Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. letter to J. A., July 8, 1996

Congress of tfte Unitrb States jSjousr ot -Rcprtstntatibte ©Hasfpngton, 2ЭС 20515-2002 July 8, 1996 Dear I Thank you for contacting me concerning your opposition to the ACLU-HUD settlement and partial-consent decree. I understand and share the concerns of everyone in the community about this situation, and the great impact it has on many lives. I have in the past and will continue to oppose this action. I feel it is in the best interest of my constituents I do everything possible to defeat this ill conceived plan. As you may know, my opposition to this agreement is three fold. First, the agreement bypasses the legislative process and attempts to impose a policy of race-based social engineering which has failed miserably in the past. Voucher recipients will not have the option of remaining near their communities under the agreement, and it places Constitutionally suspect limits on where they may live. Two, this agreement is extroadinarily expensive and merely moves poverty from one place to another. It does nothing to address the root causes of many problems facing the poor. Finally, the process of constructing the agreement was reached without any input from the counties likely to be affected or the impacted suburban neighborhoods. The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the ACLU are trying to impose their will of the taxpayers without the benefit of legislative debate and analysis and without regard to middle class communities in the region. I feel it is my duty to try and stop this. Thank you for your dedication to this issue, and for expressing your concern to me. If you have any questions feel free to contact my Chief Administrator, Karl Aumann, in my Lutherville office at 337-7222.