On the LIHEAP cuts

[MadHound]

Much ado has been made about Obama's proposed cuts to LIHEAP. The proposed cut is from the current 5.1 billion dollars down to 2.5 billion dollars, a little over half.

Now the rationalization for these cuts is that Obama doubled the outlay for FY 2009 because of the energy price spike, and is now just going back to the normal, pre 2009 levels since energy prices have come down off the spike.

But this notion is simply belied by the facts, let's take a look at a few of them.

First off, energy costs aren't going down, they're going up. Heating oil prices have risen, and the cost of propane is at an all time high. Not to mention gas, and electric prices are all going up. Yes, gasoline hasn't spiked up to the level it was a few years ago, but it is getting there, and other energy prices are actually above their 2009 highs.

Secondly, the number of people who are served by LIHEAP has increased dramatically. Currently, 8.9 million people are served by LIHEAP, 600,000 more people than last year, and a record breaking number for the third year in a row.

So with energy prices rising, and the number of people being served is breaking records, what happens if LIHEAP assitance is cut? For every billion dollars cut from the program, the amount of an average heating bill that is covered by LIHEAP decreases by approximately six percent. Further, for every billion dollars cut, approximately one million people are robbed of any assistance whatsoever. So, to sum up, with a cut of 2.6 billion dollars, LIHEAP will be serving 2.5 million fewer people, 2.5 million people who will be unable to either heat or cool their house next year. Worse, even if a person does remain in the LIHEAP program, they will be expected to pay fifteen percent more on their energy bills, a huge burden on the poor, and especially those with fixed income, namely the elderly.

So contrary to the happy, happy, joy, joy talk being put out by the administration, these cuts to LIHEAP aren't benign cuts designed to bring us back in line with the pre 2009 energy prices. These are brutal cuts to a program that is vital for the survival of low income and elderly. What are those 2.5 million people who will get thrown off the assistance rolls supposed to do for heat next winter? What about those elderly folks who will no longer get cooling assistance in the summer, what are they supposed to do? Go without food? Not pay the rent? Go without their medication?

Or simply die?

That seems to be the elephant in the room that this administration doesn't want to talk about. Cutting this much needed program in half is going to force people to make difficult, desperate and dangerous decisions. Worse yet, without this program, people will die.

All to gain what, 2.6 billion in deficit cuts? What, you can't get this out of the military budget? Hell the military has lost more money than that in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

But instead, we're going to let people die, cold and alone. That's what these cuts to LIHEAP mean.

Sources:
<http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/02/cold-war-proposed-budget-cuts-to-heating-program-draw-swift-backlash.html>
<http://www.liheap.org/investment.html>
<http://stage-v4.federalnewsradio.com/?sid=2264180&nid=37>

[xchrom]

1. Well said. Nt

[CrossChris]

2. I'm thinking these decisions are being made by people with no connection to America

Maybe even by people who hate Americans.

Ever since Citizens United, what's to stop foreign corporations from plugging their guys into office, and attacking us from within?

[MadHound]

4. Oh, frankly Citizens United simply formalized and made plain what has been going on for decades

This country lives by the Golden Rule, the other one, he who has the gold rules. Corporations, both foreign and domestic, having been purchasing politicians for years and decades. CU decision just codifies it and exposed it to public scrutiny.

And no, the wealthy and elite in this country have little connection to this country, at least not to the country the vast majority of us live in.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ThomCat]

21. The decisions are being made by wealthy people

who want to suck every last dollar out out of our treasury, into their own pockets. Because they think rich people need it and deserve it, but poor people don't.

[CrossChris]

22. A big "yep" to all three of those responses.

There's really a huge flaw in the design, but the people with the power to fix it, benefit from it.

[cali]

3. rec. damned straight.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. The White House needs to see this.

Just simply horrifying.

I am continuously outraged.

[MadHound]

6. Oh, I'm sure the White House has seen it,

The sad, infuriating thing is that they seem to simply not care. Billions for banksters, billions for the war, billions for the wealthy, but the poor, the poor are supposed to suffer in order to reduce the deficit:grr:

[AngryOldDem]

7. My local news just had on a story about heating costs and paying for them.

More and more people here (Indiana) are falling behind with their utility payments because this has been a particularly harsh winter. The gas company is urging people to come in and negotiate terms before service is discontinued.

