Federal funds should no longer be kept from local governments by the national authority
In Oberhausen-Sterkrade, Stefan Zimkeit, the financial spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, has been vocal about his concerns regarding the state government's handling of federal funds intended for refugee accommodation. Zimkeit argues that these funds, designed to support the costs of housing and caring for refugees, should be fully transferred to the municipalities to help them manage the resulting financial burdens.
Zimkeit's motion, which aimed to fully pass on these federal funds to the cities, was met with rejection from the CDU and Greens. Their stance indicates a disagreement with the SPD’s demand for the full and immediate transfer of these funds to municipalities. The exact reasons for their rejection were not detailed, but it reflects differing views on the handling and distribution of refugee accommodation funds within the state government.
Zimkeit accuses CDU Minister-President Wüst of pocketing a portion of the significantly increased funds. He claims that the state government is leaving cities like Oberhausen to bear the main burden of accommodating, supplying, and integrating refugees. Zimkeit fears that the recently agreed additional federal funds will not be fully passed on to the cities, further exacerbating the financial strain on local communities.
Zimkeit, a member of the state parliament for Oberhausen-Sterkrade, also criticizes that a significant portion of the money "sticks to the fingers" of the state government. He plays the role of a watchdog, expressing hope that the CDU and Greens will reconsider their stance and provide more support to cities accommodating refugees.
As an SPD financial expert, Zimkeit has been a vocal critic of the state government, playing a role in Berlin as well as in Oberhausen-Sterkrade. He complains that CDU Minister-President Wüst plays the role of a selfless fighter for financially overburdened municipalities with other minister-presidents, while in reality, a significant portion of the funds intended for refugee accommodation remains within the state government.
Zimkeit's criticism extends to the proposal to significantly increase the capacities of the state facilities according to demand, which also meets with resistance from the black-green coalition. This resistance further fuels Zimkeit's concerns about the state government's commitment to meeting its own targets in accommodating refugees. His role as the financial spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group allows him to maintain a strong voice in the ongoing debate about refugee accommodation funding and policy.
Stefan Zimkeit, as the financial spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, has been advocating for the transfer of federal funds for refugee accommodation to municipalities to alleviate their financial burden. His concerns about the state government's handling of these funds and the disagreement with the CDU and Greens over their distribution is part of the ongoing debate in policy-and-legislation, and general news regarding refugee accommodation. Zimkeit's criticism also extends to the proposed increase in state facilities' capacities, which faces resistance from the black-green coalition, further fueling his concerns about the state government's commitment to its own targets in this area, and thus remains a significant topic in politics.
