S

ome Jewish communal agencies 
in Metro Detroit are holding their 
breath as Democratic Gov. Gretchen 
Whitmer and the Republican-led legisla-
ture continue to hammer out state budget 
issues.
The reason for their angst is an item in 
the Department of Health and Human 
Services’
 (DHHS) budget for state 
funding of various human service agen-
cies, like the Arab Community Center 
for Economic and Social Services, the 
Chaldean Community Foundation, the 
Arab American-Chaldean Council and the 
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. 
As of now, those organizations stand to 
lose half the funding they usually get from 
the state.
For the Jewish community, the impact 
would be about $2 million that is usu-
ally allocated to Jewish 
Family Service, JVS, Jewish 
Community Center, JARC, 
Kadima and Friendship 
Circle, according to David 
Kurzmann, senior director, 
community and donor rela-
tions at Federation. 
“Not a single cut has been made in any 
of these agencies,” Kurzmann said. “We’
re 
still hoping these funds are restored.”
Also in limbo is the Holocaust 
Memorial Center in Farmington Hills, 
which stands to lose $500,000 in state 
funding if negotiations fail between the 
governor’
s office and the state legislature 
to address the issue in supplemental 
spending bills.

WHAT HAPPENED?
Historically, both political parties have 
supported state funding for these kinds 
of human service agencies, the Holocaust 
Memorial Center and other entities, like 
the Charles H. Wright Museum of African 
American History and the Arab American 
National Museum in Dearborn. However, 
this year’
s budget process was somewhat 
unusual. 
One week before the budget deadline, 
the Republican-led legislature sent its 
$59.9 billion budget to Whitmer, with-
out her input, after budget negotiations 
between the two had broken down during 
the summer. 
To meet the budget deadline and avoid 
a government shutdown, Whitmer line-
item vetoed nearly $1 billion of the nearly 
$60 billion budget and shifted $625 mil-
lion within state departments through 
the State Administrative Board to better 
reflect her priorities. Whitmer then said 
she wanted to negotiate a supplemental 
spending bill with Republicans to allocate 
the $947 million left over after her vetoes.

MULTICULTURAL SERVICE 
AGENCIES MONIES
According to State Sen. 
Jeremy Moss, D-11th 
District, the Republican 
budget did not provide 
enough funds for the state 
to meet new Medicaid work 
requirements, which is why 
Whitmer transferred funds within the 
DHHS budget, resulting in the loss of 

funding for multicultural human service 
agencies.
Whitmer’
s Communications Director 
Zack Pohl said in a statement to the 
Jewish News: “The budgets passed by 
the Republican legislature were fatally 
flawed and included massive cuts to 
essential state services that would force 
tens of thousands of Michiganders to 
lose access to health care and jeopardize 
public safety.” 
According to State Rep. 
Ryan Berman, R-39th 
District, who says he supports 
state funding for multicul-
tural organizations, it was 
included in the Republican 
budget. “Whitmer used the 
Administrative Board to transfer the money 
to her other funding priorities,
” he said.
According to Pohl, Whitmer supports 
funding for multicultural service agencies 
“and her budget reflected those priorities,
” 
he said. “The governor had to make tough 
decisions to keep our families and commu-
nities safe and help Michiganders access 
critical services that they rely on every day.
”
Moss said he has been assured by the 
governor that restoring the funds is a pri-
ority.
“Programs created by these multicultural 
organizations serve vulnerable populations 
by helping people before they need state 
support, saving the state money in the long 
run,
” Moss said. “This must be addressed 
quickly so Federation can continue to pro-
vide support to vulnerable members of our 
Jewish community.
” 
Kurzmann said Federation is hopeful the 
cuts will be restored. “We don’
t think this is 
a done deal. We’
re doing everything we can 
to get the funding restored, working with 
allies in both parties, and we’
re under the 
impression there is a desire to resolve this 
matter.
” 
According to Pohl, “Gov. Whitmer is 
already working with Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr. 
to pass a supplemental (bill) that includes 
Republican and Democratic priorities and 
would restore funding for the multicul-
tural service agencies. If Republicans are 
serious about restoring this funding, they 
should work with the governor to pass this 
important supplemental.”

22 | OCTOBER 31 • 2019 

Kurzmann

Berman

Moss

BY ANMANWELL

State Budget Woes

JACKIE HEADAPOHL ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Jewish community stands to lose funding if Gov. 
Whitmer and Republicans don’
t negotiate.

Jews in the D

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