"World goin' one way, people another." - Poot

Memphis utility assistance program for poor terminated

City had trouble finding recipients qualified for aid
By Linda Moore (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Tuesday, July 1, 2008

The city of Memphis has terminated after less than three months a utility assistance program touted as a stopgap measure for the city's working poor.

In April, Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton announced that $2.5 million was available to help Memphis residents facing disconnection from Memphis Light, Gas and Water.....

READ THE REST OF THIS SAD AFFAIR HERE



....Okay...now let me see if I can wrap my brain around this one....does anyone really...seriously think the people of this city so stupid, that that anyone with half a braincell is really going to buy this load of bantha poodoo?


A.For one thing Why is this assistance only available for two person households who make 21k-24k? The moral being...If you live alone, you are on your own.

B. How can someone make TOO LITTLE to qualify for a program for the WORKING POOR!?!
What's next, turning skinny people away from soup kitchens?

C. How in God's name, in a city with as many poor people as we have were qualified applicants so hard to find?

The City could have enlisted the aid of the various non-profits that work with low income families. MIFA, CATHOLIC CHARITIES. If you really wanted to find them...

OR you could let MLG&W do this instead the Youth Services and Community Affairs Office.Warts and all, MLG&W would be better equipped to identify the most needy. If you did not want to confuse potential applicants.....

Or hows about presenting information about this program prominently on the monthly bill in the lower income areas of the city? If you wanted to inform your target demographic....

OR maybe...just maybe the Mayor could have used a small portion of the time he has spent cutting wrestling promos in front of the press to raise awareness on this issue....that is...if you want a program to actually work for poor people.
But that was not what this was about, this was about a political shell game, a dog and pony show...pretense and lip service...Milli and Vanilli.

Is this really the time to cut such a program?...With the coming summer heat, and rising utility bills....is this responsible? For what?...all to save a mere 2.17 million....thats table scraps compared to the rest of the budget. Especially when you look at just how much we GIVE AWAY in tax abatement's.Hell, if we made the commercial accounts pay like everyone else you could easily roll that money over to the at risk.
It makes me sick to my stomach to see how This Government treats the people...who ironically are their biggests supporters. Think about just how low of a regard one would have to have for poor people to let this happen over 2.17 million dollars. that's about half of one percent of the budget. To play political games with people's quality of life...and I do not mean that in the B.S. downtown living sense, sends a message to the people that their lives don't really mean much.
It's not enough that the poor have to deal with crime in their neighborhoods, a lack of services, LEAD POISONING THEIR KIDS, inadequate schools, and a lack of jobs, but now...now..you don't even get to have a stopgap spare change program that would mildly ease your burden temporarily.

And don't give me any of this fiscal responsibility nonsense, not with the increases to the general fund,and the specter of a 500 million dollar convention center being floated around.... unless you can really look one of the 72,000 single mothers who work full time, yet live in poverty in the eye, and honestly say that there was no better way to do this.

Contact your City Councilman and ask them for their help,please tell them to find another way...

Memphis City Council Contact Information
125 North Main Street
Memphis, TN 38103 phone 576-6786

Bill Morrison
(901) 576-6786
Bill.Morrison@memphistn.gov

Bill Boyd
(901) 576-6786
Bill.Boyd@memphistn.gov

Harold B. Collins
(901) 545-5987 office
(901) 332-3691
Harold.Collins@memphistn.gov

Wanda Halbert
(901) 576-6786
Wanda.Halbert@memphistn.gov

Edmund Ford Jr.
(901) 576-6786
Edmund.Fordjr@memphistn.gov

Barbara Swearengen Ware
(901) 458-9406
Swearengen.Ware@memphistn.gov

Joe Brown
(901) 274-4724


Janis Fullilove
(901) 576-6786
Janis.Fullilove@memphistn.gov

Myron Lowery
(901) 521-4300
myron.lowery@memphistn.gov

Scott McCormick
Office (901) 576-6786
Fax (901) 576-6796
scott.mccormick@memphistn.gov

Shea Flinn
(901) 576-6786
Shea.Flinn@memphistn.gov

Reid Hedgepeth
(901) 576-6786
Reid.Hedgepeth@memphistn.gov

Jim Strickland
(901) 576-6786
Jim.Strickland@memphistn.gov