
A while ago I posted a piece regarding the Feds making a whack of that keraaaaazy stimulus money available to *low income* Americans so they can weatherize their homes. There was an updated piece today in Breitbart that will surely warm the cockles of your evil Conservative hearts:
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – Ready or not, states are getting a tenfold boost in federal money to weatherize drafty homes, an increase so huge it has raised fears of waste and fraud and set off a scramble to find workers and houses for them to repair. An obscure program that installs insulation in homes and makes them more energy-efficient is distributing $4.7 billion in stimulus funds—dwarfing the $447 million originally planned by congress this year and the $227 million spent in 2008.
That is enough to weatherize 1 million homes, instead of the 140,000 normally done each year.
Originally this program was developed for low income families, but seeing as though everyone is becoming part of a low income family in Obama’s America, it has been extended to higher-lower-low-income families:
In addition to receiving an infusion of stimulus money, the program was expanded to cover families making up to twice the federal poverty level or $44,100 for a family of four. Also, the average amount that can be spent per house was more than doubled to $6,500.
As you can imagine, all the little piggies are at the trough, waiting for their stimuli-dollaz:
The funding for New York is going up from $20.1 million last year to $395 million. California’s share is soaring from $6.3 million to $185.8 million. Virginia’s is going up 23 1/2 times, from $4 million annually to $94.1 million.
“I was stunned,” said Shea Hollifield, Virginia’s deputy director of housing. “Spending that much money will be a challenge.”
In Texas, the state’s share is increasing nearly 60 times, from $5.6 million to $327 million. To spend the money efficiently and on time, state officials decided to go beyond the community organizations that normally distribute it and route $100 million to large cities.
Sweet Jesus, it dun rainin’ money, it shore iz!
There is so much federal money being doled out, that States don’t have the manpower to administer the funds, or enough houses to weatherize (although I’m sure if dead people can vote, I’m sure they can get their houses weatherized — wink wink, nudge nudge)
States are hurrying to find qualified weatherization workers and caulk-ready homes.
Wisconsin set up weatherization “boot camps” to train workers. West Virginia used to give new workers on-the-job training but is now looking to move to classrooms and online.
Online classes to teach people how to caulk a window. Hmmmmm. The Mayor is listening, what’s the pay like?
In many states, qualified homeowners are already on waiting lists. But some states don’t have enough recipients signed up.
“We are out of clients. We need clients bad,” said Cade Gunnells, weatherization coordinator for three counties in central Alabama.
Hey, shut yer dessert-hole and start spending that money, Jethro, there are plenty of other slugs that will gladly blow the loot without all the incessant complaining.
And in case your nads still haven’t been kicked hard enough, here’s a final hoof to the funny spot:
Charles Uptain,a 73-year-old retiree, had his Montgomery home repaired in the weatherized program last year. His utility bills went down by about $60 a month after workers fixed leaky windows, replaced cracked panes, re-taped air-conditioning ducts and blew in new insulation. Uptain’s house required 2 1/2 days of work and slightly more than $3,000.
“This wasn’t wasteful spending. This was well-spent money,” Uptain said.
Any time you can get someone to come into your home and drop 3k and ask for nothing, it’s ALWAYS money well-spent. It’s funny how Uptain didn’t think it would be money *well-spent* when it had to come from his pocket, but the minute he knew it was YOUR money being dropped down the rabbit hole, all of a sudden it’s money well-spent.
Very soon there will be 50% of America’s population that will not be paying taxes, or paying their mortgage, or paying for their healthcare, or paying for their home upkeep, while on food stamps and welfare.
As the saying goes, “If you think things are expensive now, wait until they’re free”.