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Federal Cuts to Affect Low-income Rural Kentuckians

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By Jacque Day

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkms/local-wkms-955912.mp3

Mayfield, Ky. – This week, the U.S. government averted a temporary shutdown by passing a continuing resolution, CR, to fund operations through March 18. But the move only buys a little time to resolve a hotly debated budget. The proposed House measure places dozens of government-sponsored programs on the chopping block, from the Fish and Wildlife Service to HUD, to Women, Infants and Children. Jacque Day brings us this report on how cuts may affect our region's low-income residents.

In the February 28 issue of The New Yorker, a cartoon by David Sipress features a dart game. Through the window in the distance looms the U.S. Capitol building. A blindfolded man, the dart-thrower, has just hit his third mark, on a list on the wall. An onlooker takes notes while another says: "OK, next we cut home-heating aid." A Tom Toles cartoon posted on the Washington Post website, same date, depicts a plane with "U.S. Government" printed on its side. Its message: "Until we solve the problem of people taking extra peanuts, we have no choice but to shut down the engines."

Steven Ellegood lives in Fancy Farm, another home to high-stakes political sparring, eight hundred miles from source of the debate in Washington, D.C.

"Basically right now, I couldn't pay my electric bill. That's the reason I'm here."

Mr. Ellegood has come to West Kentucky Allied Service in Mayfield for help. And he gets it, from the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program. His electric bill, at $240, amounts to about a third of his monthly take-home pay. Like many households in our region, his home uses electric heat. He has a job, earning $9.25 per hour as a dispatcher, but half his paycheck goes to taxes and wage garnishments from medical bills. He reflects on what might happen if he can't get assistance. "My power would get cut off. Penalties would be added to it, making it that much harder to get back on when I had money."

A congressional measure that suggests billions in federal cuts has set talking heads abuzz over the past few weeks. Hot button items include proposed slashes to Planned Parenthood and Public Broadcasting. The debates have raged. WKAS serves low-income and elderly people in rural Kentucky, and they want their community to be part of the discussion.

"Community services block grant, the senior services employment program, the rent assistance which is the ESP, LIHEAP, which is the heating assistance."

This is executive director Janna York, going down a list of WKAS programs in danger. In fiscal year 2009-2010, the agency provided energy assistance to more than 14,000 households in the Purchase area, at more than $2.4 million. The CR bill recommends hundreds of millions in cuts to the Community Services Block Grant, which funds the WKAS energy assistance program.

Jackie Eubanks, who coordinates weatherization efforts for WKAS, talks with Steven Ellegood. "You are all these people out here... you're representative of a lot of people, particularly people who've had medical issues."

Fifteen years ago, Ellegood suffered a brain aneurism that required emergency surgery. Insurance didn't cover all the expenses, and he's still paying it off. "I mean here's a guy trying to do right, and just needs a little bit of help because the power companies charge so much for their services, especially when the demand is so high. And here, if the programs are cut, what's Steve going to do? Either not eat, not buy his medicine, or not pay his power bill."

About 90 percent of the agency's nearly $6 million operating budget comes from federal funds. Eleven of their employees are paid out of the Community Services Block Grant. Layoffs would mean not only a loss of jobs, but reduced service to recipients. Executive Director Janna York, who has worked with the organization in various capacities since 1980, says WKAS is acting. "CAK, which is Community Action of Kentucky, is made up of 23 community action agencies, WKAS being one of those. We have rallied together and put a bunch of numbers together, and they have sent that to our lobbyist."

Steven Ellegood says he and his wife do all they can to keep the electric bill down: running the heat low, wearing jackets in the house. He says their situation is hard, but he's more concerned about single mothers, and the elderly. And were he to have the ear of Congressman Ed Whitfield or Senators Mitch McConnell or Rand Paul: "I hope that they understand the need for people like me, and people that's got less, because they wouldn't want to live on the same thing that we do."

Hard times notwithstanding, Ellegood's eye sparks with determination and a decidedly western Kentucky spunk. At the question of whether he gets food assistance, he replied: Yes, it's called hunting and fishing.