589. Sorry, No pity here either.

The Amarillo Globe News put this article out re Utility Assistance being frozen and used an example of a woman who claims poverty. Sorry, but I, like almost all the others that commented on the actual paper site, can't seem to shed a tear any more for people like this. Here's a gal who works 32 hours a week at $7.85/hour, BUT lives with a partner who makes $11.00/hour for 40 hours/week. Thus, if you do the math, their total monthly income is  $3179/month. That is close to 170% of poverty for a family of 4 which disqualifies her for any assistance. However, since they aren't married, her $1155/month is under the Federal radar of $1591/month. This is how you take advantage of the system AND get all the other tax payers to pay your utilities, or in this case, cigarettes, and about $40/mo per person for too much food as you can verify from the picture of her. Where did I get the food per day $$$? My expenses are $40 per person less per month and we eat real well on that! Since the partner pays 1/4, or should MINIMUM, for everything, her income should be raised by that much to determine poverty qualification. Do this and she'd get nothing, just like she will with the new law. Amen. Let's give our aid to the real poverty! Quit soaking the system and other tax payers! Take out SS, Medicare payments, taxes and their total take home income of approximately $30,000 is much more than my annual budget by at least $5000. what's the difference? We don't smoke (good $300/mo. for two per month) and we eat within our means, but quite well for $40/mo. per person. For $30K per month and no mortgage you could have it all, HBO, STARZ, SHOWTIME, cell phone, and 2 cars. Come on Gal, you don't need a college education to use Commons Sense.