Political Quotes

“as our Nation grapples with the COVID- 19 pandemic, our State, county, and municipal governments have been on the frontlines taking a leading role in responding to this crisis. As a result, they have been squeezed on both sides of the ledger, spending billions of dollars in unforeseen costs on emergency response while watching as revenues dry up due to necessary stay-at-home orders and the closure of non-essential businesses. The emergency protective measures have been effective at flattening the curve and have no doubt saved thousands of lives, but they also came with a cost. All revenue sources are down. Sales tax revenue has plummeted with businesses closed. Highway trust funds won't have the resources to do basic road maintenance. Downtown parking meters are going empty due to people observing social distancing. Building permits and municipal court fees have fallen. Unless we act soon, we will see mass layoffs, devastating tax increases, and a breakdown in public safety and essential services. Already, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that State and local governments laid off 1 million public employees in April. This challenge is true for every State, county, city, and town in the country. The State Municipal Assistance for Response and Transition, or SMART Act, is the bold, bipartisan, and commonsense solution we need to give our communities a fighting chance and stop the economy from free- falling.…”