No aid planned to help low-income families, seniors with energy costs

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05277/582214.stm

The Bush administration yesterday said it has no plans to ask Congress for additional funds to help low-income families and financially stretched seniors deal with rapidly escalating home heating bills.

The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration is projecting that this winter's natural gas prices will run as much as 77 percent more than last winter in parts of the Midwest (Western Pennsylvania utilities predict increases of as much as 45 percent over last winter); home heating in the Northeast could rise by as much as 33 percent, while electricity in the South could go up 18 percent, the department's analysts said. That could mean that thousands of households won't be able to afford enough heat or electricity.

Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman yesterday touted a new "Energy Hog" campaign designed to persuade more Americans to conserve energy.

But he said asking Congress to increase money for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program "is not on the agenda" for the administration "at this point."

[libnnc]

1. Damn them!

Keeping old folks from freezing to death "is not on the agenda" for the administration "at this point". Why am I not surprised? The administration didn't care to help old people when they were drowning in the muck and filth in NO. God I hate these people.

:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke:

[Dan]

36. maybe some of these old people

can now go to their churches - the ones where it was said, told their members to vote for Bush, and ask the church what they should do. Stay warm, get their medications, or starve - oh, also vote GOP.

[converted_democrat]

40. I guess letting people freeze is "compassionate conservatism." n/t

[bluestateguy]

2. I like the winter

Because here in central Texas it cools down enough that I can shut off the AC, but it doesn't get so cold that I need the heater on. Translation=lower electric bills in a month or two!

Anyway, despicable, yes.

[benfranklin1776]

3. More of that "compassionate conservatism" on display just like in NO.

Let the senior citizens and the poor freeze in the dark is their motto. So much for the "culture of life." :puke: Once more they are exposed as the rank, lying, total hypocrites that they are. Billions in tax breaks for oil companies that are already pillaging the consumer and raking in obscene profits but not one red cent for those who will be facing a life and death choice of heating or eating this winter. These are heartless gutter scum who deem anyone who is not a millionaire as expendable.
:grr:

[Lindacooks]

5. Yes, exactly.

Compassionate conservative is the biggest oxymoron since giant shrimp.

[ninkasi]

35. You certainly don't expect

them to ask the wealthy to have their taxes restored to previous levels, do you? Just to save a bunch of old poor people? That's not the Republican way. Calling them heartless gutter scum is a compliment; they are far, far worse than that. They are not even trying to hide their heartlessness anymore. If the elderly poor die this winter of exposure to the cold, they will be nothing less than murderers.

[Carolab]

4. Hopefully, some of the state legislatures/energy companies will help.

The Feds have left them no choice.

[libnnc]

6. state and local gov agencies are

stretched to the max as it is. I guess it depends on where you live and how bad this winter is going to be. Here in the Piedmont of NC it can get pretty damn cold.

I'll wager that we're going to see record numbers of deadly house fires this winter too. :-(

[DBoon]

7. and people dying of carbon monoxide poisoning

from running charcoal grills indoors to keep warm

[shraby]

8. You think it gets cold in NC, try 20 and 30 below zero

that we get here in Wisconsin. Usually when it gets that cold it lasts for about a week. Nasty stuff. Don't even need a thermometer to know it's that cold. When you go outside your forehead starts to hurt right away.

[smoogatz]

27. The good news is

global warming is supposed to bring us a milder than normal winter, here in the lovely Cheesehead state. And if Grandma gets too cold, she can put on another damn sweater.

[kineneb]

9. Ah, corporate welfare rears its ugly head

while grandma freezes to death in her apartment. Shades of "How the Other Half Live" from 1903.

Wait- that's right, BushCo want to shrink government, except the military parts. So it is ok if the old folks freeze...hey, they won't need those Social Security payments anymore...and besides they vote Dem. anyway...:sarcasm:

Arrrrgh, these assbites are mean, heartless and cruel.

[ngGale]

10. This is going to be....

one long, bad, damn winter. A$$wipes!:grr:

[Voltaire99]

11. To paraphrase RFK: "Ask not what your country can do for you...

...but how you can die for the rich in your country."

