WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Vermont Faces Heating Assistance Shortage

Vermont Faces Heating Assistance Shortage

Burlington, Vermont - January 3, 2008

Rising energy and food prices -- plus the cold winter -- are putting pressure on federal and state governments to come up with more money for low income assistance programs. On Thursday, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, promised a marathon debate over funding for the needy.

Sanders met with reporters and brought in two low income advocates to underscore his priorities for Congress. He said there's an urgent need for more funding for LIHEAP, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, on top of $2.6 billion passed by Congress last month. 

"Given the rapidly escalating cost of home heating fuel, it simply is not enough," Sanders said in reference to the already-appropriated funding. "And that is why as soon as I return to Congress -- and Congress reconvenes in late January -- I'll be offering an amendment which has strong bipartisan support to increase LIHEAP by another $800 million."

Rising consumer prices have led to anecdotal evidence cited by Rob Meehan, the director at the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf, and Hal Cohen, who heads the Central Vermont Community Action Council.

Meehan said he has seen new customers. "Last week, I had a guy named Dan who came to the food shelf," he related. "I saw him standing outside of the door to our food shelf for awhile. I knew he had never been there before, so I approached him. He said he was just out of work for a little while and never thought he would be coming to a food shelf, but needed some help."

Cohen added, "I have to say that the situation right now is more desperate than I've ever seen it."

Meanwhile, Rep. Gaye Symington, D-Vt. House Speaker, told reporters that rising prices are putting pressure on state government -- and that the federal government is little help. She said that unless president Bush releases emergency funding attached to the LIHEAP program, Vermont will do what it has done every year -- ante up $5 million or more to supplement low income heating assistance.

She told reporters, "I think that's a great example of one of the pressure point coming down on the state, is the failure of the federal government to live up to its responsibilities. It's become a regular routine for Vermont to have to put seven to ten million dollars worth of state dollars to make LIHEAP whole."

Symington said she would rather put the money into long-term energy efficiency, rather than keep on plugging emergencies. Rising prices are putting additional financial pressure on state and federal governments, as well as the poor.

Sanders said he'll do everything he can to get the Bush administration to release the emergency heating assistance. At issue is whether Vermont and other northern states would qualify for a larger share of the money -- as cold weather states. Vermont would stand to gain more than $5 million out of a total of $600 million nationwide in emergency funding.

Andy Potter - WCAX News