ELLSWORTH, Maine — It may have topped 80 degrees across much of Maine this week, but community agencies are already planning for how to meet the state’s heating-fuel assistance needs this winter.
State administrators of the federal Low Income Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, say funding for the program is expected to decrease this year. That combined with rising fuel prices, which have nearly doubled in Maine since 2004, and a continually stagnant economy will mean an increased gap between fuel needs and available help, the administrators say.
Maine received about $38 million in LIHEAP grants from the federal government in the last fiscal year, according to data posted on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website. With it, the Maine State Housing Authority and its partners helped 58,300 people heat their homes, with an average benefit of about $484.
That’s down significantly from the $51.4 million the state received in fiscal year 2011 and $52.3 million in fiscal year 2010, allocations that reflected additional funds from President Barack Obama’s stimulus package.
Obama’s proposed national LIHEAP budget for this fiscal year is down 13 percent, or about $452 million, according to Deb Turcotte, spokeswoman for the MSHA. It’s still unknown exactly what Maine’s grant allocation will be, but Turcotte said preliminary predictions put the state grant at about $33.5 million.
Sue Farley with the Washington Hancock Community Agency — one of the nine groups contracted by Maine State Housing Authority to administer LIHEAP funds — says increased heating costs have left some people scrambling.
“Over the course of the last three or four years, even if they got the same dollar amount for a benefit, they’ve actually gotten less fuel,” she said. Last year, her agency helped 6,000 households in the two county area, with an average benefit of about $536.
Cuts in funding the LIHEAP administering agencies also mean changes this year in how applicants will begin the process of receiving benefits, Farley said. In the past, needy households in Washington and Hancock counties have received letters from WHCA with appointment dates for applying. This year, families will need to call the agency to set up an appointment.
Farley is urging anyone who has received assistance in the past to call their local agency to set up appointments.
“We don’t want anybody sitting at home thinking they’ve got a letter coming,” she said.
Heating oil prices in Down East Maine averaged $3.49 per gallon as of Aug. 3, according to maineoil.com. The price hasn’t dropped this summer as much as it usually does, Farley said, leading her to believe prices will continue to climb as the cold months set in.
At Aroostook County Action Program, senior manager Susan Deschene said she hasn’t heard anything yet about how much funding the state will receive but residents are already calling in asking about when the agency will begin taking applications for LIHEAP.
But the federal voucher program is only one source of heating fuel assistance in Maine. Municipalities also offer general assistance for households that slip through the cracks of LIHEAP, who are either ineligible for the program or need additional help.
Some communities are building safety nets for their safety nets, establishing emergency funds for people who still need more help after applying for LIHEAP and general assistance.
Last year in Scarborough, the town teamed up with a local nonprofit agency, Project Grace, to offer additional heating help. In Ellsworth, the city has developed a “Fuel Discretionary Fund” for families who still need help after exhausting their other options.
“I created that fund because I was concerned that in the winter months there are a lot of people struggling to keep their heads above water,” said Ellsworth’s GA administrator, Tina Howes. “They’re working, they have children in school. Some of these people have two or three jobs and that’s why they don’t qualify. Their income is just over the threshold, and they’re still unable to keep oil in the house.”
In fiscal year 2012, Ellsworth’s GA program helped 31 families heat their homes, and an additional three families got help from the emergency fund. Howes said that number is low (66 families got help in fiscal year 2011) because of last year’s mild winter. She said she predicts the need for heating fuel assistance will continue to grow this winter.
Ellsworth and Scarborough’s programs are funded entirely by donation, as is an emergency program established by WHCA to support families who need extra help keeping the cold at bay.
WHCA, Ellsworth and Scarborough always are looking for additional donations to fund their emergency fuel programs. After all, they say, last year’s mild winter could be followed up by a blizzard-ridden cold snap this year.
Follow Mario Moretto on Twitter at @riocarmine.
Cutting off medicine and heating to thousands of sick and elderly people. Is this the Republican’s solution to our aging poulation?
No its Obamas 13% cut.
Obama spins the dial up, takes off his coat and seeks to mandate that we turn the dial down,”
The GOP forced Obama to make whatever cuts he made for these programs in order to simply keep republicans from blocking passage of the most recent temporary budget. My, how short thy memory.
Short on brains and short on memory. Typical teapartiers.
