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Meals on Wheels

Glowpun

Glowpun

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I just read that Trump's budget proposals will eliminate grants to Meals on Wheels--serves the underserved and seniors who have nowhere else to go. It costs taxpayers 3m each week-end when Trump and his family leave the WH to their FL estate. That same amount of money will fund Meals on Wheels for an entire year. Trump followers listening?
 
I think it would be best to critique the rationale the White House's budget chief Mulvaney gave about that hitting that program.

He seemed to indicate there was something other than food to those who seemingly rely on it in judging its worth. He seemed to indicate he wanted outputs. I was left wondering if he expected these Seniors to go back to work or something. We heard the same thing about the school food programs: judging its success based on academic scores and (interestingly enough), graduation and employment outcomes.
 
Obscene.

Even though we're being played it is obscene. All of it.
 
Glowpun said:
I just read that Trump's budget proposals will eliminate grants to Meals on Wheels--serves the underserved and seniors who have nowhere else to go. It costs taxpayers 3m each week-end when Trump and his family leave the WH to their FL estate. That same amount of money will fund Meals on Wheels for an entire year. Trump followers listening?
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From what I can tell, only 3% of Meals on Wheels' budget comes from government grants. It'll hurt a little, but they will be fine.

That said, the Trump campaign has gained a great deal off of misleading statements, oversimplifications, inaccuracies and outright lies. While I for one will not stoop to those tactics, I feel no sympathy for those who get hoist on their own petard.
 
Glowpun said:
I just read that Trump's budget proposals will eliminate grants to Meals on Wheels--serves the underserved and seniors who have nowhere else to go. It costs taxpayers 3m each week-end when Trump and his family leave the WH to their FL estate. That same amount of money will fund Meals on Wheels for an entire year. Trump followers listening?
Click to expand...

$3 million of a federal grant to fund a small portion of a program that I don't think anyone in their right mind can say is bad is pretty terrible.

While that's bad, I don't like the idea of completely defunding CBGs in general, since despite that callow slimeball Mulvaney's claim that they're "ineffective," do a lot for the poor in this country.

The prevailing notion amongst the Trumpanzees that "we created these programs to feed poor kids so they'd do better in school; they're not doing appreciably better in school so ergo, we should stop feeding them" is about as heartless as it gets, but I expect nothing less than a general "let them eat ****" mentality from the far-right of the GOP.

Now, also remember that this budget will NEVER get through the Senate intact. Republican Senators -- people who by nature can't be gerrymandered into safe districts that they have no chance of losing -- are generally far more pragmatic than their wingnut House contemporaries. The Steve Kings and Louie Gohmerts of the world rarely get Senate seats, and for very good reason. When the entire state (even urban Republicans, who trend more liberal than their ****kicker counterparts) can see what an asshole you are, they tend not to vote for you.
 
Visbek said:
From what I can tell, only 3% of Meals on Wheels' budget comes from government grants. It'll hurt a little, but they will be fine.

That said, the Trump campaign has gained a great deal off of misleading statements, oversimplifications, inaccuracies and outright lies. While I for one will not stoop to those tactics, I feel no sympathy for those who get hoist on their own petard.
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That's 3% fewer elderly shut-ins getting fed and potentially their only human contact over the course of a day. To me, the piddling amount the federal government kicks in to cover that program's expenses is well worth it.
 
That's sad, The Elderly and the Poor is no threat to real Americans
 
Fiddytree said:
I think it would be best to critique the rationale the White House's budget chief Mulvaney gave about that hitting that program.

He seemed to indicate there was something other than food to those who seemingly rely on it in judging its worth. He seemed to indicate he wanted outputs. I was left wondering if he expected these Seniors to go back to work or something. We heard the same thing about the school food programs: judging its success based on academic scores and (interestingly enough), graduation and employment outcomes.
Click to expand...

"We fed the poor kids and their test scores didn't go up enough, so let's just stop feeding the poor kids (oh, and slash the education budget too)."

