Summit County and Hattie Larlham leaders are irritated that they are cited in a U.S. senator’s 614-page report about how to balance the federal deficit and cut wasteful spending.The county and nonprofit agency sent separate letters Wednesday to Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., defending a $100,000 Community Development Block Grant given to Hattie Larlham in 2009 to create a doggie day care center and kennel in Twinsburg Township.“Either you haven’t done any research on the programs you are criticizing or you really do not value providing support programs to people with developmental disabilities and their families,” County Executive Russ Pry wrote.Coburn, a frequent critic of pork-barrel spending, released his “Back in Black” report last month during the debt limit debate and offered ideas about how to trim the federal deficit by $9 trillion over the next 10 years.An excerpt was printed last week in the Wall Street Journal.“Because CDBG funds are awarded with little ensuing accountability, these dollars have too frequently been spent on projects that have little to do with community development,” the report says.Coburn cites the Summit County grant as one example of wasteful spending.Hattie Larlham Chief Executive Officer Dennis Allen wrote that the day care and kennel helped renovate a vacant building, created “meaningful employment for 38 people with developmental disabilities,” and added $287,738 in annual payroll into the community.“What you do in Congress is serious business and it impacts all of us,” Pry wrote. “I would hope that in the future you would do it in a more informed and professional manner.”Coburn could not immediately be reached for comment.It’s not the first time Coburn has criticized spending in the Akron area. In 2008, he called the high-altitude airship being built by Lockheed Martin a waste of money.The prototype, unmanned airship crashed last week during its inaugural flight. Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com.