You may not know this about the our country but the budget is writen by the Republican controlled house of representitives.
If you oppose this cut to heating assitance then you need to vote for Democrats who have always protected the American people from the crooks in the Tea party.
I believe that the DEMOCRATS in the Senate had to vote on approval of any LIHEAP cuts too. Did you conveniently forget that part?
The last thing anybody should do is vote for a Democrat!
I believe the Republican threatened to shut down the goverment and stop pay even for our soldgers fighting over seas if the Senite didn’t go along with this budget cut.
Or did you forget the Tea party are a buch of drunken traitors.
Nope. We just don’t want to pay for heating fuel for families that have cable TV, internet, xbox, drink alcohol, smoke, and drive ATVs. If they can afford this, they don’t need my money to pay for heat. Until there is a system in place to prevent this, I say, shut the whole system down. You’d be amazed what happens when the gravy train is SHUT OFF.
Well thats the thing isn’t it? The republicans came to power in Maine by promosing to cut state spending, reduce our debt and kick all the bums off of welfare.
Instead they increase spending by 1/2 a billion, they increase our debt by 1 billion, and instead of going after the welfare bums they are kicking 65,000 sickk and elderly people off of maine care while at the same time Lepage is increasing the need for goverment help by reducing the number of hours people can work at Walmart and Marden’s and still qualify for healthcare.
Hey, Babe, did I say I was a republican?
Sorry.
I didn’t mean to imply you were.
:)
No problem, I have voted both ways, but mostly Dem.
Yup, crime rates will rise, homelessness will rise, children starving, etc. That is not the solution. The government needs to change how they hand out these vouchers. They should only be allowed to buy food, milk and juice – not be able to sell the food stamp card because a picture of them is on the card (just like some credit card companies do). Also, they need to drug test and do non-scheduled house visits. That would elimate most of those on welfare. The honest ones will not have a problem with any of that.
88888
1. Some of them will go back home. This might require they apologize for previous rude behavior, that they quit drinking, drugging, staying out late, stealing from family, lying, etc.
2. Some of them will ACTUALLY start working.
3. Some of them will cut back on unnecessary expenses and find out they CAN afford their heat.
4. Some of them will have to take in family to help make ends meet. That’s what family is all about.
5. Some of them will need assistance. That’s what TRUE CHARITY is about.
….
It’s also a good time to start buttoning up the house to save heat, but the entitlement family down the street seems to be too busy partying to care.
Such is the state of welfare in the welfare state.
You lied to make your point didn’t you? There’s no “entitlement” family down your street is there? You must be a republican. My guess is that if there is any partying going on around your house it is your fellow republicans cheering on the very same system that has ruined our economy.
If they are partying Republicans, they likely didn’t buy their coffee brandy with their EBT cards. Why would you be so offended by his comment? Never mind, I know.
And when is the current pres going to take credit for the economy? Didn’t he say he would have this straightened out in three years or he was done?
You don’t know squat! You tea party guys think everyone who needs a helping hand is a drunk who smokes cigarettes and eats steak every night at your expense. Good grief!
yeah…sure. And you know squat?
Wrong.! I live next door to Yowsa. He’s 100% honest and a true patriot. The only mistake he made is that he should have said…entitlement FAMILIES.
What a crappy thing to say. Bottom line is- people with limited funds should have been thinking about and planning for this coming winter as soon as Spring hit. If you want to live in Maine, that’s just the way it is. I too am a Republican, and ya know what? I know a’lot of those entitlement families. I have no sympathy for many of them.
Yeah we have 4 of them on our street .
We tell our kids we really sorry they have to be cold but
the government takes our money before we can have what we worked
for to make sure the drug dealers and welfare have money first.
We send them outside and tell them not to come back in until they
can’t feel their fingers and toes and then it’ll feel warm inside.
You aren’t doing your children any favors by lying to them.
Should I lie and tell them it’s ok to not work? Tell them it’s up to someone else to provide them a living? Should I tell my kids they should drive up and down the road throwing fire crackers at night ok? or party into the wee hours and never mind thst other people live here as well?
Should I tell them to work their bums off and give their money to those that don’t, even if it means a hardship to them that they suffer and go without? I don’t tell my kids to be selfish but I also teach my kids not to be generous by guilt trip and help those who sincerely need help.
I’m not painting them some phony picture of an irresponsible life is the way to go.
