social services. Instead the Budget Committee produced a 2010 budget that makes more than $300 million in cuts to mental health, health, and social services. The cuts also eliminate more than 3,700 jobs in the public and private sectors.

Two days prior to the Town Hall, a group of faith leaders – Rabbi Talve, Rabbi Andrea Goldstein of Shaare Emeth and Batya Abramson-Goldstein, executive director of the Jewish Community Rleations Council, met with Representative Allen Icet, the House Budget Committee Chair, to voice concerns.  Said Batya Abramson-Goldstein, “This was an opportunity to share with Rep. Icet our deep concern at the severe cuts to human services that would result from the Committee Substitute Budget bills passed prior to the Legislative recess on March 12. Based on the proposed funding cuts, approximately 70,000 Missourians could lose services or have services significantly reduced. At a minimum Missouri will forfeit $160 million in critical federal funds which could result in a loss of as many as 3,700 Missouri jobs.”

She added that the group urged Rep. Icet to use the federal stimulus cuts to keep that from happening. “The federal stimulus was given to states to do two things: prevent states from cutting critical services during an economic downturn when larger numbers of people are vulnerable; and to maintain and create jobs that will stimulate the economy. The House Budget Committee’s actions would  harm already vulnerable Missourians,  and, also harm the state’s economy by cutting jobs in the public and private sectors. We stressed the obligation of the state to not turn its back on the needs of its most vulnerable, and to use every means possible to respond to the current emergency situation.”

In making her statement at the Town Hall meeting, Rabbi Talve said, “We cannot make budget cuts on the backs of the poor. The stimulus is there because we are in a crisis and the philosophy that we can’t depend on it is not what the stimulus is about.” Missouri needs to find other sources of revenue, she said. 

Rabbi Talve added that what we’re talking about in terms of helping others is “really the call of the Prophets. This is about faith and our leaders must speak up because religious traditions realize that the most vulnerable are really vulnerable.”  She cautioned that people who are not getting services because of cuts are finding their way into the doors of our religious institutions. “It’s pretty tough because these institutions alone don’t have the resources to help everyone. Help must be a public-private partnership. We will be as compassionate and generous a people as we can be. However, our tax dollars are our way of putting money into a communal pot so the government can be a partner, not just a fiscal agent to make moral decisions whether to help people.”

The meeting was sponsored by Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice, the National Alliance on Mental Illness-NAMI St. Louis, Missouri Health Care for All, Missouri Jobs with Justice and other faith and community groups. 

“The shout is loud. The faith leaders meeting and Press Conference are critical because the state is about to put the budget to rest. We hope there is still time to restore some of the deep cuts, if we can make the cry be heard,” said Rabbi Talve.