Fayetteville Observer

As you noted (“Vice presidential hopeful Paul Ryan says Mitt Romney would work to avoid defense cuts,” Aug. 24), federal budget sequestration has real consequences for North Carolina. But only half of sequestration’s impact is on defense. Nondefense cuts will also hit hard, costing more than 17,000 North Carolina jobs.

Why? Because sequestration makes deep cuts to investments that matter for kids and families. Nearly 66,000 North Carolina families would lose health services through the Maternal & Child Health Block Grant, and 22,000 would lose quality nutrition through WIC. About 65,000 North Carolina children would lose educational help, including 14,000 with disabilities.

These and many other cuts will cause broader economic harm. Teachers, nurses, food bank staff, and other family-supporting jobs will vanish, as the investments that fund them dry up.

For the sake of North Carolina kids and North Carolina’s economy, any sequestration solution must protect nondefense investments, too.

Bruce Lesley, First Focus Campaign for Children, Washington, D.C.Deborah Bryan, Action for Children N.C,Raleigh

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