We're dealing with the goddamned mole people.
 
Pretty standard Republican policy. I've talked this topic to death today. It comes down to them sacrificing these types of block grants that fund Meals on Wheels, to pay for a bloated DoD. That way they can say they're draining the swamp by slashing federal funds that go to poor communities. The average Republican voter is given the illusion that he's saving money because his tax dollars don't go to helping people feed themselves any longer. When what really happened, is they saved the tax payer no money, and just diverted funding for these programs to the Pentagon. Then Republicans can point to underfunded Democratic programs as failing and follow through by selling them off to private interest. Screwing the poor and empowering the rich.
 
I know it's the syndical in me, but I'm ready to watch the GOP and Republican Party Walk-The-Walk and OWN their plan. If it means people will suffer ... I hope it will be no more than 4 years, but even 8 will be more than enough time.

Sorry, people will suffer, but it's time we make Republicans Govern and be Acountable, rather than stand on the sidelines and Obstruct.
 
Kobie said:
$3 million of a federal grant to fund a small portion of a program that I don't think anyone in their right mind can say is bad is pretty terrible.

While that's bad, I don't like the idea of completely defunding CBGs in general, since despite that callow slimeball Mulvaney's claim that they're "ineffective," do a lot for the poor in this country.

The prevailing notion amongst the Trumpanzees that "we created these programs to feed poor kids so they'd do better in school; they're not doing appreciably better in school so ergo, we should stop feeding them" is about as heartless as it gets, but I expect nothing less than a general "let them eat ****" mentality from the far-right of the GOP.

.
Click to expand...

You know what else is as heartless as it gets? neglecting your children. cutting free lunch does not mean the kids will go hungry, it means parents will have to make better money decisions and take care of their own children.
 
Kobie said:
That's 3% fewer elderly shut-ins getting fed and potentially their only human contact over the course of a day. To me, the piddling amount the federal government kicks in to cover that program's expenses is well worth it.
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I'm sure they can make it up with additional fundraising.

I don't think this is a smart cut -- but with this specific cut, the optics are far, far worse than the actual harm.
 
When I retired from teaching after 33 years, I worked as a volunteer driver and delivery person for Meals on Wheels for a few years 2005 - 2009. Would use my car two or three days a week for about two hours a day and deliver to about a dozen or so locations spread around the area where I live.

Almost all of the people were elderly = 80 years or older... one was younger in her late forties but was stone blind and a emotional mess who was home bound. For many of these people, the delivery person was the only human contact they had on most days.

Some of them paid for their meals - some did not. It was voluntary either way.

The idea that we are going cut funding for this program is beyond disgraceful for any nation that considers itself a christian nation. Trump should be ashamed of himself.

btw - not one driver in my local program took a single dollar for their car usage or for gasoline. Every one of us did it for free even though we were all entitled to submit monthly vouchers for gas and car usage. That is the kind of program this is and the kind of people who work for it.
 
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EMNofSeattle said:
You know what else is as heartless as it gets? neglecting your children. cutting free lunch does not mean the kids will go hungry, it means parents will have to make better money decisions and take care of their own children.
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Well, that's compassionate of you (not)

I hate to break this to you, but we've been cutting safety nets for over 30 years, and it hasn't magically produced better outcomes for the poor. It's just made their lives harder.
 
Glowpun said:
I just read that Trump's budget proposals will eliminate grants to Meals on Wheels--serves the underserved and seniors who have nowhere else to go. It costs taxpayers 3m each week-end when Trump and his family leave the WH to their FL estate. That same amount of money will fund Meals on Wheels for an entire year. Trump followers listening?
Click to expand...

Everything non-essential to the national budget needs to be reduced and/or cut.

Myself, I give to charity on the order of over $1k/yr, but as my expenses increase, my charitable contributions decrease.

As a nation, we are severely in the Red. If you have a better solution, then please tell us. Otherwise, this backseat driving is nothing but a show of hatred.
 
