Monday, October 6, 2008

Massachusetts Homelessness Soars as Patrick Breaks Campaign Promise

Of course, "flushing . . . millions of dollars away supporting a highly profitable industry" when it comes to $300 million in taxpayer dollars for Hollywood is o.k., even as the price of a school lunch rises; paying $13 million for a computer software system that could have cost less than $3 million is all right because the winner was a close friend of the House speaker, even as my poorer-than-dirt district "has been struggling to close a $2 million budget gap."; the lottery shellling out "millions of dollars" for sports tickets for "lottery officials, their family members, and friends" is fine, even as schools are closing; making interest payments to banks to the tune of "a staggering $22 billion" for the Big Pit, as we call it around here, is required, even as bridges are neglected across the state; and again, paying off banks like UBS, who can "demand repayment of an additional $2 million a month beginning in January" while also receiving a "$179 million payment," while the state pension fund loses $1 billion dollars -- which still didn't stop the executive director from carving himself a nice "$64,000 bonus on top of his $322,000 annual salary."

Oh, and did I not mention the $1 BILLION dollar giveaway to the pharmaceutical corporations, even though "it's never been easy to turn a profit in biotech?" Flush that money away, too, taxpayer. Of course, the war looters were next in line for a handout. And should the state be appropriating money for a "multimillion-dollar reconstruction" of golf courses?

Nor is it RECKLESS to BORROW the STATE INTO OBLIVION so they can PAY INTEREST to BANKS while SITTING ON $2 BILLION DOLLARS!

And did I forget about PAYING FOR the CORPORATE TV COMMERCIALS or the outlays for illegal immigrants?

You starting to see the BIG PICTURE, readers? The Zionist-controlled, agenda-pushing Boston Globe is giving you the FINGER, America!!!!

"Homelessness hits record high; Advocates expect numbers to grow amid economic downturn and ask for state aid" by Connie Paige, Globe Correspondent | October 6, 2008

Despite a pledge by Governor Deval Patrick to end homelessness, the number of homeless people in the state is at a record high and likely to rise because of the mortgage crisis and continuing surge in foreclosures.

Of course, this also serves the PRO-INCOME TAX position of the BG, so I'm not really sure what to believe. Remember, readers, if it is IN the PAPER it is NOT NEWS and is THERE for an AGENDA-PUSHING REASON!!!!

And even still, TRILLIONS for WARS and BANKS and NOTHING FOR US! Homelessness is a NATIONAL SCANDAL!!!! NO ONE should be homeless in America, especially OUR VETERANS!

They have never solved that murder, either, folks But the Boston cops got time to cruise the strip, bust brothels, hang out in bars and buy drugs.

Advocates are asking the state to come up with emergency financial assistance to help the expected spike of additional homeless people make it through the winter.

Well, as you can see above, you know where the $$$ is going.

"We don't want to turn people away in the winter, and we don't want to have people die outside," said John Yazwinski, executive director of Father Bills & MainSpring, a nonprofit organization that provides shelter for the homeless and affordable housing on the South Shore. "We're afraid we may not have the capacity to get everybody indoors."

The state pays for [hotel] stays. But it costs less for the state to use the hotels and motels, at an average of $85 per night per family, than shelters, at an average nightly rate of $99, according to Juan Martinez, communications director for the Department of Health and Human Services.

WTF?!!

But the placement can relocate families miles away from their former homes and disrupt their children's education, advocates say. Under governor Mitt Romney's administration, the state moved homeless people out of hotels and motels, but last year the Patrick administration turned to them again because of the increase in homelessness.

Marilyn Anderson Chase, assistant secretary for children, youth, and families in the Executive Office of Health and Human Services: "We all agree it's unfortunate that families, for whatever reason, are finding themselves in situations where they're having to turn to the state emergency shelter system for housing. We're doing all we can to accommodate the increase and, at the same time, identify permanent housing options for people."

Pfft! As the state gives away BILLIONS!!!

Chase said although she cannot promise that more funding will be available, officials are trying to intervene by finding permanent housing for those in shelters and keeping families from becoming homeless. In housing courts in Springfield and Holyoke, for example, officials are identifying people at risk of becoming homeless and helping those whom they deem responsible to pay back rent.

The budget this fiscal year for emergency assistance for the homeless is $87 million, up from $85.4 million last fiscal year. The Legislature also approved Patrick's request for $10 million to place homeless people in permanent housing as part of his pledge to end homelessness.

In Boston, the rise in homelessness has meant shelters are overflowing, said Jim Greene, director of the city's Emergency Shelter Commission: "Over the past three years, family homeless numbers have increased by double-digit percentages. There are more families in hotels and motels. And for every family that makes it into hotels and motels, there are others struggling to hold their ground. [The 'double whammy' of the high cost of fuel and food] can put families at risk for homelessness that otherwise might not be. It's a very disconcerting time."

Not for all.

See: Boston's New Ivory Tower

The Economic Untouchables

The Boston Globe Worships the Wealthy Elite

Only U.S. Elite Need Apply

The Comfortable Class Above It All

Likewise, on the South Shore, shelters are being swamped. But the underlying problem is that not enough affordable housing exists for poor people, and the federal government is not providing enough rent assistance through vouchers, said Robyn D. Frost, executive director of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless.

Yup, trillions for wars and banks, billion for Israel -- and bupkis for the AMERICAN PEOPLE!

"There's not enough affordable housing in our state, and there's not enough vouchers in our nation," she said. Public housing is also scarce. --more--"