Budget cuts to freeze the poor

All I can say is this had better be an unfounded rumor. I mean what could be more cruel? Only weeks ago, the White House and Congress in their merry bi-partisan lame duck lovefest had no problem throwing hundreds of billions of extra debt onto the deficit to extend and in fact enhance tax breaks for billionaires because you know, it's just makes them so nervous when a single penny of their government subsidized profits are threatened. But gosh, we're in a debt crisis so, poor people should suck it up and literally freeze under this proposed budget cut.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, would see funding drop by about $2.5 billion from an authorized 2009 total of $5.1 billion. The proposed cut will not touch the program's emergency reserve fund, about $590 million, which can be used during particularly harsh cold snaps or extended heat spells, three officials told National Journal.

"About $590 million?" That's supposed to mitigate this Scrooge move? Seriously? Millions out of work altogether or severely underemployed. They're already hungry and barely staying one step ahead of homelessness. It's been an unusally cold winter and with climate disruption, which is being ignored when it's not being denied by our political overlords, extreme weather is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. So their solution is to cut fuel assistance? Good Lord, the need has never been greater. Basic decency would suggest they increase the funding. But apparently Obama is worried about the polling.

The president’s budget is due next Monday, and the administration has been bracing traditional Democratic allies for cuts to favorite programs. The White House understands that Americans are skeptical of Obama’s willingness to tackle the estimated $1.5 trillion budget deficit and believes that he must cross a threshold of seriousness in their minds.

Well, I guess freezing the poor to death is one way to prove he's serious about cutting "entitlement" spending. Deadly serious. I wonder what brand of champagne they'll be pouring in the corporate boardrooms to celebrate the President's "cold hard choices?" [graphic via]