Here is your argument:
All hard-working decent Americans can afford a doctor, pay for child care, pay the car payments, pay for heating oil and so on–and anyone who can’t is just lazy.
This argument is so obviously false, I can’t believe anyone would embrace it.
Their (the R’s) canned response to that would be: “Then they aren’t working hard enough or they shouldn’t have a child, or a car, or a house.” You can just feel the love. I swear, they just like to hear themselves talk…or something.
:-D
Yes, so much for Christian charity eh.
What I find is interesting is that they believe Obama is destroying our country but despite that Obama reduced LIHEAP once, and likely will again, it seems to elude them that these actions are very republican.
You’re wrong, again.
There is no argument.
Just the facts.
Everyone I knew in Bangor who received public assistance was perfectly healthy and able to hold down a job. But, they chose to not work because Maine was happy to pay them not to. Throwing free food and housing and more to the entitlement crowd hurts every citizen.
Everyone had plenty of money to go out and buy fireworks, and now your worrying how to heat your homes this winter.
In the area that I live there are a lot of people in need. Over this past year and especially the 4th of July I heard not one fire cracker or other fireworks. All the fireworks must be in Skowhegan.
The LIHEAP funding cuts come from Lord Obama, not Republicans. Put the blame where it lies.
Nobody is faulting the elderly and disabled for trying to get some help.
But I, for one, am sick and tired of able-bodied people getting LIHEAP and other government hand-outs. These Losers buy dope, booze and cigarettes, lay around, not look for job, and wouldn’t take a job if it were offered… Every dollar of LIHEAP that goes to these lazy-asses, is a dollar of help that could go to the elderly and disabled.
Now some libber will come along and try to villainize you by saying you’re trying to hurt the most vulnerable. Show me ONE person who wants take away from the sick or elderly. These people who get the most upset over wanting ABLE BODIED people to pay their own way are likely those able bodied people milking the system.
That comment is untrue. I am an able bodied, hardworking mother and wife and I am disgusted by how many people milk the system. I pay for these people to live that are perfectly capable of working but are too lazy or too doped up to do so. I have never milked the system! I am very upset over this – what is going to happen to the elderly or disabled people that really do need this help?
there are some people who have legit medical issues that prevents them from working elderly especially. you got people with COPD heart disease diabetes people who have been severely injured in car accidents . dont condemm them
Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t condemning those that do need this assistance. I am all for those that need the assistance, legitimately! That wasn’t what I was saying. I was only stating that many people that I happen to know that are accepting state aid are milking the system – they refuse to work and would rather get doped up on their prescriptions than actually go out and make money for themselves. I am very worried for those that really do need the assistance and they won’t be able to get it.
If you know people that are milking the system then why don’t you do something other than complain about them and report them?
I capitalized —-> “ABLE BODIED” <—- Now, please point our what isn't true in my post.
“Show me ONE person who wants take away from the sick or elderly”.
You might start with the White House and Congress.
What they give us is lip service to try to keep people quiet. If all the healthcare programs coming from politicians are so good, why do the exempt themselves from it? Think about it.
Why do you assume that the “elderly” should automatically be treated with kid gloves and deserve entitlements? What if you had someone who worked all their adult life, and saved not a penny. Went on trips, bought new cars, lived in a house beyond their means, and then, when they retire without savings and see how much (or little) they get from social security, WHY is that MY problem????
Your prejudice toward the elderly is glaring. Most of the elderly worked hard all their lives, not only that, raising the next generation, all very tough work–and all you can do is demean them and whine about your own wallet.
What you’re saying is incredibly selfish and un-Christian and biased. When you’re old, and you get sick, and you see how little help their is, outside the government, because young money-oriented people are selfish–like you–maybe you’ll finally understand.
1. I’m not christian. 2. I’m not selfish, I regularly donate time and money to charities. 3. Sweeping generalities are the problem in your vocabulary. Don’t know how you can possibly claim to know “most elderly.”
I can see you’re not Christian, but when you say “I’m not selfish” it’s like a corporate CEO saying “I’m not rich.”
For instance, note how when talking about the elderly all you do is construct your own biased picture and proceed to criticize it from the perspective of your own wallet.
What I refuse to do is lump all elderly in with the poor. Have at it, SpruceDweller. In fact, one of the wealthiest demographics is Americans over 65.
