Gov Paterson: More money for HEAP (but where is it coming from?)
In a press release from NYS, the governor announced yesterday that money for low-income New Yorkers would be increasing and the eligibility level would also increase to $45,312 yearly income/family of four. Other energy initiatives will be put in place at the same time:
an additional $49 million for household energy efficiency programs, improved agency administration of efficiency and heating assistance programs, and expanded workshops to help homeowners and renters to reduce their energy use at little or no cost.
While I applaud governor Paterson for moving forward with this, I’m wondering at the same time, how do we finance this with the deficits which exist within the state budget? Where, exactly will this money come from?
In addition, he calls upon the federal government to continue and increase their LIHEAP program:
Governor Paterson also renewed his call for additional funding for the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and added: “The state initiatives I announced today do not eliminate the need for additional federal funding for LIHEAP. The federal government must not ignore the reality of record high heating prices when considering funding levels for this essential program. To keep LIHEAP funding at last year’s level when heating costs are 30-40 percent higher this year would be unconscionable and place vulnerable New Yorkers at even greater risk.”
The Governor is again calling on Congress and the President to immediately fund LIHEAP at the authorized level of $5.1 billion, and for the President to release $100 million in LIHEAP contingency funds that will otherwise expire on September 30, the end of the current federal fiscal year.
Maybe if we rolled back the tax breaks for “Big Oil” we would find some federal funds to assist this program. ( But, oh, I forgot, the money will be going to fund these oil companies’ record profits.)
Related posts:
You mean like Sarah Palin did?
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=a13e84JyS2B8&refer=home
Yes-exactly, but don’t get cocky, Elmer, as Stlo is fond of saying, even a broken watch is right twice a day.
It’s nice to find some common ground with Sarah, but then I watch the video of shooting wolves from a low-flying plane and that warm, fuzzy feeling is gone instantly.
Under Stlo’s theory, Palin will be right about 60 times per month?
In a republican calendar month, yes.
[...] Gov. Paterson is looking for money to fund HEAP. [...]