Meals on Wheels budget cuts: 'Slowly developing crisis'

[NeoConsSuck]

Source: CNN Money

Air traffic controllers got a reprieve from federal budget cuts when Congress felt public pressure after airport delays inconvenienced travelers. But few expect a pardon for Meals on Wheels programs, which provide food and human contact for people over 60 who are physically housebound, socially isolated or very low income -- and in many cases, all three.

"They don't have high-priced lobbyists," said Alan Winstead, the executive director of Meals on Wheels of Wake County in Raleigh, N.C.

As it is, Meals on Wheels is estimated to serve just a third or so of the 25 million people over 60 who are poor or near poor.



Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/06/news/economy/meals-on-wheels-budget-cuts/index.html?iid=H_BN_News

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When I read stuff like this, it again reminds me that I am an American by birth, certainly not by choice.

[sakabatou]

1. As if Republicans give two shits.

[sorefeet]

5. Yes it's funny

Meals on wheels used to take a meal to the 75 year old bar tender here. His 80 year old buddy found out and wanted his too he was 82.. The 82 year old was filthy rich, granddaddy homesteaded and handed it all down and they had been government subsidized since it started. He didn't even qualify. He would bitch every time meals on wheels was late and holler at the delivery person. But ya know what, he still got his free meal everyday. He was a staunch Republican, born and raised on the farm, racist and probably hadn't seen 2 black people in his entire life(Montana) Indians and Mexicans were tools to be used. If you didn't know anything about a sugar beet the ignorant old man could not hold any kind of conversation. They are dying off pretty good now but at one time this state was rife with some of the stupidest, inbred, idiots people you could ever imagine. Of course all the jokes about the next state over being so stupid. And bitch about bums on food stamps. Fucking hippocrits.

[rickford66]

16. It's not free here

I deliver MOW in upstate NY. The recipients, besides qualifying, get a bill for each meal and are charged for a meal if they aren't home to accept it. The meals are ordered one day in advance, so they must cancel a meal the day before or earlier. The undelivered meals cannot be taken off the MOW premises due to possible contamination (they are delivered hot). In some places, a volunteer may consume that meal on the premises. How did this 82 year old qualify AND not pay?

[RiverNoord]

14. But they do!

The cat food industry needs a broader market, and they're always ready to help an industry in need...

[magellan]

2. Funny how the safety issue has been rolled out to explain restoring funds to ATC

...but it's conveniently ignored in relation to starving seniors, and the quality of our food (FDA cuts).

Defenders of this can't have it both ways. If "safety" is the reason for restoring ATC funds - and I don't disagree with that - then it certainly should be a reason for restoring funds to Meals on Wheels and the FDA.

[glowing]

3. Plan is working well.. Starve the old people, and Medicare and SS pay outs decrease.

Slimey bastard politicians. I doubt that one of them knows what it feels like to be hungry, cold, sick, afraid they were going to lose their home (or have lost their home), be turned away from medical care, and ignored. I'm so fed up with the Dems and the Pugs. We could have gotten rid of that damned filibuster bs and crammed bills down the house's throat, forcing Boehner to use level headed (if any still remain- pugs) and the dems as a means to pass bills. I really don't know if they realize how close Rome is to burning down?

[dotymed]

4. It seems "they" are in their own for profit world.

Of course, less ATC's would have reduced airlines profits....I used to fly often for work. Sadly, it takes some people a tragic life crisis to realize that profits are the least important things.
The top 10% will likely never have that problem. The next 20% may, but by then they are powerless.
Cutting humane programs instead of profit driven ones shows the lack of compassion that capitalism produces. We MUST repeal Citizens United or face a revolution, IMO.

[onehandle]

6. The white power crowd is still dying off faster than they can diminish the unfortunate.

They will fail.

[melm00se]

7. Not to downplay

the sequester cuts but what this article says does not appear to jibe with the MOWAA financials

in 2011, approximately 4% of MOWAA's total revenues come from government sources, the vast majority comes from contributions and sponsorship/partnerships.

So I am confused

[OKNancy]

8. I have donated in the past, and still get regular postcards

in the mail. I too always thought that it was run on contributions.

[libdude]

9. MOWAA federal funding cuts

I checked Huffington Post on the effect of the cuts to MOWAA federal funding cuts, the White House indicated that the sequestration cuts would mean 4 million fewer meals, MOWAA indicated 19 million fewer meals. Not sure of the discrepancy, but each organizational entity relies on primarily contributions, with each receiving some portion of federal funding.
Lets see, President Obama proposes cuts to seniors recieving Social Security and Medicare, disabled veterans, SSI recipients, veteran retirements, etc.
Republicans and some Democrats restore funding to ATC to avoid having longer waits in airports.
How immoral and corrupt are these people, to cut such critical programs? Austerity, Simpson- Bowles, cut the Defense budget by 50% and restore and expand these critical programs. If the President is really about hope and change, he should be publically fronting out those Republicans and Democrats that support or propose these cuts. I am thinking that he really is not about hope and change, he is about himself.

[Franker65]

10. These sectors should be exempt from cuts

If these services are cut, people are really going to die because of it. I say more taxes on the rich!

[LeftInTX]

11. Hope to see more this in the MSM

So, it's going to cost taxpayers to cut MOW? Because some seniors are now going to have to rely on expensive home health care to provide meals.

Article is well written by the way.

[L0oniX]

12. They bail out Wallstreet and banks but the rest of us ...well we are too small to give a shit.

Yea ...well where was this sequester shit when the banks got bailed out?

[Gregorian]

13. I seem to remember something from my youth. Was it "food not bombs"?

I guess the conservatives will never become real human beings.

[Sunlei]

15. here's a copy of Meals 990 not much in Gov grants and they seem ok as a 501c3

most of their money comes from donations and memberships. unpaid most on the board and plenty of volunteers.


link 990- http://www.mowaa.org/document.doc?id=476


link to homepage http://www.mowaa.org/

[alp227]

17. I never knew that MoW got federal funds when I first heard about the cuts.

I'd always thought Meals on Wheels was a private charity. So why can't MoW just be a private charity. I just don't understand.