I regularly donate time and money. I guess one can only be “unselfish” if they share your point of view. How egalitarian of you.
It’s not all about you that’s why it’s everyone’s problem.
Baloney. We all age. We all get older than we are today. It’s our own problem.
It’s only our own problem if the people around us are callous enough to say: “it’s our own problem.” This might be your most callous statement of all, among a good many of them.
Many of the elderly have worked hard all their lives for what they have. Your problem is, after the ‘elderly’ are gone you will have to fend for yourself. I really don’t think that will be pretty. What you describe fits many younger people to a ‘T’, and why should that be my problem.
I agree with you, Melibusa. I just don’t think the government should mandate payments. If we are all good citizens, then we help out those in need. But mandating assistance paves the way of necessity for fraud and deprives us of the ability to BE good citizens because our pockets have been picked by the thieves.
A mandatory tax provides true comfort and protection for all citizens, like they have, for instance, in Canada. Do you think Canadians are lazy because they all can afford a doctor?
I agree, there should be no mandates, no taxing (or fees), from those who are trying to provide for themselves. I am not opposed to helping those with a true need. Laziness does not generate a need as far as I am concerned. To receive assistance, I don’t think some form of repayment is out of order, community service for example. As far as violating their rights, would going without be a better answer? I go with out many things because I do not believe I can afford them before the bills are paid.
SS was always designed to be an adjunct,just like food stamps.Neither was ever designed to be 100% of income.BUT your point is well made.What about these rich oldsters who never worked and have help hiding everything from”financial advisors”Then they get free scrips and everything else while we are going broke paying nursing homes $3-$5K a month while their kids drive new trucks.I worked in a small town nursing home and saw it OVER AND OVER again.
The admins watch the money roll in in wheelbarrows.They have no interest in stopping the gravy train.
Actually…SS was designed as a way to score votes while spending little money. The age they set for when one can begin collecting was at that time above the expected life expectancy. In other words, most people would have died before they were able to collect SS. It was never intended to be what it is today. So what happened? Life expectancy increased but it has become difficult to raise the retirement age because so many people have it in their minds that retirement occurs at 65.
That’s not wrong.There are a few ways to fix the program that would not hurt a lot of people but it won’t happen politically.Too bad.The flaws were there from the beginning and not addressed.
For all of you who love and support the entitlement programs, why don’t you stop blaming the govt. and do something yourself! If someone needs heating assistance, surprise them by putting some oil in their barrel. If a family is hungry, drop off some groceries. And before you ask, Yes I Do!
How many families do you help, bought fireworks this past summer? Dont lie and say none
What do you care if I buy fireworks? And there are four elderly people that we help thank you very much. How about you? We also enjoy paying for the person behind us in Subway on occasion, it’s great to see the look on their face. If everyone did a little it would go a long way. Random Acts of Kindness
nice
Edited
That is very honorable of you and I think it is wonderful that you do this for others! More people should follow in your steps. My husband and I have helped out others when they are in need (locally that is).
Just another reason to focus on creating jobs that pay a living wage, not the ones that pay “public assistance” wages that we seem to be creating these days. Then people could afford to pay for their own oil or firewood. Far too many posters on here fail to realize just how many people who receive LLIHEAP go to work everyday. Don’t worry under employers of America, the rest of us will keep your employees warm.
Without children there is not future…baybe that would be better for you!
Don’t breed ’em if you can’t feed ’em!
i am too old to breed sorry babe
We just don’t want to pay for heating fuel for families that have cable TV, internet, xbox, drink alcohol, smoke, and drive ATVs. If they can afford this, they don’t need my money to pay for heat. Until there is a system in place to prevent this, I say, shut the whole system down. You’d be amazed what happens when the gravy train is SHUT OFF.
More and more decent people are suffering because Republicans embrace the following simple-minded belief:
All the hard-working people in America are doing well, and so anyone who isn’t is lazy.
This is so false that it is hardly worth pointing out. Plenty of good, decent people go hungry, go cold, can’t afford a doctor, and so on, in America today.
But try telling a Republican that hard workers are suffering — and you will hit the big ugly wall of a closed mind.
