Senators cut funds for food and heat

[MaineDem]

WASHINGTON — Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins faced the uncomfortable choice Friday of either shutting down the federal government or cutting three-quarters of the funding for a program for heating-oil assistance and food banks in Maine. While they sided with keeping the government open, Maine's Republican senators said funding would be restored within weeks for the poverty programs.

"It was an unfortunate dilemma, but it's absolutely essential that we keep government open and operating," Collins said. "This is a temporary setback for the program that I strongly support, but I'm confident in the end that funding will be there for it."

The conflict arose because the federal government's fiscal year ended Friday. Congress has approved only two spending bills for the year that starts today, for the Interior Department and the legislative branch of government. Ten other bills are pending.

In order to keep the government running while those 10 bills are debated, Congress needed to approve a temporary spending measure. The measure funds everything from the Agriculture Department to the Defense Department until Nov. 18.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/051001snowecollins.shtml

Wonderful! :eyes:

[rodeodance]

1. congress can not even do its work in a timely fashion!

...The conflict arose because the federal government's fiscal year ended Friday. Congress has approved only two spending bills for the year that starts today, for the Interior Department and the legislative branch of government. Ten other bills are pending.

In order to keep the government running while those 10 bills are debated, Congress needed to approve a temporary spending measure. The measure funds everything from the Agriculture Department to the Defense Department until Nov. 18.

[CrispyQ]

2. At least we can rest assured that

Tom DeLay's state is receiving no pork.


Unbelievable! Georgia shuts down schools for a few days to save gas & Maine cuts funds for food & heat for the poor, while our ultra-rich citizens get tax relief on their millions.

[MaineDem]

3. But we have tons of ice from FEMA! (nt)

[AspenRose]

33. Compassionate Conservatism at work...watch your step!

This is just BIZARRE. And tragic.

[Robeson]

34. Yes, its a good demonstration of "Compassionate Conservatism"...

...because Collins at least said it was an "unfortunate dilemma", right before she pulled the rug out from underneath the destitute and downtrodden. It just warms your heart, doesn't it?...

[Captain Hilts]

4. WHY are they Republicans? Most Mainers are not wealthy. nt

[geckosfeet]

8. Oh - but Mainers are "conservative New Englaners". n/t

[Gormy Cuss]

19. Mainiacs are generally fiscal conservatives and social moderates

with the a Yankee libertarian streak. That's pretty much the platform of the old Republican party. They aren't mouthfoaming neocons or members of the doughy yacht set, although a considerable number of the latter have summer places in the state.

Snowe is old-school party loyalist Republican. I wish she would emulate Maine's most famous female senator,Margaret Chase Smith,who is remembered for standing up to Joe McCarthy.

[lostnfound]

28. Democratic party is the party of fiscal conservatism.

Both the Democratic and Republican parties have an undeserved reputation in that respect -- but in opposite directions.

[Missy M]

5. Well if we starve and freeze the needy to death we won't have the...

problem anymore. Our representatives in Washington have become a bunch of useless, corrupt bastards. Why did the funding have to stop at all, that is plain BS and cruel to boot.

[asjr]

11. Seems strange they would leave that out. Well, no

it doesn't but why didn't the two senators yell, stamp their feet, and say NO WAY you are going to take that away? In the next senatorial election Mainers should vote for the Girl Scouts. I'm sure they could do a better job.

[Maine-ah]

47. starving and freezing to death the needy is called

"redistricting".

[geckosfeet]

6. I don't know. Shutting down the government for 1 day a week sounds

like it could work to me. It would only be "a temporary setback" for a government that everyone strongly supports."

What good is the government when the people it governs are frozen to death in a Maine winter?

[WhiteTara]

15. rather we need to take away congresscritters paychecks

until they can balance the budget. To actually shut down the government means that routine menial work doesn't get done...I think we suffer enough from their inefficiency without making them less accessible

[geckosfeet]

27. Hmm,, maybe. Maybe not. Things would still get done - just a little

slower. And there would be a few xtra $$$ to feed people and keep them warm.

Essential office staff would of course not be subject to forced furloughs.

Management and salaried officials could give up 10% of their pay and work half days on Friday or some such thing. They have been getting tax breaks - xtra $$$ in their pockets. Where is that coming from?

No point waiting for help from B*shCo and the publicans. The American people need to look after eachother since their government has cut them loose. If our elected officials would rather see their constituents freeze or starve than help them out, we need to re-consider who we are putting into office.

[pokercat999]

46. Their paychecks? With

the millions these crooked bastards make their paychecks go un-noticed. Take away their JOBS.....support one term and out!

One term in ANY office and NEVER again in any federal office, fair for everyone.

[buzzsaw_23]

7. You're on your own

But we do have socialism in the military.
$800 billion a year

Savage capitalism

This article says it all-just the headline is enough

nominated

[Benhurst]

9. Now, now, buzzsaw_23. The military needs every penny it can

get so that it can protect us like it did on 9/11.

