NE officials oppose Bush's proposed cut in home heating aid

[Rose Siding]

CONCORD, N.H. — The president's proposal to cut home heating aid to the poor is getting a cool response from officials in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Program administrators say the prospect of nearly $200 million less in federal heating aid for the country leaves two choices: to give out fewer grants or lower the amount for each recipient. The result would be the same, they said. More elderly, disabled and poor families would have to choose between paying for food and medication or heat.

"We can't serve everybody now," said Dale McCormick, director of the Maine State Housing Authority, which runs the state's home heating aid program. "I think it's pretty cold-hearted to cut fuel assistance when oil prices are up 40 percent."
...
New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg, a Republican, is chairman of the budget committee. "The budget we are seeing today is a fiscally leaner budget than we have seen in past years in an effort to reduce the deficit in half over the next four years," he said Monday in a statement. "The budget has not singled out any one area of the budget to bear the entire burden."

http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050208/NEWS/502080318/1003

[meegbear]

1. The budget has not singled out ...

any one area of the budget to bear the entire burden.

And he's right. ALL the poor are getting fucked over equally.

I'm sure Gregg doesn't have to worry too much about having heat in the winter.

[dandrhesse]

2. I vote for massive mailings to senators and congressman - Repub ones

When are we going to take a stand en masse and say NO MORE LIES!
I think we should write letters of our own and email, fax, phone constantly until the Republicans cannot stand it one more minute.

We need to say, NO, this will not do. We are mad as hell and we aren't going to take it anymore.

Why is no one stopping this adminstration from screwing over the children, the elderly and the poor of our country just so they can build more weapons to attack more countries on fraudulent evidence?

That is it bottom line, bush is screwing over the entire country and no one is stopping him? Where will they draw the line?

When the Chinese and Russians join forces and we see millions and millions of their soldiers envading our ports and beaches? It'll be a little late then don't you think?

This is so out of control!

[SpiralHawk]

5. If Jughead Gregg keeps talking like this

the voters will sooner or later get his ass in a sling.

He is a major BushCo kissass.

[Auntie Bush]

6. I've been wondering the same thing.

"Why is no one stopping this adminstration from screwing over the children, the elderly and the poor of our country just so they can build more weapons to attack more countries on fraudulent evidence?"

[dandrhesse]

9. exactly, I mean people would "get it" in 2 seconds flat if this was the

headline on every major newspaper tomorrow:

BUSH SCREWS AMERICA, LIES AND CHEATS TO GET WHAT HE WANTS; TAKES FROM THE POOR AND GIVES TO THE RICH, AMERICANS PAY THROUGH THE NOSE AND GET NOTHING!

[JerseygirlCT]

3. Hard not to see this as pay-back

for having the unmitigated gall to see through his crap and vote for the other guy.

[SpiralHawk]

4. Never forget: Bush is a New Englander - and a preppy

He pretends to be a Texan, but he was born in Connecticut, attended a NE prep school, and then Yale and the Skull & Bones school of the occult. He also did time at Harvard Business School.

He is not a Texan. That is just more image BS from him.

His own New England will love him not for this hatchet job.

Methinks the message will soon be getting through.

[insane_cratic_gal]

7. Yank here

I can assure you, that is bullshit. Love him? if you hadn't noticed NE went blue ALL of it.

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/electoral.college/

Might want to check it out.. It was TX that opened their arms to his stupid ass, we kicked him out =p

[SpiralHawk]

10. Bush is a Connectiucut Yankee

He pretends to be a Texan -- but his pedigree and training are Nutmegger all the way.

I do salute New England voters for having the good sense to recognize and oppose the fraudulant AWOL-in-Chief whose roots -- there is no disputing it -- reach only into Yankee soil.

If you read carefully my post above, I wrote that New Englanders "will love him not" for this screw job, not that they will love him. Excuse my syntax. I like to play with it.

As for Texas and Texans, some day they will see the light, too.

[liberal N proud]

8. We must all share in the burden so the wealthy can keep their

tax cuts.
It is very important that all the wealth be distributed to those who need the most. The ones who have 2 or 3 homes an yacht and drive hummers.
Money and government aid are too heavy of a burden for our nations poor to carry, they must be relived to know that the rich will gladly take the money and run.
We can't serve everyone and since the poor seldom vote for the repukes, we might as well serve those who do.

Yes I am being sarcastic.

[tooncesj0nes]

11. these programs are abused...my story..

..my brother in law and sister in law that lived in Brockton Mass ran up $4k in unpaid heating bills..of course their heat wasnt cut..but they paid them all off this last summer when they moved into their $350 k almost new house...moderate voters look at this type of abuse and shake their heads, as I did....

[Mel]

12. I look at this and realize

that not everyone who needs help abuses the system. Sure there will be cheats but does it make it alright to let the ones who don't suffer/freeze to death?
Far more is wasted of our tax money in welfare to corporations for me to worry about your brother in law and sister.

[Hobarticus]

14. I have a friend who works for heating assistance...

The stories of "heat or food or medicine" are far too real. He deals with hundreds of cases day to day.

[prolesunited]

16. So, why didn't you turn them in?

Why kill the program just because of criminals like them? I think it's called FRAUD.

[maxrandb]

13. Bush to NE; "F&*k You, you should have voted for me!

This is precisely why, no matter how "nice" they are, or "moderate" they are, It is imperative that those "blue staters" with an "R" after their name get the boot this mid-term election. I still don't understand how a state like PA can go for Kerry, and yet still send us Santorum and Spectre??

Snowe, Collins, Chaffee, Santorum, Spectre, Coleman, Gregg, Smith, Sununu *MUST* be defeated and replaced with a Democrat.

The minute they elected Frist as Majority Leader, and Delay as House Whip, they stopped representing their constituents.

Let the folks in NE freeze for all Bush cares. Why would a Republican worry about oil heat and fuel assistance? They don't give a shit because they know it is going to be "warm" where they are going.

This must be Deans first priority. Knock off these guys and pick up OH and we would truly be the "opposition" party.

Oh, and I don't care how we do it. If we have to be slimy, if we have to fund a "Swift Greeks for Truth" group to knock off Snowe, then let's do it.

You can't change the course of the country unless you win elections.

[struggle4progress]

15. kick