Oh, SpruceDweller, please show me a SINGLE FAMILY that you know of that is “suffering” but has shut off the internet, the cable or pay TV, quit smoking or drinking, or eating out. I work fulltime with people of restricted means–many of whom don’t have jobs, never had jobs, or are actively trying to establish a disability for a mood disorder, and I can personally tell you they have everything people with fulltime jobs have, and more, including widescreen TVs, air conditioning, the top of the line cell phones, they almost all, without exception, have tattoos and smoke, all drink. And you wonder why I don’t want to pay for their heat.
1. Mood disorders are a disability. As for those with mood disorders working, most would love to, but the supports necessary aren’t there. Thank the Governor for that, with his cuts to D.H.H.S. (in direct disobedience of a court order called the Consent Decree by the way)
2. I love how if you know 1 person that milks the system “everyone” suddenly is milking the system.
3. This effects the elderly and disabled more than anyone as they account for 10% of all consumers of social services, but that 10% use about 60% of the social services budget.
Didn’t say I only know 1 person. Said I work FULLTIME with people with limited means, most of whose ONLY source of income is government assistance–state, federal, or local. Go to their homes. I’ve been there. Everybody has a widescreen TV, and, more recently, flatscreen. The vast majority smoke. And I mean VAST.
And disability has become a total scam. Sure, some people need it. But other people know that if they apply, and are rejected, and keep applying, and they truly don’t have a disability, at some point they will be accepted and then the Bonanza kicks in–their payment is RETROACTIVE to the day they first applied. WHy do you think attorneys handle disability insurance cases?!! Because they are LUCRATIVE. An attorney will get over 30% of any retroactive case. Nice money if you can get it.
Mood disorders should NOT be considered a disability. Just another way to scam the taxpayer. Plenty of highly successful people with ADD, ADHD, bipolar, anger issues. Funny how people can learn to handle their “disability” if they have no other option.
Your empathy for people with disabilities and mood disorders, including our veterans, by the way, is absolutely pathetic. Just because you don’t consider the brain to be a source of illness, and just because you think soldiers and others are scamming the system–it doesn’t make it true.
The real problem in America is Wall Street, which destroyed our economy in 2008, and sent us all into the spiral we’re in now. See the movie Inside Job.
If you want to twist my words, have at it. I stand by my statements as written. The vast majority of people who claim “mood disorders” are fakers and pathetic.
……….
Mood disorders are real.
Because I WORK with these people. Many of them express directly that they applied for disability because they know if they hold out long enough, some doctor will give them the necessary paperwork for a totally unprovable case and they’ll hit pay dirt retroactive to the date they applied.
You assume that “these people” — not that I believe your anedotes — are the only kind of people in need. I’ve already in other posts provided examples of hard working small business owners and single mothers that refute your biased stereotype.
..
How do you know they’re not? They said so? I can fake being deaf as well.
Absolutely NOT anecdotal. I work with these people.
The veterans are helped by the VA and a lot of them would have perfectly good reason to have challenges since many saw awful things.But Tom’s point about the disability system is true.I have seen Inside Job and it is a great movie that everyone should see.
You obviously don’t know all that much about the SSDI system. Your payment is not retro active to the day you applied, there is a 90 day waiting period from the day of application.
Ok, ex-cuseee meeee! 90 days! But if you apply as soon as you hear about the scam, even if it takes you SIX YEARS to finally dupe the system, your payments go back 5 yrs 3 months then, according to you!
No need to get snarky. Believe me I know more about that particular system that I’d care to know, my fiance just went through the application process recently and thankfully his approval only took 4 months, he is seriously disabled.
I know plenty of small business people who go without health insurance.
I know mothers that work two or three jobs and still can’t keep up. Of course Republicans don’t think child-raising is an important enough job to get money in itself.
I could go on and on. A lot of single parents are in a very very tough spot, compromising and suffering, and no matter how hard they work or strive, Republicans call them lazy.
I state here my universe dislike of the term, “single parent.” It is typically used to designate a woman who became a mother of a child and now no father is in sight. Divorced mothers are not “single parents.” Unwed mothers are not “single parents.” THe only single parent I know of is a widow or widower. The rest have made choices that perhaps complicate their choices and options. But this does not change that fact that use of the term, “single parent” is usually used in place of “victim.” Get over it.
Your biased against single mothers who all or most of the childcare work on their own has been noted. About 40% of children are raised by a single parent, usually a women, so you prejudice against them spreads far and wide.
