Group Protests Threat to Youth Job Program : Activism: Business leaders, police and politicians rally in defense of nationwide service put in jeopardy by congressional budget-cutting fervor.

Trying to protect a popular summer youth jobs program, a coalition of business, police and elected officials on Thursday protested proposed cuts to an organization that last year found employment for 1,100 teen-agers in Ventura County.

The group of students, business leaders and local officials staged the demonstration at Santa Maria City Hall to pressure Congress about an upcoming vote on the budget for the summer youth employment program, run in Ventura County by the Job Training Policy Council.

Last month, a congressional subcommittee voted to eliminate the $1.7-billion nationwide program, which pays 14- to 21-year-olds who are handicapped or come from low-income families while providing work experience, job training and some remedial education.

Congress appears to be backing off the most Draconian cuts and a decision has yet to be made on the program’s future. But youth employment officials in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties are concerned that their budgets will suffer drastic cuts, leaving hundreds of young people idle during the summer with no hope for a job.

“People in Washington don’t understand that when you are talking about summer youth, you are not talking about putting $1,000 in each kid’s pocket,” said Jackie Richardson, chairwoman of the Job Training Policy Council. “The kids spend the money. We give them a reason to stay out of gangs, and self-esteem. The decisions were made from an uninformed, unenlightened position.”

Richardson recently flew to Washington to lobby for the program and met with Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley).

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While Gallegly said in an interview Thursday that he supports programs to keep youth employed, he said many difficult budget cuts need to be made. He said they are included as part of a large package of proposed reductions that he must consider as a whole before making a decision.

“Hey, let’s face it--we’re going to have to make a lot of tough decisions if we’re ever going to take care of the deficit in this country,” Gallegly said. “We can’t pass this on to our children and grandchildren.”

Thursday morning, about 35 supporters of summer youth job programs from the three counties rallied in Santa Maria, arguing that the cuts would lead to an increase in crime, hurt businesses and leave young people unprepared to enter the workplace.

Maribel Mendez of Arbor and Associates, a company that helps coordinate the Ventura County program, said low-income youths and those at risk for getting into trouble would be most affected by the cuts.

“You have to be low-income to qualify,” Mendez said. “It also helps their self-esteem. I don’t know how many times I have heard, ‘I would not have applied for this job if it wasn’t for you,’ or ‘I wouldn’t have gone back to school if it wasn’t for this.’ It motivates them.”

The Ventura County Job Training Policy Council received $2.3 million last year to operate its summer youth program, which benefited 1,100 local teen-agers. The council, which also operates other employment programs, had a $14-million budget last year.

Local officials were previously told they would receive $1.6 million for the 1995 program. But with the slashing of youth programs by Congress, they now expect $1.2 million at best.

“Everybody is very, very concerned,” said Aram Saroyan, a spokesman for the Job Training Policy Council. “Over 2,000 at-risk youth in the tri-county area are going to be out in the street instead of learning to fit into the world of work and become productive members of society.”

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David Herrera, a 15-year-old from Santa Paula, took part in the program last year, working as a janitor at Barbara Webster School. Cutting the program’s funding would be a mistake, he said.

“More kids will be causing trouble, gang violence and stuff,” David said. “There’s not much to do. . . . A summer job helps you take some responsibility. You have to do the job or they fire you. It’s serious.”