Your Viewpoint Letters to the Editor
CDBG disappointing
By JOE MILLER Pastor, FUMC-Newton

The CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) program is a disappointment to me, and it will be disappointing to the people of East Texas. Hurricane Rita occurred 30 months ago and reopening the application process is counterproductive.

The people of Newton County have been through this process a number of times and have been promised assistance by DETCOG. They have been put on waiting lists, and have not been able to get information on their status. It will take a time consuming and costly effort to get them to participate again.

Those efforts and money could best be directed toward actual building, instead of generating more paper. The housing specs and guidelines for contractors are onerous and will impede progress. Local codes are more than adequate for repairs and new construction.

There are a number of faith-based and non-profit organizations that have successfully rehabilitated homes and built new ones. I mention a few: Nehemiah's Vision, Second Hope Homes (SHH), Rita Recovery and the Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS). Our own funding at Second Hope Homes has come from Church World Service, Rita Recovery, the Mennonite Disaster Service, the Permanent Endowment Fund of Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church, etc.

Although it is a constant struggle with limited funds, hundreds of projects have come to fruition through the combined efforts of these organizations.

Much of the labor has been done by volunteers, and in some cases, the money to purchase materials; this is documented on www.NewtonMethodist.com.

The wise choice would be to fund those organizations and assist them as requested. Our area is very rural, the homesites are widely scattered and not easily accessible. Large contractors from outside the area would have difficulty operating and finding temporary housing for their employees.

I invite anyone to review the repairs and homes that have been done in Newton and Jasper Counties. Why consider replacing a system that is working and is extremely cost effective?

I fear that another bottleneck is being created to replace the current bottleneck.

My most pressing concern is the people. I have been involved in this effort since the day after Rita hit. Many people are living in conditions that boggle the mind, and after waiting this long, they deserve expedient action.

Why not award some of the appropriated funds to existing organizations so that current work efforts are continued and enhanced?

I do not speak for any of the organizations that I mentioned in my letter. I speak as a clergy person concerned about my parish.

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