Sequester cuts began on March 1 of 2013. In my county effects are all ready being felt. Some Head Start facilities have closed their doors due to lack of funding and Meals on Wheels have ended for many of the elderly who are homebound. The HUD subsidies for 2 of my clients who have them haven't been paid for 2 months. So far the owners of that building have accepted just the part the senior pays, but I don't believe that will continue much longer. Taxes will be due, maintenance staff must be paid, and utilities to operate hallway lights, heat, elevators and entry door automatic locks must be paid.
HUD has tightened it's qualifications for Section 8 and it recertified those who receive it, but no one has been notified that they will still be receiving it. Seniors who receive section 8 in this particular building my be forced to move to Housing Authority buildings which, at the moment are infested with bed bugs. HUD Rental Assistance program was designed to help Seniors and other low income families from being forced to live in vermin infested apartments, however, apparently some in Congress prefer their corporate friends not have to pay taxes to support this idea.
Without Meals On Wheels my clients are forced to rely heavily on the SNAP program which will lose a portion of their funding on Friday, November 1. Right now, MOWs are serving only the seriously disabled and those who can afford to pay $7.75 per meal. Once the SNAP funding is cut on Friday, I'm not sure what will happen. I don't think the local Rescue Mission can handle the increased demand for food from people who can't get out to their place to be fed. One local church is starting a food kitchen, it's a very small church with a small congregation and they can afford to operate only 2 days a week. The good thing is they will deliver.
The local Salvation Army has a new Major in charge. He seems to understand that people need help, unlike the last one who ended many of the community support programs for the poor. He has reinstated the after school program for kids and it does include a meal.
School impact programs have lost funding since March 1 of this year. Without kids in school I've no idea what affect it actually had but I'm sure it wasn't good. Many kids need the breakfast and lunches provided and they seem to be where proposed cut backs will happen.
Sometime in January another round of cuts will happen. Those will finally affect the Pentagon. I don't know why those cuts couldn't happen first. It would have been better if they had. The Republicans would have felt the effects of those cuts in a way they don't feel the cuts they've already allowed to take place. IF they move to protect the Pentagon as I think they might, then more cuts will occur to the low income people, I'm positive the GOP won't allow anything else.
I'm tired. I've been trying to get the attention of activists to inform people about the true effects of the sequester, and they, led by bloggers, pundits, and main stream journalists are more enamored of exposing the government spying and lately the flaws in Obamacare.
People I do talk to seem to think I should talk to the administrators of MOW, send letters to the editor of local papers, and just kick up enough of a ruckus that I can PREVENT all this from happening. After 7 months of trying to bring attention to this problem, I was told today that someone "doesn't understand what I hope to accomplish if I've given up". See? I can't accomplish a damn thing because these cuts are all ready in effect, all ready hurting people and I no longer have time to build a coalition of support because none of these people who have lost out have any time left. I've been trying for 7 months, the entire time that these people have been suffering and going without.
How much longer do these people whose rent subsidy hasn't been paid for two months have until they're evicted?
How much longer do these Seniors whose 1 hot meal a day is GONE have before they get sick and wind up in a nursing home? Or maybe dead?
With Winter on the way, how long will the heat stay on when HEAP doesn't have a budget?
Yeah, I've got lots of time to fix all this.
I've got one last thing to say. FUCK ALL OF YOU FOR IGNORING THIS.
.jpg)
OK, I comply with the afore mentioned command, I am duly fucked. Not ignoring it though, but may be guilty of not fighting it hard enough, will call my tea bagger congressman again today, leave a message with the polite staffer, (can never speak with him) and await the email a week later telling me his rosy side of the picture of how we can't afford these communist luxuries. He won't change one iota, but I will rattle a cup on the bars.
ReplyDeleteYou get the frustration I'm feeling, and my next commenter doesn't. It's useless and because of my job I have to stand by and watch it happen. I hate republicans, I really do. And of course, Mark thinks I've been unfair to him since he started trying to help me on Sunday and doesn't understand it's too late and nobody will listen that can do anything about it because...these people that are doing this hate the poor.