[RushIsRot]

10. Just so long as they didn't trim any funds from their own

obscene pay raises...

[no_hypocrisy]

12. OK, so the Senators chose to let people without means freeze in

the "comfort" of their own homes, leading to illness and/or death while maintaining the tax cuts for the 1% top wealthy citizens who will use the funds saved to overheat their megamansions to 72+ degrees in rooms that they don't even use from one week ago to the beginning of May.

Yep. Uh huh. Right. God Bless America.

Throw the bastards out.

[jbnow]

13. This sure looks bad right now

and bringing it back as it was won't be enough this year.

Almost all the funds they want to cut seem to be social programs...but this is not the year to cut any heating programs...it needs to increase drastically. I doubt it will.
But even middle income will feel the pinch of 71% increase in natural gas heating costs predicted this winter along with the increased cause of gas for transportation which leads to overall cost of everything...
And at the time credit card minimum payments are doubled, fewer employers offer good health insurance, medical assistance programs are cut everywhere, too bad if you need to declare bankruptcy and on and on.

We...are in some trouble.

[WhiteTara]

14. we need to organize calls to those two women

and tell them to shut down the government. If they did that, it would pull the next series of threads to end this seedy "government" who would freeze most of its citizens for their personal gain.
SHUT IT DOWN! END THE MADNESS!
IMPEACH GEORGE BUSH AND SEND THEM ALL TO THE HAGUE!

[Shallah Kali]

29. Emails for Snowe & Collins - will be back with phone #s

Send email to Olympia Snowe at
[e-mail]

Send email to Susan Collins at
[e-mail]

[Shallah Kali]

30. Phone #s for Snowe

To contact Senator Snowe's offices toll free within Maine,

you may dial 1-800-432-1599
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Auburn, Maine

Senator Olympia J. Snowe
Two Great Falls Plaza, Suite 7B
Auburn, ME 04210

Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Augusta, Maine

Senator Olympia J. Snowe

Edmund S. Muskie Federal Building

40 Western Avenue, Room 408 C

Augusta, ME 04330

Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bangor, Maine

Senator Olympia J. Snowe
One Cumberland Place, Suite 306
Bangor, ME 04401

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Biddeford, Maine

Senator Olympia J. Snowe

231 Main Street, Suite 2

Biddeford, ME 04005

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Portland, Maine

Senator Olympia J. Snowe
Three Canal Plaza, Suite 601
Portland, ME 04101


Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Presque Isle, Maine

Senator Olympia J. Snowe

169 Academy Street, Suite 3

Presque Isle, ME 04769

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Washington, D.C.

Senator Olympia J. Snowe
154 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-1903

Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

[Shallah Kali]

32. Susan Collins Phone

Washington, D.C. Office [phone]

Augusta Office [phone]

Bangor Office [phone]

Biddeford Office [phone]

Caribou Office [phone]

Lewiston Office [phone]
Portland Office [phone]


-I'm one mad Maineiac right now!

[WhiteTara]

35. thanks for making it so easy to call

I'm right on it.

[Shallah Kali]

43. You are most welcome. I know folks who were already hurting w/gov aid

now they are totally screwed unless Snowe & Collins make it up later which I fear and doubt they will unless they get bombarded over this.

[Olney Blue]

39. There are alot of vulnerable people in the Gulf Coast states

that are in urgent need NOW. Shutting the govt down is not the answer- there should be extreme pressure on these senators to make sure that this gets put back into the 2006 fiscal year budget, IMHO.

[Rose Siding]

16. What'd they call it, The Cozy, Toasty, Well-fed People Act?

Compassionate conservatism: behave immorally but say you feel REAL bad about it.

Insufficient food, even for a short time, can affect a child's development.

And considering the expected increase in oil costs, this cut is significantly greater.

[MADem]

17. They act like shutting down the government is the end of the world

Remember when Newt did it? We survived (though had Monica not been allowed to roam all over the West Wing, Clinton may have been better off). They even stopped paying civilian government employees, and sent them all home, but intern money came out of a different pot.

You know when they restore funding, it will not be the full amount. Someone will end up cold this winter....get out the axe and saw, Martha! We're a-heading to the woods to chop down trees, and failing that, we'll burn the furniture!

[Orsino]

18. I have a modest proposal, but...

...I'm not sure how much meat is actually on a senator.

[PennyK]

20. Solve two problems at once...

Let's use the ice to build igloos!

[krkaufman]

21. Guess maybe Congress could use that time back....

... that they wasted on Terry Schiavo.

[smirkymonkey]

22. Shut it down, I say!

It's obviously NOT working. I think the first to feel the pinch should be those whose policies have created the mess in the first place.

From here on out, all high-ranking officials in State & Federal Gubmint should make no more that $25,000/per year.

[jpak]

23. Bad move Olympia

You're up for reelection next year - have you forgotten?????

If Maine has a bad winter and people die - you will be the toasty one come election day 2006...