Let’s talk for a minute about men who cheat on their wives, 50% of all married men do it. But you haven’t mentioned that once. Odds are you’re a male. Flip a coin, if it comes up heads, you’re a cheater.
These mothers deserve not only support in our corrupt society, where democracy has been subverted by billionaires, but they deserve to be acknowledged as hard working–because they not only raise children but –thanks to the destruction of AFDC under Clinton–have to go out and struggle in business, too.
Did I mention that many of them, and men also, are small business owners, and can’t afford health insurance?
These people work hard, raising children is only part of it, even though it is the most important job around–and all Republicans do is call them lazy.
Women are defecting from the GOP and I can absolutely see why.
So a woman marries a cheater, and it’s my fault? WHAT STUDIES have you been looking at? Marital infidelity crosses all sexual barriers. As many women cheat as men. And you did not address my question to you, of what do you mean by a “single mother.” Do you mean divorced women? They aren’t single, they are divorced. They have the right to pursue child support payments. DO you mean unmarried women? They know who the fathers of their children are (presumably). They have the right to seek a determination of paternity and get support.
PLEASE. Enough with the victimization of women. If women want to have children, go for it. Just don’t expect me to pay for their choices. Otherwise, we end up with freaks like the Octomom. Now, that’s rich. Unmarried woman who found a doctor willing to implant HOW many embryos??
A women marries a cheater and you blame her, instead of looking at the man at all. All you do is rant about women and the elderly while ignoring the cheating men. And you ignore the fact that men often don’t pay child support payments even when the court mandates it.
Women aren’t victims, they are suvivors, in a system where men are liars, cheaters, abusers and so on.
I think the “freaks” are those that blame women, and ignore the problems men cause.
And she had six kids already.What about the Duggars?The most disgusting freaks on the planet.Now there’s another show about a similar gang.Lovely.
SD how did you come up with the 50%?
Get off the Republican rant. I’ve been around for 50 years and never met anyone who works 3 jobs and raises kids. If you’re hard working and suffering you’re not working hard enough! If you are a single parent and not a widow or widower, you made some bad choices in life. I’m tired of paying your way. I’m a republican and I give away a lot of money, by my choice. Igot it by rolling my butt out of bed every morning . Get over it.
I worked FOUR jobs for a time simply because that is what was needed for two families to survive.And don’t worry I worked plenty hard.I’m sick of everybody in the world who is working to look down their noses.I know a TPer who is the greediest crybaby in the world but he has a nothing job his father in law hooked him up with at a ridiculous pay rate.
Again a point well made.The new setup where everyone gets paid for being afraid of their shadow has to stop.SS/Medicare belong to people who worked for a living,did their 40 quarters and often much more and have a legitimate physical disability from whatever their work was.Plenty in ME qualify having done hard work.But the incredible number of people under 40 who are living high claiming “depression”or some other BS has to stop!
a LIHEAP Application for needy people if i had my way:
Did you buy fireworks?
No? approved
Yes? DENIED
Then if I needed it I’d be approved.LePage’s fireworks BS would be a huge mistake except he’s made so many others before and after that that one gets buried.Fireworks need to be outlawed again ASAP!
lots pf people going to be in trouble they are already are now
Not me. I bought oil heat in June. For two weeks afterwards, i came close to eating ramon.
If you know the Dawg street or the Big Bird neighborhood in Skowhegan,those are welfare streets. Virtually every trailer have been setting off fireworks all summer.
I bought oil in June for heat in Nov. Ramen noodles are great with moose meat and partridge.
then you bring in legal euthanasia
There are X number [25,000?] unwed mothers in Maine, on welfare.
‘If” welfare ended right now, abruptly, about 99% of them would likely move in with their mothers or aunts. Heating criss over.
Exactly right, Skowhegan!!!!!! Government programs encourage the death of the family unit as we know it because it allows us to create a caste of “imitation adults”–otherwise normal, healthy people who have babies, live in apartments, drive cars, buy groceries, drink alcohol, smoke, get tattoos, and have all the trappings of adulthood WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO GET A JOB because the government programs allow them to say “screw you” to their families when they act like idiots–steal from them, argue with them over restrictions on their behavior when they need to rely on their families for housing, food, and shelter, and then PRETEND to be adults.
It is GW’s fault.
