Senate OKs $1B to Help Poor Afford Energy

Associated Press ^ | 08 March, 2006 | JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press

[TexCon]

The writer made another mistake too. John Ensign is the junior Senator from Nevada.

[sheana]

I live in the central valley and I sure as heck would like some energy assistance. The prices of electricity and natural gas here is KILLING us. In the summer (when it is 117 degrees) our electric bill runs $400-600 a mnth. And that is with the air set on 80 degrees.
We freeze in the winter and burn up in the summer because of the price of our gas and electric bills.
This state will see the last of me next yr hopefully.

[sheana]

oops, central valley California

[newgeezer]

This won't give the poor any incentive to insulate, buy a more efficient furnace, get new windows, caulk, turn off lights, replace bulbs with fluorescents..... just have the gummint pay the bills and you can leave the lights on.

In fact, when biblewonk sent me the link to this article, he mentioned how any number of the many handout recipients in his 'hood are always leaving their doors hanging wide open, even in the cold of winter. Why should they give a damn?

Meanwhile, I remind my kids not to take so long to survey the refrigerator contents.

[Dont_Tread_On_Me_888]

That is a 48% increase!

Inflation is running less than 4%, and Bush and the Republican increase the wealth transfer from taxpayers to slackers and lazy bums by 48! All this will get is more cigs and beer for the the gimmee-gimmee crowd, and more disposable money for cocaine--maybe a plasma TV or two.

I knew Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan was a conservative. Bush is no Ronald Reagan. Republicans are liberals.

[dfwgator]

Things like this make the LP look better and better.

[rollo tomasi]

I live in the central valley and I sure as heck would like some energy assistance.

Resist the temptation, fight to end regulations that prevent industrious people in supplying the consumers more resources for their demands.

Of course let the environmentalist be damned! Let free enterprise reign, not a bureaucracy that steals from "the people" to give to others for votes and power.

[jamese777]

"That is a riot -- yeah, probably wouldn't bother her liberal butt one bit. :-)"

Olympia Snowe has the highest job approval rating of any US Senator: 75% positive. For the folks in Maine, she's obviously doing a lot that they like.

[sheana]

But I didn't say I wanted government energy assistance! I want them to butt out so the prices will go down.
Of course I have given up on that and we have just decided to leave California instead.

[Cboldt]

I'm in Maine for 5 years now, and this has been a mild winter.

20+ years, and yes, this winter has been warmer than average. Not just a little bit, either.

     WEATHER ITEM   OBSERVED TIME   RECORD YEAR NORMAL DEPARTURE LAST
                     VALUE   (LST)  VALUE       VALUE  FROM      YEAR
                                                       NORMAL        
     ..................................................................

     ...THE MILLINOCKET  ASOS CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 7 2006...

     DEGREE DAYS
      HEATING   
       SINCE MAR 1    306                       305      1      313     
       SINCE JUL 1   5793                      6632   -839     6414

     ...THE PORTLAND CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 7 2006...

     DEGREE DAYS         
      HEATING            
       SINCE MAR 1    264                       252     12      279
       SINCE JUL 1   4854                      5459   -605     5340

     ...THE HOULTON CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 7 2006...

     DEGREE DAYS                                                                            
      HEATING   
       SINCE MAR 1    321                       311     10      332
       SINCE JUL 1   6147                      7030   -883     6948

     ...THE CARIBOU CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 7 2006...

     DEGREE DAYS         
      HEATING
       SINCE MAR 1    333                       320     13      347
       SINCE JUL 1   6475                      7245   -770     7135

     ...THE BANGOR CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 7 2006...

     DEGREE DAYS         
      HEATING
       SINCE MAR 1    306                       269     37      304
       SINCE JUL 1   5340                      5824   -484     5966

http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/me/climate.html

[Mrs. Darla Ruth Schwerin]

"States are going to receive funding when there is no emergency?" she added. "How does that make sense?"

That makes perfect sense for Congress' mindset.
...Let's shovel out more money so we can keep people dependent on the government. And, oh yeah, it just costs the taxpayers more, but who cares. It makes us Congressmen LOOK like we are really needed...

[Lunatic Fringe]

Mainers are a funny cross-breed of conservalibs.

[fooman]

The same Rinos wont drill now will take away your money and this stuff at inflated prices.

[Mo1]

Every so often, the gas and electric companies include an insert with their bills asking for contributions to their LEAP funds. I suppose that's their way of giving the non-taxpayers among us a chance to contribute, because I've always known Congress contributes on my behalf.

Read the requirements to get this credit

Many folks who have a hard time paying for their heating/electric bills don't fall under the requirements

Then there are other who can pay their bills and don't

Years back Mayor John Street of Philadelphia owed PECO a bundle from unpaid bills

IMO .. Congress needs to kill the taxes on utility bills .. then folks could better afford to pay their bills

[reelfoot]

Another billion dollar giveaway of taxpayer money? We need to elect Republicans to control the Senate to cut out the socialism. Whoops. Never mind.

[rolling_stone]

Darn I missed reading about this in the Constitution..what did all those early settlers do to keep warm before the Feds stepped in to pay the bills? I bet they probably starved to death or froze to death if they didn't work or had friends and family to help them out.

[The Lion Roars]

unbelievable. there are a billion plus ways to waste more tax payer money.

[TC Rider]

Please sir, more energy please!

Can't we strive to be more like wonderful France and just let the poor and elderly freeze or cook as appropriate?

/sarcasm

[b4its2late]

I work hard! People on welfare depend on me daily!

[BJClinton]

ROTFLMAO! What an entirely crass way to buy votes for her 2006 re-election effort.