Poor worry over heating aid cuts as winter looms

[RamboLiberal]

Source: MSNBC

Last year Carolyn Brackett and her family received $700 to help pay their gas bills from a federal program for low-income families -- enough to heat their home for six weeks during New Hampshire's long, cold winter.

But this year the Brackett family may get nothing as federal cuts to heating assistance to low-income families have jeopardized aid to thousands of households.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has allotted $1.7 billion for the program so far this year, down from $4.5 billion last year and $5 billion the year before.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program provides aid to millions of households across the nation. In 2009, the last year for which figures are available, 7.7 million households in all 50 states benefited from the program.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45142763/ns/us_news-life/

[lib2DaBone]

1. Billions and Billions for WOT, War on Drugs, TSA, FBI, NSA, ATF, ICE, .....

But not a dime for Americans....

[inna]

2. uh, President's own brilliant fucking idea, everybody should google it.

:nuke:

[Fumesucker]

3. The Lucky Duckies can burn their vast piles of bootstraps to stay warm..

[eShirl]

4. people *will* die as a result of this

if not directly from hypothermia, then from carbon monoxide poisoning or smoke inhalation/burning to death while desperately trying to keep warm by less-safe means

[eShirl]

5. ...but at least the rich will still have their Bush Tax Cuts!

We all know tax relief for the rich is far more important than human lives.

[sam11111]

6. 1% have their Bush tax cut cash- $16 Trillion

Top 1% have $16 trillion

(link was included as part of daily KOS)

--------------------------
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:nxY_tso8jLcJ:http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/10/04/789523/-Citigroups-Shocking-Plutonomy-Reports-h-t-Michael-Moore+plutonomy&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&strip=1

-------------------------------
The Wealth Report
Plutonomics ...
By Robert Frank, Wall Street Journal - Jan 8, 2007

... The nation’s top 1% of households own .... more than $16 trillion in wealth ...
-------------------------------
-------------------------------
The top 10% have $33 trillion
---------------
The Debt is just 15 trillion

[elocs]

7. Fortunately here in Wisconsin utility companies cannot cut off heat from Nov. 1 to April 15,

but that doesn't help those who use fuel oil.

I'll be getting nearly $400 in energy assistance next month, maybe more early next year, and that will pay for my energy use for the winter.

[Horse with no Name]

8. That is wonderful.

In Texas they can. :(

Not only that....Texas has a population of ~24m people...and 1 in 5 of those are living in poverty.

[zanana1]

9. We just had a power outtage for five days...

During the days, the temps were in the forties, at night, in the thirties. I kept thinking about homeless people and what they do all winter to stay warm. We're also in NH and also get assistance, though this year, it's been cut by about half. We'll be able to get by (we keep our thermostat at 60), but for those with large families, there's a feeling of hopelessness that doesn't let up when people say "don't worry--we'll be there for you". Because, most often, people aren't there for them. We're all on our own out here. The conservative's idea of "charity" would not work out in today's society. People are out for themselves alot more now. Neighbors don't necessarily share anything; they're more likely to keep what they have for themselves.

[No Elephants]

10. Cuts to the poor can be a death sentence, be it heat, food, medicine or health care.