[jwirr]

20. I am assuming that was RFK jr ?

[Blaq Dem]

12. They call it "BENIGN NEGLECT"

If you pretend the poor doesn't exist, maybe they'll...uhhh...just die. According to our God-fearing, Bible thumping, Pro-life, flag waving citizens of America, we need not worry about them.

[cornermouse]

13. Sickening.

The elderly are particularly vulnerable to cold.

[rpannier]

14. This is where pressure at the state level needs to be applied

States like Illinois make it illegal for utility companies to turn off power between October 15 and April 1. In Indiana they can shut it off even if it's -40 outside. The public needs to pressure their state officials to make it illegal for utility companies to turn off anything for the next 7 months, then rally to get the states to provide relief.
I think this would be more productive then waiting for the scrubbos to do anything but sit on their hands.

[meow2u3]

15. Illinois is blue; Indiana is red

Conservatives indeed are devoid of any humanity toward their fellow human being. They put property--material things--before humanity, and these are the same people who call themselves devout Christians! :mad: Indiana couldn't care less about human lives--so much for their claims of being "pro-life."e


In Pennsylvania, it's illegal to shut off heat in the middle of the winter unless the customer had already had utilities shut off in the past and/or hasn't paid off, or made arrangements to pay off, the back balance.

[catmandu57]

16. We've got a nasty Flu season coming too

A combination of Flu and freezing will make the compassionate bastards smile won't it.
It's going to be very interesting next year.

[Tyler Durden]

17. Blue vs Red states, plus Social Darwinism

Note that the Blue states predominate in the need for winter heating.

Also Dickens said it best:

From "A Christmas Carol"

``At this festive season of the year, Mr Scrooge,'' said the gentleman, taking up a pen, ``it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir.''

``Are there no prisons?'' asked Scrooge.

``Plenty of prisons,'' said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.

``And the Union workhouses?'' demanded Scrooge. ``Are they still in operation?''

``They are. Still,'' returned the gentleman, `` I wish I could say they were not.''

``The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?'' said Scrooge.

``Both very busy, sir.''

``Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course,'' said Scrooge. ``I'm very glad to hear it.''

``Under the impression that they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude,'' returned the gentleman, ``a few of us are endeavouring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink, and means of warmth. We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. What shall I put you down for?''

``Nothing!'' Scrooge replied.

``You wish to be anonymous?''

``I wish to be left alone,'' said Scrooge. ``Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don't make merry myself at Christmas and I can't afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned: they cost enough: and those who are badly off must go there.''

``Many can't go there; and many would rather die.''

``If they would rather die,'' said Scrooge, ``they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Besides -- excuse me -- I don't know that.''

[tainowarrior]

18. meanwhile, a head of state (Chavez) of a foreign country

is promising millions of cheap heating oil.

Bush vs. Chavez = Bush Loses.

[Solly Mack]

19. the Winter Winnow

add to that the poor being tossed aside for eminent domain

it becomes the winnowing of America

it's been that way for years - the poor and elderly dying from lack of heat or proper heating methods....and now the process of killing them off seems to be speeding up.

some culture of life, huh?

The epitaphs should read: "I died because America didn't value my life" or "If I had been a fetus instead of a person, this would not have happened"

Are you disgusted enough?

[jwirr]

21. Don't you know the winnowing system must be in place by

the time most of the baby-boomers retire? :sarcasm:

[Leeny]

22. Push them out on the ice

Well, at least we won't have to waste the sled to push the old farts out on the ice. They can just freeze to death right there in their homes.

[Mandate My Ass]

23. My local elec/gas co said for 1st time it will cut service to nonpaying

customers no matter what their economic circumstances this winter. This despite record increases. And it gets mighty cold here in Philly. :evilfrown:

[williesgirl]

29. Any letter-writing campaigns to utilities commisson yet? I think if

enough folks complain about this policy directly to them VERY VOCALLY that they might have to change their minds, regardless of the political affiliation of the commission. With enough LTTEs about the same subject, newspapers/media will have to respond to their local readers/viewers.

[RamboLiberal]

32. We can thank our f'ing lawmakers in PA for this one

but meanwhile they had no problem giving themselves a raise. I'm on board the PA effort to kick these jerks out and to cut the size of our bloated legislature. I think this time the voters in PA are going to stay pissed.