(not to mention that you have hooked your wagon to Frist, Delay, Cheney and the rest of the crooks in the GOP).

Shoulda shut it down....

[marketsquareguy]

24. kick

[roguevalley]

25. of course it won't be put back. those two are nazis. running the govern-

ment is less important than ONE PERSON FREEZING OR STARVING TO DEATH! when
will these fuckers be voted out of office, the worthless asses.

[barb162]

26. She has no choice, like the Louisiana guv. n/t

stop social security checks from going out or....

[Robeson]

31. Here's an idea: Let's take a few billion from the Pentagon so that the...

...program can remain fully funded? Oh, silly me, I forgot, we can't ever talk about cutting their budget....

[Bravo411]

36. How about suspending their pay instead.

Why is it that they feel the need to take from the poor and needy in order to pay their own salaries while they look for ways to take more from the poor and needy.

Posted by Bravo411
http://bravo411.blogspot.com

[freethought]

37. Compassionate conservatism at work! n/t

[WePurrsevere]

38. So which states are the other "dozen" that decline 75%?

(bolding mine)
"Harkin argued that the lower spending would hurt 6.5 million Americans who rely on it for assistance buying food and heating oil. Because of an obscure 1990 provision, funding for Maine and a dozen other states would decline 75 percent rather than just 50 percent, Harkin said.

Snowe and Collins joined the Senate in rejecting his amendment on a 53-39 vote."

Although I'm not positive I believe NY may be one of those "dozen"... I hope not. HEAP is already too low to cover much in the way of heating expenses for NYers, especially upstate and northern where it gets easily below freezing in Jan/Feb.

Seems to me they should cut PORK crap before help that is very much needed by the poor and low income folks.

[FormerOstrich]

40. can someone help me understand......

I use to be an ostrich and so there are still many things I haven't learned.

Based on this paragraph it sounds like there were many many different items in the temporary spending bill from Agriculture to Defense.

In order to keep the government running while those 10 bills are debated, Congress needed to approve a temporary spending measure. The measure funds everything from the Agriculture Department to the Defense Department until Nov. 18.

and I think I get this for each of those items for the temporary measure they were going to use the amount it cost this year unless what was in the pending bill was less than this years (how often does that happen?). In other words the lesser of the two values.

The level of funding in that temporary measure, however, is what was disputed. The House approved the measure Thursday setting funding at whichever is the lowest level among either this year's spending or pending legislation in the House or Senate.

I assume this means that the Senate had to either accept the thing or it wouldn't be approved because the house cut in ran (way to cooperatae on an emergency spending bill).

The problem Friday was that if the Senate made any changes, they couldn't be reconciled with the House, which had adjourned.

Okay, here is where I start getting lost. It sounds to me like the house had already slashed the program by 50% (eg this year $641 new year $320 so when I said above how often does that happen it at least happened once in this case). So it seems Harkin proposed to restore the level back to $641...but the house is already gone.

Despite that problem, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, proposed an amendment to keep funding level for Community Service Block Grants. The House agreed earlier to cut the program to $320 million from $641 million, so the temporary spending bill will distribute money at that lower number.

Harkin says it's going to hurt people blah blah. Then what obscure provision where did the additional 25% come from? So he is saying it's not really $641 to $320 it is $641 to $160?

Harkin argued that the lower spending would hurt 6.5 million Americans who rely on it for assistance buying food and heating oil. Because of an obscure 1990 provision, funding for Maine and a dozen other states would decline 75 percent rather than just 50 percent, Harkin said.

But according to this Snowe and Collins weren't alone in this as 51 of thier cohorts went with them hand in hand. Had they joined the 39 that voted for the ammendement it still would not have shut down the government would it (51-41)?

Snowe and Collins joined the Senate in rejecting his amendment on a 53-39 vote

So what does this really say? I think it says there was a planned reduction. Harkin is not in agreement with the reduction and was going to make the point even if it was an a emergency spending bill. Plus, while Snowe and Collins didn't stand up for anything they really didn't sway things one way or the other. At first I thought it was like they were just taking things out and my question was isn't there any other items that could have been slashed. However, the way I see it now is the thing approved "as is" or it shut down. "as is" for this item had the planned slash. So when they get ready to try to put it back in it's not a matter of it having just been cut for the emergency bill its the proposed cut period. Or am I way messed up on this?

[mom cat]

41. Why not have a "temporary cutback" for the military!

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

42. Where's the Big Dog when you need him...

For all of his faults, Clinton had the stones to shut down the government rather than cave to their blackmail.

[Zhade]

44. Every time I read a story like this, I think of a DUer named Kanary.

She was poor, and (rightfully!) desperate to get attention for issues regarding the poor - a part of society that the Dems used to help, before most of them got fat off corporate campaign contributions.

She often worried about cuts like these, and said she was already living on the edge of survival.

Does anyone know if she's even still alive?

[salin]

45. I have thought of her often in the past number of months

and have no idea how she is doing - but hope she is doing well.

[struggle4progress]

48. kick