Rick Lazio: “Mr. Chairman, my disagreement with him on this issue has to do with who initiates the changes that would basically…”

“Mr. Chairman, my disagreement with him on this issue has to do with who initiates the changes that would basically define low and very low income for purposes of making adjustments to basically definitional issues. Our position is to have maximum local control, and that the local community would be the entity to initiate the request, the change in definition in terms of the threshold, what is median income and what is not sufficient median income to qualify. The Secretary, obviously, in either case has a role. In our model, we would suggest that the local government, the local community, initiates it. The Secretary is consulted and has, in essence, the ability to preclude the change. The gentleman's opinion apparently is that the Secretary would have all the discretion to do this and the decision-making would be centralized in Washington.”