Conservatives looking to reduce government spending will always look at the poorest, most vulnerable citizens first. Any bets spending on defense contracts goes up during this budgets life?
 
I know.

Those of you wanting Meals on Wheels to have better funding, give them a donation!

Put your money where your mouth is, and use your money instead of expecting it to be funded with other people's money!

Donation link:

https://mealsonwheelspeople5969.thankyou4caring.org/
 
Kobie said:
That's 3% fewer elderly shut-ins getting fed and potentially their only human contact over the course of a day. To me, the piddling amount the federal government kicks in to cover that program's expenses is well worth it.
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The bottom line is that if you are going to cut the budget, somebodies ox gets gored. That's been the problem. Most people are in favor of reducing government expenditures, as long as it's somebody else's ox.

Many of these programs didn't exist 10 tears ago. Yet somehow we got along without them. We can get along without them now.
 
Cigar said:
That's sad, The Elderly and the Poor is no threat to real Americans
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This is Trump's America, they shouldn't have been old and poor.
 
jimbo said:
The bottom line is that if you are going to cut the budget, somebodies ox gets gored. That's been the problem. Most people are in favor of reducing government expenditures, as long as it's somebody else's ox.

Many of these programs didn't exist 10 tears ago. Yet somehow we got along without them. We can get along without them now.
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Meals on Wheels has existed in the U.S. since 1954; it has been a full-on nationwide charity since 1974.

Problem is, we're not cutting the budget. We're cutting things like the State Department, and health, and the environment, and labor, and education, and **** that helps poor people, just to give that money back AND THEN SOME to the military, DHS and the VA (the last of which is the only one I'm fully on board with). When the military is getting an extra $54 BILLION, why shortchange a program that actually helps people?
 
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EMNofSeattle said:
You know what else is as heartless as it gets? neglecting your children. cutting free lunch does not mean the kids will go hungry, it means parents will have to make better money decisions and take care of their own children.
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Dude, I work for a non-profit that serves children (many with special needs or behavioral issues) that come from mostly poor backgrounds. In most of these cases, these kids don't need free meals because they're "neglected." It's because their families are POOR.
 
Visbek said:
From what I can tell, only 3% of Meals on Wheels' budget comes from government grants. It'll hurt a little, but they will be fine.

That said, the Trump campaign has gained a great deal off of misleading statements, oversimplifications, inaccuracies and outright lies. While I for one will not stoop to those tactics, I feel no sympathy for those who get hoist on their own petard.
Click to expand...

That 3% cut will mean a great deal of assessment about the reach of the program, leading to scarcity of resources. This is also a problem for the GOP, as many conservative state legislatures are very responsive to the elderly. They make up a sizable and reliable portion of the GOP voting base, after all. In my state, there's massive budgetary problems and a balanced budget requirement in the Constitution. Not even the education system is considered untouchable, and they went out of their way for a good year in trying to shore up cuts everywhere else to make sure they didn't hit education. Now, that's no longer on the table. But do you want to know the two programs that are still considered sacrosanct in the session from hell? Nursing homes and meals on wheels.
 
Visbek said:
Well, that's compassionate of you (not)

I hate to break this to you, but we've been cutting safety nets for over 30 years, and it hasn't magically produced better outcomes for the poor. It's just made their lives harder.
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No, it's merely stating a fact. If school lunch is cut, the children will not starve, or if they do their guardians should be prosecuted for neglect.

In what way has standard of living in this country decreased, and relative to what?
 
Ikari said:
This is Trump's America, they shouldn't have been old and poor.
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So....

What is your solution to try to get the budget under control, or are you just going to be a naysayer?
 
Lord of Planar said:
So....

What is your solution to try to get the budget under control, or are you just going to be a naysayer?
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Cut the living **** out of the defense budget, which is so full of redundancy, waste and graft it makes the social programs look like a drop in the bucket.
 
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