Several years ago I volunteered with my parish's St. Vincent de Paul Society. People who needed help with various things would call in, leave a message, and I would be one of several SVDP members who would get back in touch with them. The arrears that some of these poor people were in to various utilities were mindboggling. Some were approaching $1,000. And yes, they were having to make decisions between heat and food, or heat and medicine. Some were at the end of their ropes, and more often than not I had to sit there in my comfortable surroundings and listen to them cry as they unburdened themselves to me, a total stranger, about the dire straits they were in. The utility was more than happy to work with us to get assistance through HEAP, and our SVDP often paid a quarter or more of their bill upfront in order to get the process going quicker. This alone validates the HEAP program, and any cuts to it -- especially in light of increasingly hard winters -- is just unconscionable. Surely cuts can be made in other areas that would leave this particular program alone, for it is desperately needed. I am shocked and dismayed that this would even be on the table for a "Democratic" administration.

K&R.

[MadHound]

10. And that is being played out in state after state, city after city, all across the country

I live in Missouri, and have seen articles along the same lines, the need for assistance is going up and up, and people are being forced into a corner. Next year though is going to be much, much worse if these cuts go through.

[AngryOldDem]

13. As you said: People will die. Period.

And if anyone is fine with that happening, then I really don't know what to say.

The day we choose a budget over lives is the day we lose our collective soul as a nation.

Honest to God, when I was with SVDP, there were times when I just wanted to pay the damn utility bills myself just to give the people I talked to a little bit of relief.


EDIT: One more thing: ALL of us at some point could be in need of this program. I can't count the number of times I heard people say, "I never thought I'd have to ask for help like this," or "This is the first time I've had to do this." There but for the grace of God go I...I know this means squat to conservatives but they aren't immune either.

[MadHound]

15. I keep thinking that we need to start a website

One that show people how to get the things they need. It isn't that hard to turn on the electricity once the utilities shut it off (a couple of table knives and some seriously insulated gloves), how to turn gas, water, phone and other utilities back on.

Perhaps an update on Abby Hoffman's "Steal This Book":evilgrin:

[AngryOldDem]

18. That, though, is dangerous. And illegal.

Two things the poor don't need. Better, I think, to just form a grassroots program that would provide funds. The media earlier in the winter here did a story about a single mom who had her heat cut off. She had two or three little ones and had space heaters all over the house as well as her oven turned up to full blast. When that hit the air, people donated money for her to get her power back on. She got more than enough money to pay her bill. I tbink there are still enough compassionate people out there who would gladly donate to the cause.

Bottom line: Survival should be nonnegotiable, and it IS the government's business to help with the basics of existence. Heat is one of them. And if government can't do it, then we should.

[panader0]

8. K and R

[Tatiana]

9. These LIHEAP cuts give a big "F YOU" to the elderly.

They are on fixed incomes and often have a hard time absorbing increasing natural gas/propane/electricity costs on top of paying for basics like food and medication.

This is simply a horrendous and heartless cut. I'd rather forgo high-speed rail than have one of our seniors freeze to death.

[handmade34]

11. general info

http://liheap.ncat.org/news/feb11/record.htm

[DeSwiss]

14. But, but, but it doesn't matter what you think......

... because, because because, well what about President Sarah Palin!?!?!? Huh? See what could happen??? What chew gonna say now??? Think of the White House smelling like mooseburgers all the time!

Not scared eh? Um.... well what about President Newt Gringrich?!?!?! Huh? Don't that scare you into not criticizing this wunnerful, bodacious guy???? No???

Ummm.... well what about President Jeb Bush!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Now that's enough to scare anybody!!!! Right?!?!?!


- Hosni Mubarak?

K&R

[Dappleganger]

16. A perfectly legal way to thin the herd...

if there are less of us they get bigger pieces of the pie.

[MadHound]

17. Yes,

Sadly Malthus and Social Darwinism have been the guiding philosophies of the wealthy and elite for generations and generations.

[Kurovski]

19. K&R

Thank you for putting this OP together.

Add to that the fact that there has been no cost of living raise in Social security for three years, and there will for certain be people who will die. Most definitely in the summer when a heat wave hits. You can possibly keep warm if you stay in bed dressed in coats and clothes, but the elderly will die in a heatwave.


What the hell kind of crap country has the right wing created in thirty years? Even a Dem pres is asleep at the wheel.

[The Wielding Truth]

20. My gas bill has gone way up. So I'm afraid this cut is going to really hurt

those in need.