DISGRACEFUL cuts to homeless funding.: 75% CUT in two years!

[Bluebear]

Still, we can earmark billions and billions and trillions more for the Iraq war.


=====

With great fanfare, Gov. Mitch Daniels held a news conference to accept a ceremonial, oversized check that included $12.7 million in federal grants for programs serving homeless people around the state. That was 2005.

But when Indiana received its latest federal homeless funding, it had little to celebrate. Funding plummeted to $3.57 million, or just 28 cents on the dollar compared with 2005, to feed and house homeless Hoosiers, train them for jobs and provide other services.

As state officials and advocates prepare their request for the next round of funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, some say the state needs to start putting money toward affordable housing if it expects to bring home a greater share of the federal grants.

"It should be a call to action for all of us, but especially the state of Indiana, to make an investment in people who are most vulnerable and most at risk," said Michael Reinke, executive director of the nonprofit Indiana Coalition on Housing and Homeless Issues.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070423/LOCAL/704230433

[SammyWinstonJack]

1. Priorities and all that jazz.

[Systematic Chaos]

2. Man this is worse than what I interpreted from your title!

I thought you meant that the funding had been cut by 28% (or closer to 35% adjusted for inflation).

Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought you meant a total cut of almost 75%!! I'm speechless.

[Bluebear]

3. Thank you giant!

I edited it to be more clear, as well. See you in Vegas!

[Systematic Chaos]

6. No problem!

And 3 pieces of advice for when you come visit:

1) Spend most of your time just sightseeing and enjoying the weather if it's not already too hot.

2) Eat at places that are WAAY off the beaten path. There is an all-you-can-eat seafood place here called Hush Puppy that won't set you back nearly as far as the buffets on the Strip and while the selections aren't as varied the food is still great!

3) Gamble at the local casinos rather than the flashy tourist traps. I recommend the Station casinos, Terrible's Town on Flamingo and Paradise (only 3 blocks from the Strip), and Sam's Town for good odds and decent blackjack games. If you like blackjack then you HAVE to stay away from the infinite-deck shuffling machines and lowered payoffs for blackjack or you'll get eaten alive.

You want any other suggestions, feel free to PM me. :)

[porphyrian]

4. Killing people is more important than saving them.

Just follow the money.

[ceile]

5. That is unbelievable!

I would think it was someone's attempt at a very bad joke, if I didn't know what this administration is capable of.

[Disturbed]

7. The Homeless do not have a strong lobby with lots of Cash.

Most of them are probably not Rethugs either so they don't matter.

[bobbolink]

8. Nor do we have the support of "liberals"

So, you're right---we don't matter.

[burythehatchet]

9. failure of leadership, sign of a decaying society

[Robbien]

10. Scary

They keep just enough in the program to say they have a homeless program. It will not help the homeless but they can say they fund the homeless.

[unhappycamper]

11. It's part of the *Co "Support Our Troops" plan.

Lowball estimates are that 30% ~ 35% of our homeless are veterans.