Some may face choice: Whether to heat or eat

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-12-13-heating-bills_x.htm

The Bush administration has denied requests from five states to increase food stamps for low-income families facing higher heating bills this winter.

Maine, New York, Kansas, Virginia and South Carolina sought to raise monthly food stamp allotments by projecting what families will pay to heat their homes. The increases would have ranged from $8 to about $30 a month for families who pay their own utility bills.

State officials and advocates for the poor said the decision will make it hard for needy families to afford both heat and food. The Energy Department has forecast 25% average increases in heating bills this winter. Research shows that when utility bills rise, some poor families reduce food purchases.

Robert Greenstein, director of the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said federal food stamp law says benefits should reflect current costs. "It's effectively cheating low-income families," he said. If the five states' requests had been approved, many others would have followed, he said.

[redqueen]

1. Well we have to have those tax cuts for the rich, fuck the poor.

That's moral values!

[calico1]

2. They are talking about rolling blackouts

in some part of my State (CT).

[Theres-a]

5. I'm in northeast CT

Do you have a link or details?Bet they don't blackout the casinos.Feh.

[calico1]

9. I heard it on the morning news early this week,

I think Monday. It was on nbc30. I tried to see if I could find an article but I couldn't. They were saying that some public announcement type messages would come out urging people to conserve energy during high consumption times (really cold) and that if that wasn't enough they would consider rolling blackouts.

[sexybomber]

3. They should just be upfront about it.

"We are trying to reduce the population of the United States by killing poor people. We weren't successful enough in New Orleans with drowning them, so we've decided to freeze half of the Northeast to death. They all vote Democratic anyway. No worries, nothing more to see here, move along..."

[Megahurtz]

7. This is exactly what it appears that they are doing.

Seig Heil. They would probably use ovens to kill the poor if they could
but it would cost them too much of their precious money.

:sarcasm:

[Warpy]

4. My father isn't laughing at me any more

for spending money putting a woodstove into this place when I first moved in. He just got his first heating bill in Florida, where it hasn't even been that cold, and it sent him through the roof. I always knew better, though, having heated with wood for many years back in New England.

I'm expecting to get socked this month because that cold blast came complete with a thermal inversion, forcing me to get the floor furnace going for a couple of days.

[llmart]

13. I'm sorry - I just have to ask.....

How can a heating bill be high in Florida this time of year? My son lives there and he still has his windows open. Where in Florida does your Dad live? Is the northern part that cold?

[NaturalHigh]

6. I wonder how many $800 hammers...

the Pentagon would have to give up to pay for this?

[Lefty48197]

8. Citgo will help some of these people. Will US Oil companies help the rest?

Ha ha. Just kidding.

[grilled onions]

10. We certainly can't waste money on food stamps...

..not when we have to make sure Congress gets their cost of living raises,perks etc,while the wealthy have to spend $$$ on their December parties to celebrate all those tax breaks they got all year. That money needs to feed a war animal that is always hungry and apparently always growing and feeding in new countries! Heat or Eat? Pills or Bills? Aren't we a great country???? :crazy:

[salin]

11. Priorities: extending tax breaks for the rich - or responding

to the REAL needs for the poor.

Disgusting.

[jkappy]

12. minus 12 last nite in my east-central ny town

so, eat or heat for many in this county---even worse north of here both in terms of heat and poverty.

[meow2u3]

14. Some choice poor people have

Starve to death, or freeze to death. Pick your poison. :scared: