U.S. Heating Bills Up, But Fed Help Down

[rodeodance]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/09/national/main2552919.shtml?source=RSSattr=Politics_2552919


U.S. Heating Bills Up, But Fed Help Down
At Least 7 States Are Completely Out Of Assistance Money Or Will Be Soon


NEW YORK, March 9, 2007

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Quote

"There are health issues involved here. Some elderly turn their thermostats down too low, afraid of having to pay high bills."
Mark Wolfe, executive director,
National Energy Assistance Directors' Association
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(Christian Science Monitor) This article was written by Ron Scherer.

Even before the latest spate of arctic conditions gripped the northern half of the nation, many states were running out of money to help the disadvantaged with their heating bills.

In West Virginia, the doors to the state's energy-assistance program have been closed for a month. Iowa has sliced its heating-assistance benefit by 30 percent. And in Montana, the director of the state's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) has personally fielded 50 to 100 phone calls from residents who want to know why their checks are so much smaller than last year's.

"They are asking me what's happened," says the director, Jim Nolan.

What's happened is that the number of people requiring energy-bill assistance has grown at the same time that Congress and the White House have cut funding by nearly $1 billion from last year. The combination has quickly rippled to the states, and at least seven are either completely out of money or will be shortly.
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[AndyA]

1. Just another example of the Bush Administration working hard to do right

by Murkins.

I don't think it would be possible to find a worse pResident.

[bdamomma]

2. this administration is squeezing us.

let's do it to them.

[AndyA]

7. I agree. Unfortunately, we have to somehow motivate the Dems in Congress

to stick together and show some courage for a change.

I know they might have big things going on behind the scenes, and I hope they do, but what I've seen so far has left me underwhelmed.

[HockeyMom]

3. $400 ONE month's natural gas heat bill

and this was before we had sub zero wind chill weather for about a week. They wanted the entire bill paid within 2 weeks or would charge 1.5% interest.

I called them and said there is no way I can pay $400 in two weeks. Remember, this is in addition to an almost $200 monthly electric bill. We have all these added on fuel surcharges to both utilities. The gas company said I could pay half of the bill and then work out a payment plan over the warmer months.

Oh, goody. Getting out. I just cannot take any more of this. I will not even go into the $2.79 a gallon gas we now have.

Yet, I just read that the BILLIONAIRES are increasing. Spare me. Why doesn't the media talk about the ever increasing POOR????

[Cobalt Violet]

5. They only talk of the poor when they can profit from it.

That's usually from some huge disaster that kill a bunch of poor such as Katrina.

[ClintonTyree]

6. Lou Dobbs is pretty vocal about it...

after 9/11 Dobbs, like every other media voice recorder, was 100% behind Bush. He couldn't do anything wrong in Dobbs' eyes. Slowly but surely, Dobbs came to his senses and now he's one of the most vocal anti-Bush administration journalists out there. His nightly reports on Bush's attack on the poor and middle class are great to hear. There's still a lot of things Dobbs likes that I don't agree with but overall he's become one of the biggest Bush bashers on the air waves.

[partylessinOhio]

4. Ohio HEAP 2007 is lower than Ohio HEAP 2006. WHY?