It’s Bush’s Great Depression, he caused it. Tax breaks for the Rich. Two unpaid Wars. Deregulated the Banks and Wall St so his rich buddies could play Casino with stocks and mortgages.. Don’t worry Mainers, LePage will heat all Mainers homes. He loves us so much.
“Females having babies…”
Females? How about the men that helped make them. Don’t put it all on women, men can ensure proper birth control too !!
The ultimate responsibility is with the woman. If she absolutely does not want to become pregnant and have to raise a child with some guy she knows will not be there to assist her, then we have to inculcate the understanding in young women that they need to be 100% responsible for birth control. Otherwise, let’s just stamp “victim” on their foreheads at birth and teach our girls they never, ever have to be responsible moving forward for a single thing.
Republicans love to bash on women and blame them, whereas the guy cheats 50% of the time, and does far less of the child-raising. Women are defecting from the GOP and I think everyone with an open mind knows why: the GOP is dominated by men, is majority male, and attacking women and keeping them down when they struggle as single parents to raise kids and pay the bills is the Elephant way.
Oh please grow up. You insult women with your statements. I know plenty of marriages where the women insist their partners are co-parents. If women aren’t with partners willing to do that, WHY is it MY fault and my fiscal responsibility?? You seem to believe women are frail, inconsequential, and without any power. If you yourself are female, no WONDER all your posts sound so miserable. I would be too if I felt that way about my sex.
You’re a typical example of the problem. If a woman complains, she’s seen as weak. It’s the biggest most pathetic distortion there is, in a system designed to be unfair against women.
I see women as strong and capable in a system that (a) denies value to their hard work raising children and (b) ignores the wrongs committed by men and blames the women.
The women raise the children as a single parent, plus working two or three jobs, and still people like you don’t get the fact that men are in charge and are causing the problem. You’re a posterchild for ignoring the fact that men have privilege and women are getting the raw end of the deal.
Would you please get off the 2 or 3 jobs rant. You don’t know anyone who works 3 jobs and raises children, in fact you advocate working no jobs. My guess is you don’t have one either.
you are a name that I cannot put here because I will be deleted. But its not a nice name. nope, not nice at all.
A “not nice name” for stating the obvious? That women are ultimately responsible for their bodies?? Really????
Let’s not forget, the phony Rev. Carlson used to regularly hit people up for (cash) donations for fuel assistance.
i’m sure gov. lepage is very concerned. he’ll find a way to keep children in maine from freezing this winter. he has a big heart. he doesn’t any stinkin’ federal money anyway.
Here’s what will happen if we end government assistance today as we know it:
1. Some people who got assistance will go back home. This might require that some of them make amends for past behavior, that they apologize for previous rude behavior, that they quit drinking, drugging, staying out late, stealing from family, lying, etc.
2. Some people previously on assistance will ACTUALLY start working.
3. Some people previously on assistance will start working more than one job. Been there, done that, it’s doable.
4. Some people previously on assistance will cut back on unnecessary expenses and find out they CAN afford their heat. They’ll learn to live without cable, internet, smoking, alcohol, dinners out. They might have to learn to read for pleasure, go to the library, share with others, do potluck dinners with friends for a night out. Did all that myself. No shame in that.
4. Some people previously on assistance might have to take in family to help make ends meet. That’s what family is all about.
5. Some of them will need assistance. That’s what TRUE CHARITY is about.
I predict an early, long and cold winter. Anyone who hasn’t thought ahead is going to be in a mess. And it’s nobody’s fault but your own.
Your pocket sure gets a lot of attenton, for someone who claims not to be selfish. The simple truth is all other democratic countries take care of All their citizens through taxes.
It’s called ‘being civilized’.
What you’ve refused to do is say anything positive, kind or complimentary about the elderly or mothers–both of whom you’ve painted ugly pictures of, and then proceeded to use your own biased views as a way to protect your cash.
Bottom line: all other democratic countries use taxes to create a welfare net to protect ALL their citiznes.. It’s called ‘being civilized.’
Yes, you are right. I absolutely want to protect my cash from thieves. I refuse to allow you to group all mothers who choose to have partners and elderly persons as victims or poor in order to justify reaching into my wallet. It’s called REALITY.
yet you don’t have any problems with the wealthy reaching into your wallet–republican
lawmakers are pushing a tax plan that could make
the rich richer and ask the middle class to pay more.