DeleteUnfair. If you do nothing but slap around the people who have offered to help you and fed you information and talked up MOW problems, you won't get any help.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that warm reception.
I'll know better now. Flounder on your own.
Mark
I'm pissed off, frustrated and I don't care what you think.
DeleteThe time to have paid attention is long gone, even my friend Yellow Fringe understands that. There is no fixing this because Congress won't pay attention until they get voted out in large numbers. By then the damage will have been done since it's going to get worse before anyone that can actually do something pays attention.
Like you alluded to Americans do not have the required attention span that could lead to any real reforms. I personally get pissed off at some liberals who whine about how Obama promised change but either gave up or was in some sort of cahoots with the republicans and their corporate friends.
ReplyDeleteLike you said Congress is the key, until a progressive majority is elected to back up at least a decent president things will continue to get worse.
Squirrels, shiny objects, outrage over civil liberty infringement via the NSA and everything else under the sun got massive attention.
DeleteFINALLY as of last night Twitter erupted in OMG SHOCK over something that has been due to happen for 7 months.
Dear Chris Hayes is now reporting on "the Hunger Cliff" we're about to fall over. And in 2 days something shiny will happen and no one will care when in a month the effects of the cuts will be felt.
I'm still pissed. And will be pissed until people begin to understand that they are part of the problem. They could have a rally against spying. Where was the rally for the poor, the vets, the military, the seniors and hungry kids?
christian louboutin, uggs on sale, longchamp outlet, air max, gucci handbags, ugg boots, oakley sunglasses wholesale, nike air max, ray ban sunglasses, louis vuitton outlet, louis vuitton, ray ban sunglasses, longchamp outlet, michael kors pas cher, christian louboutin uk, ugg boots, polo outlet, nike free, nike outlet, tiffany and co, polo ralph lauren outlet online, oakley sunglasses, oakley sunglasses, cheap oakley sunglasses, louis vuitton outlet, christian louboutin outlet, prada handbags, tiffany jewelry, louis vuitton outlet, longchamp outlet, sac longchamp pas cher, louboutin pas cher, nike air max, prada outlet, ray ban sunglasses, christian louboutin shoes, nike free run, replica watches, chanel handbags, louis vuitton, replica watches, kate spade outlet, jordan shoes, longchamp pas cher, jordan pas cher, oakley sunglasses, tory burch outlet, nike roshe
ReplyDeletecoach outlet, michael kors outlet online, oakley pas cher, michael kors outlet online, new balance, true religion outlet, nike air max uk, burberry outlet, ralph lauren uk, ray ban uk, north face uk, replica handbags, michael kors, timberland pas cher, michael kors outlet, michael kors outlet online, coach outlet store online, uggs outlet, nike air force, hollister uk, michael kors outlet, sac vanessa bruno, hogan outlet, nike roshe run uk, uggs outlet, sac hermes, michael kors, mulberry uk, north face, nike tn, nike air max uk, hollister pas cher, true religion jeans, michael kors outlet online, coach purses, nike air max, nike blazer pas cher, true religion outlet, converse pas cher, true religion outlet, abercrombie and fitch uk, kate spade, lululemon canada, ray ban pas cher, guess pas cher, polo lacoste, nike free uk, vans pas cher
ReplyDeletemoncler, pandora jewelry, replica watches, canada goose, hollister, pandora uk, moncler outlet, canada goose uk, barbour, ugg,uggs,uggs canada, lancel, canada goose, louis vuitton, thomas sabo, ugg,ugg australia,ugg italia, barbour uk, swarovski, moncler, louis vuitton, canada goose outlet, montre pas cher, juicy couture outlet, doudoune moncler, ugg, louis vuitton, louis vuitton, moncler, karen millen uk, moncler uk, coach outlet, canada goose outlet, juicy couture outlet, toms shoes, moncler outlet, links of london, canada goose outlet, louis vuitton, moncler, wedding dresses, supra shoes, marc jacobs, swarovski crystal, canada goose jackets, ugg uk, canada goose, pandora jewelry, ugg pas cher, pandora charms
ReplyDelete