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About a dozen advocates for the region’s low-income residents gathered at the County Administration Building today to protest the county’s failure to apply for federal stimulus funds that would create local jobs.
The press conference touched on many of the issues we’ve been looking at this week. One interesting comment came from Wayne Riggs, a pastor from Plymouth Congregational Church in North Park. Riggs was at the county building this morning to stand with the Supportive Parents Information Network, a local support and advocacy group for low-income families.
Riggs said the county’s refusal of the federal funds impacts more than just welfare recipients whose jobs could’ve been created with this money.
It was our money that went to Washington, and the county missed a chance to draw that money back to San Diego to be distributed here, he said.
“Don’t just point to the fact that they’re ignoring the poor,” Riggs said. “But they’ve ignored the taxpayers of San Diego who deserve a return on their money.”
Update: The county has released a letter responding to this week’s discussion on these stimulus funds.
— KELLY BENNETT