For Jewish community-affiliated agencies that receive money from the state, the last two months of past-deadline legislative wrangling over the budget has been a nail-biting time, with some organizations awaiting word on half or more of their annual funding.
\”You can either like him or not like him, but you cannot dismiss him\” (\”How the West Was Won,\” Aug. 16).
In Jewish communal boardrooms in New York and Washington, all eyes are focused on the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the tricky matter of U.S.-Israeli relations in a changing era.
Any experienced law-enforcement professional knows that coordination and communication make all the difference in a complex case or threat situation.
"So, how\’s the \’uglification\’ of the house coming along?" Gabe asks as he walks in the front door.
A rift between the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Los Angeles (JCCGLA) and its primary benefactor, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, over the direction of Los Angeles\’ JCCs has prompted JCCGLA to sever its ties with The Federation.
Gov. Gray Davis\’ proposed state budget for 2002-2003 has local Jewish organizations worried. With the state\’s approximately $12 billion deficit (in a proposed $98 billion budget) covered by program cuts, along with loans and spending deferrals, local agencies such as Jewish Family Service (JFS) and Jewish Vocational Service may face a significant reduction in funding.
Despite a tough economic year that prompted more than $550 million in line-item vetoes by Governor Gray Davis, the new California state budget allocates almost $10 million dollars to Jewish organizations.
Rosy government forecasts have been backed by a series of recent reports issued by leading financial analysts, who see Israel\’s economy pulling out of the slowdown that has pushed unemployment up to nearly 9 percent since 1997.
With Congress and the White House battling over the budget, Israel\’s nearly $3 billion in annual aid as well as funds to help Israel and the Palestinians implement last year\’s Wye River accord have been caught in the political wrangling.
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