Cutoffs and Pleas for Aid Rise With Heat Costs
April 26th, 2008Via: New York Times:
After struggling with soaring heating costs through the winter, millions of Americans are behind on electric and gas bills, and a record number of families could face energy shut-offs over the next two months, according to state energy officials and utilities around the country.
The escalating costs of heating oil, propane and kerosene, most commonly used in the Northeast, have posed the greatest burdens, officials say, but natural gas and electricity prices have also climbed at a time when low-end incomes are stagnant and prices have also jumped for food and gasoline.
In New Hampshire, applicants for fuel subsidies under the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program received an average of $600 in a one-time grant and up to $975 for the extremely poor who rely on heating oil or propane, the costliest fuels. But those grants, which in recent years have covered 60 percent of heating costs, covered only about 35 percent of those costs this winter, said Celeste Lovett, director of the state’s energy aid program. The state will have given aid to about 34,500 people by the end of April, Ms. Lovett said, a 5 percent increase over last year and the highest number ever.
The most immediate challenge is to help the high number of consumers who are far behind in electric and gas payments, said Mark Wolfe, director of the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association, which represents state aid officials in Washington.
“Based on discussions with major utility companies around the country, we will see record numbers of families facing shut-offs,” Mr. Wolfe said.
Research Credit: JH
Yawn.
Just another intended consequence of the Bush-Rockefeller plan to kill off the surplus population.
Instead of Reaganomics – you know how all that wealth trickled down the legs of the richest people so high on cocaine they couldn’t make it to the bathroom; oops, forgot about those gosh dern poor people, they were supposed to get pissed on! Pennies for our piss on – not into – the pot of the collective. All of those ignoramuses that bought into our schemes to drain them dry to death whilst enriching ourselves.
My main concern at this time – reading all these posts on Cryptogon tonight – is where is all of the RAGE going to spend itself?
This is WAY PAST TIME for a BOSTON TEA PARTY!
The buying up of the common goods: water, heat, air, etc. without regulation for the any – whatever their rank- are one hammer blow after another.
I feel a RAGE gathering force inside me. I’m not so much frightened by the RAGE as much as I am identified with it. By what right do so few claim the power to enslave so many?
If I am enraged, and I can afford the incessant drain on my resources so much that I almost feel that I cannot save, then what about the person who cannot afford to live – ie pay their bills to begin with?
That is why I say the RAGE is a coming.Maybe not this year or next, but enough will be so sucked dry there will be no recouse but to rebel.
For what that will be worth, I dunno.