[AnneD]

24. This is the plan...

Give em prescription drugs but no heat. Then according to the laws of Intelligent Design, you will have fewer elderly survive winter ergo less money spent on prescription drug and Social Security... Gee you folks just don't grasp it. It is the Eskimo equivalent of floating them out on an iceberg.

[jbnow]

25. I can't believe it

(believe it or not)! I guess I have some naive strands left. When I heard about the increase I thought how aid for that will be yet another big expense but no one would fight it.

Honestly it isn't just the poor who will have trouble this year. Many middle class don't have much excess. With gas to get to work doubled, copays for insurance ever increasing (if your employer offers it) minimum credit card payments doubling, interest rates rising, the cost of everything up because of the gas costs...you can't turn your heat down far enough to afford it.

People got into debt when it all looked so safe. Buy a house with low interest rates...that can vary as time goes on. Or get the equity out of your house with low, low variable equity rates. Credit cards, low, low rates. After 9/11 save America, buy, buy..

Then with the bankruptcy bill...it's like they put in the pieces for the perfect storm.

Edit to add I walked by TV and saw the "Energy Hog" page briefly. Cartoonish characters. Insulting and it's not going to help to make the cute little cuts when prices are nearly double.

[barb162]

26. It jjust keeps getting worse and worse.

[williesgirl]

28. * figures not enough massive deaths in a concentrated area to

arouse MSM headlines so why bother? 20 or so in each city/state won't hurt his poll numbers. So what if people are freezing or going without food to pay to heat just up to the level where pipes won't freeze? He'll still be sending billions overseas for the war and all his other pet projects. Forget the American people - he already owns the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. Not enough Americans are rising up and making their voices heard at this point. Plus keeping his adored corporations in double digit earnings is his main goal for keeping Repugs in office in 2006 and beyond.

I sometimes wonder if he'd care even if it was his parents or family that were impacted. Good hearted, stupid, evil boy king!

[MADem]

30. Why don't they just say what they REALLY mean???

"Let them eat FROZEN CAKE!!!!"

Heartless bastards.

[superconnected]

31. Why doesn't all of america look at this crap and oust him

we can affored hundreds of billions for a war on a country that was no threat to us, but we can't spare anything to keep the poor and elderly alive in this country.

I guess Bush isn't making any money off of the poor and elderly.

Still America should be mad that our taxes are not going to our own people. The current crop of Republicans truly are the dumbest sadest meanest pathetic people america has ever had. I can just hear them now saying "God can take care of them" and then blaming the poor/elderly for misdeeds if they happen to freeze to death.

Thanks bush, you attract all the bad, and so dumb they're a danger to society, people.

[mom cat]

33. Thank God for Hugo Chaves...He cares more for US than Bush!

[kestrel91316]

34. If you don't have the money for your heating bills, Grandma, it's

just because you're lazy and so it's all your own fault. If you would just get retraining so you could get a better job...........

Oh, wait, Grandma is blind and diabetic and 93 years old. Nevermind.

[tabasco]

37. The welfare of the American people is not a priority for republicans

Only an idiot thinks otherwise.

The republican party exists to serve the corporate masters and no one else.

[in_cog_ni_to]

38. Compassionate Conservative's population control.

What's a few frozen elderly? What's a few frozen poor families? What's a few frozen babies?:grr: Heartless SOBs.

[SillyGoose]

39. There is something very wrong when we can spend billions and billions of

dollars funding an unnecessary war and tax cuts for the wealthy but we can't or won't spare the funds to help vulnerable Americans with the most basic necessities of life.

They can talk all they want about their 'moral values' and 'compassionate conservatism' but their actions paint quite a different picture. There is nothing compassionate or moral in allowing the poor and elderly to freeze to death while oil companies reap record profits, while the Paris Hiltons of the country enjoy estate tax reductions and while the wealthiest in our society further fatten their wallets with tax cuts.

This ranks up there as one of the most disturbing articles I've read yet since this man was handed the presidency. I honestly don't know how this country is going to make it through 3 more years of this administration.