That’s
according to the
congressional Joint Economic Committee’s new report,
which crunches the numbers on the tax proposal favored by House
Republicans and argues that it would amount to a massive tax cut for
the well-off and a four-figure tax hike for more modest earners.
As
explained in The
Washington Post,
the GOP plan would in fact provide an initial tax cut to every
American, regardless of income. But assuming the plan eliminates
certain major deductions in the tax code — like state and local
taxes, charitable donations and employer-provided health insurance —
a lot of Americans would end up paying more than they are now.
Specifically,
anyone who earns less than $200,000 a year would see their taxes go
up by at least $1,000, and in some cases as much as $4,600, according
to the JEC.
Meanwhile, people who earn a million dollars or more would get a tax
cut of between $286,000 and $331,000 a year.
“The simple truth is all other democratic countries take care of All their citizens through taxes.
It’s called ‘being civilized’.”
Which explains, SpruceDweller, why so many people from other democracies want to come HERE to live.
What you’ve refused to do is say anything positive, kind or complimentary about the elderly or mothers–both of whom you’ve painted ugly pictures
of, and then proceeded to use your own biased views as a way to protect your cash.
Bottom line: all other democratic countries use taxes to create a welfare net to protect ALL their citizens. It’s called ‘being civilized.’
And it seems to me the most selfish people are always saying “I regularly donate time and money” while denying to the option for a truly decent society.
I think the BDN pushed Bob off the bridge to sell papers.
What I object to is people who in one way or another, hide money to qualify. Such people work under the table, or own property in a someone else’s name, or some other game to get over. I don’t know how many there are, but everybody seems to know someone like this.
Here is what I believe about fuel assistance and other benefits: they should be available to those who truly need them and have no other resources to help them keep their houses warm in the winter. At the same time, let’s acknowledge that some people take advantage and scam the system whenever and however they can rather than work for a living. I have known all types in all the years I have worked in the social services field. I have had clients who were proud people that did not want to take a dime of any kind of assistance even if it meant that they and their children had to do without. I have known people who come from families where no one has worked in several generations, nor tried to. I have known chronically mentally ill clients who were also chronically homeless, some through no fault of their own. In one of my previous jobs, I would try to help them get housing, sometimes nicer housing than anywhere I have ever lived in my entire life, and just on the verge of placement, they would decide to remain in the homeless shelters because they did not want to have 1/3 of their benefits going to rent for their subsidized apartments rather than use the money for alcohol or drugs. I had one client that did go to a group home but every month when it was time to pay rent, he would present to the hospital ER and claim to be suicidal rather than pay rent. This same guy once spent over $800 one month on pizza. This was when I worked in Massachusetts, but I suspect the same abuses of the system occur here as well. There is a difference between people who need and deserve help, and the people who are just enabled by the system to continue to avoid taking any responsibility for any area of their life. As a colleague once pointed out, there are the “can’ts” and the “won’ts”. Let’s reserve whatever resouces that are needed for those who truly need it. And for the record, people with mental illnesses can and do work every day. I’ve had clients who were Bipolar who took medication regularly, and if you saw them, you would not even know they had a mental illness. I have known many drug addicts in recovery, and you would not know their history unless they told you. By the same token, some people will say that they need to stop working to focus on their recovery. Yet millions of clean and sober alcoholics and addicts go to work every day while also attending AA meetings in the morning before work or after work. Let’s reserve the benefits for those who really need them, not those too lazy or unmotivated to do anything to help themselves.
38 million is a pretty good sale for the oil companies. Their is no reason for the oil prices to lower. If their going to be given the 38 million the oil should be delivered or at least paid for in June and July leaving the oil companies to compete for the winter oil business.
It would be one thing if the politicians, most notably Barack Obama, were doing all in their power to end our dependence on foreign oil but they’re not. This country sits on enough oil and natural gas to make us 100% energy independent, while protecting the environment. However, he (and Congress, which includes Republicans), have chosen to continue to throw money down the rat hole of “green energy”. He can brag about how he’s increased exploration (it’s a lie) and how companies like Solyndra will save us but the fact remains that my oil bill continues to skyrocket, making it increasingly difficult for me to heat my home on my retirement income.
Who are the governmental leaders who are responsible for getting this needed oil for people who can’t afford it. I am a disabled american and need oil for the winter. Last winter this was less than 100 gals. Less than 100 gals is an undeliverable amount which most oil company’s will not even diliver.