Invest in Today for a Brighter Future for all Floridians

By Natalie Carlier, Regional Field Coordinator, Civic Engagement Department, NCLR

In our next video installment we meet Maria Pinzon from Tampa, Florida.  Maria is the Executive Director of Hispanic Services Council, an NCLR Affiliate that works to improve the quality of life of all residents in Hillsborough County by promoting academic success and preparing Latinos to excel in today’s workforce.  Every day Maria sees the impact of federal budget cuts in her community.  She recognizes that Floridians need a federal budget that puts working families before politics and echoes our society’s highest priorities:  education and workforce development.

What does it say about our country’s values when the needs of the wealthy and corporations come before our youth, our students, and our community’s ability to pursue the American Dream?  The federal budget should uphold programs that invest in education and our youth’s future.  It should increase opportunities for our most vulnerable children to access education programs, workers to receive job training, and our families to move forward.

Federal budget cuts will reduce funding for primary and secondary education, college work-study programs, and job search and placement programs.  In Florida this means 95,000 fewer students would be served, 130 fewer schools would receive funding, 6,250 fewer low-income students would receive aid for college, and 78,960 fewer people will get the help and skills they need to find employment.

Federal budget cuts are hurting working families who are trying to make a better life for themselves.  The federal budget should look to close tax loopholes that benefit wealthy corporations and the top 2%.  As Americans we take pride in our ability to pursue the American Dream, no matter where we start from, but we must also take pride in our ability to help others on their way to this dream.

Watch Maria talk about the need to invest in education and job training in her community to prepare tomorrow’s workforce.