Frugal Café Blog Zone

Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on May 11, 2009

By Vicki McClure Davidson * Frugal Café Blog Zone

Today, the Associated Press announced that our government will have to borrow nearly 50 cents for every dollar it spends this year, exploding the record federal deficit past $1.8 trillion under new White House estimates. “Budget office figures released Monday would add $89 billion to the 2009 red ink — increasing it to more than four times last year’s all-time high as the government hands out billions more than expected for people who have lost jobs and takes in less tax revenue from people and companies making less money.”

And the over-the-top, reckless spendthrift mentality of this administration is taking its toll on all Americans, including the homeless in New York City. They will have to start paying to stay at homeless shelters. Is this what Obama meant when he said we all will have to tighten our belts and get “skin in the game”?

Jennifer Millman, NBC: NYC Starts Charging Rent at Homeless Shelters

Even the homeless can’t escape the high price of a night in New York City.

City officials this month began charging rent to working families staying in public homeless shelters.

The policy stems from a 1997 state law that hasn’t been enforced until now. Under that law, shelter managers started to require families to pay a portion of their income, depending on the shelter and family size, according to The New York Times. Residents could be expected to pay up to half their earnings.

[...]

Advocates for the homeless have slammed the city’s methods of implementing the policy. In protest, some residents have outrightly refused to sign documents acknowledging they had received information about the new rental agreement. Many families don’t understand how they can possibly save enough to move out of the shelter and on with their lives if they’re paying as much as 50 percent of their income to city government.

Yahoo Finance: US red ink rising even higher, to $1.8T
Coalition for the homeless: Record Increases in New Homeless Families: Early Signs of the Economic Recession’s Impact on New York City Homelessness and a Warning for City and State Officials Planning Budget Cutbacks
Frugal Café Blog Zone: Unemployment Hodge-Podge: Government Struggling to Help Families Applying for Aid for First Time
Jane Q. Republican: Obama Saving Or Creating Millions Of Jobs? Not THIS Year

Categories: Business & Economy, Conservatism, Government, Media & Communication, Social and Political Climate
Tags: economy, homeless, homeless shelters, New York City, NYC, Obama hypocrisy, Obama money, rent, shelters