Trump Cuts Meals on Wheels Program

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Trump Cuts Meals on Wheels Program

Postby surfsteve » Sat Mar 18, 2017 8:39 am

I think the Trump administration has gone too far this time. Apparently they've gone on record saying they are going to cut the funding for the Meals on Wheels program, claiming it's a total waste.

Trump's Budget Ghoul, Mick Mulvaney, Says 'Meals on Wheels' Might 'Sound Great' But Is a Total Waste
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Re: Trump Cuts Meals on Wheels Program

Postby surfsteve » Sat Mar 18, 2017 8:43 am

Trump has always been able to say things that were totally politically incorrect that would end any other politician's career and turn them around to his favor but I just don't see how he's going to get out of this one!
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Re: Trump Cuts Meals on Wheels Program

Postby surfsteve » Sat Mar 18, 2017 10:49 am

I was just doing the math based on what I can find and I'm starting to have a change of heart.
The budget plan estimates that cutting the program would save the government $3 billion.

Meals on Wheels is one of the longest running programs in the Community Development Block Grant program, according to its website, and it served over 219 million meals to 2.4 million homebound senior citizens in 2016.

At a press briefing Thursday, President Trump's Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney characterized the proposal as "compassionate," because it would protect taxpayers from putting money toward inefficient or ineffective programs.

"You're only focusing on half the equation, you're focusing on the recipients of the money," he told reporters. "We're trying to focus on the recipients of the money and the folks who give us the money in the first place. I think it's fairly compassionate for us to go and say, 'We're not going to ask for your money anymore unless we can guarantee to you your money is used in a proper function.'"


http://time.com/money/4703456/trump-bud ... on-wheels/


Three Billion dollars divided by 219 million meals equals $13.70 per meal. That seems like a lot for one of those TV dinners.

But then I remembered from the first video I posted, from the guy advocating meals on wheels that, that is only the share the federal government pays towards it.

Some states like Georgia he claimed pay more than half of the cost themselves while other states if I remember correctly receive as little as 1.5% from the program and pay the rest out of their own pocket. I think the video said the average was around a third or 35% which would mean if my calculations are correct, each one of those crappy TV dinners costs somebody close to $45.
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Re: Trump Cuts Meals on Wheels Program

Postby surfsteve » Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:54 am

Turns out that Trump did not cut the meals on wheels program and the story was misreported by the fake news media. He cut a wasteful corrupt block grant program that some counties donated a small portion of the funds to meals on wheels but it turns out that very little of their funding was received that way.

Contrary to news reports last week, President Trump is not eliminating funding for Meals on Wheels. He's not even cutting it.

Meals on Wheels America explained, some Community Development Block Grant money does end up going to some of the local Meals on Wheels programs.

But it's a small amount. HUD's own website shows that just 1% of CDBG grant money goes to the broad category of "senior services." And 0.17% goes to "food banks."

As it turns out, however, this fake budget-cutting story ended up revealing how programs like Meals on Wheels can survive without federal help.

As soon as the story started to spread, donations began pouring into Meals on Wheels. In two days, the charity got more than $100,000 in donations — 50 times more than they'd normally receive.

http://www.investors.com/politics/edito ... ing-along/
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Re: Trump Cuts Meals on Wheels Program

Postby Sparky of SoCal » Thu Mar 23, 2017 4:14 am

This was a example of fake news. This is the stuff that is killing any respect for main stream news service.
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Re: Trump Cuts...

Postby ergot » Thu Mar 23, 2017 6:17 am

surfsteve: Hate to be cynical, but I have no confidence or trust in Trump. He seems to be placing the burden for most programs which are currently federally funded onto the states and taking the money that's thus saved and giving it to the military. Trump loves power and the ability to have the most powerful military in the world at his beckon call is irresistable to him. For him STATES RIGHTS is just a front for a shell game where money gets transferred to the military and any other program that serves his needs.
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Re: Trump Cuts Meals on Wheels Program

Postby surfsteve » Thu Mar 23, 2017 8:47 am

I agree that there is some truth to that Ergot, though Trump's increase is actually only 3% more than Obama proposed. It is also directed at paying the troops and maintaining existing equipment that is falling apart. He is actually demanding severe cuts on many of the military's projects like the F-35 and going after waste in the military just as hard as everywhere else. He even cut expenses to his own Air Force One.
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Re: Trump Cuts Meals on Wheels Program

Postby Sparky of SoCal » Thu Mar 23, 2017 11:44 am

I don't think feeding the poor or those with lesser means should be the responsibility of federal goverment. That, what bathrooms to use, school issues and much much much more should be the responsibility to those closer to the problem, the State. The federal goverment has been sticking their nose in it for so long it is expected. Why should tax payers in Utah have to pay for NY or CA problems?
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Re: Trump Cuts Meals on Wheels Program

Postby cactuspete » Fri Mar 24, 2017 6:19 am

Except that it's NY and CA that's paying for the poorer states. If all states were equally capable of financing needed programs, then there would be no need for federal redistribution of tax money. But the idea is that kids in West Virginia shouldn't be at a huge disadvantage because they were unfortunate enough to be born in a poor, dysfunctional state with priorities that don't include education or the welfare of disadvantaged youth.
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Re: Trump Cuts Meals on Wheels Program

Postby MojaveMike » Sat Mar 25, 2017 6:53 pm

surfsteve wrote:I agree that there is some truth to that Ergot, though Trump's increase is actually only 3% more than Obama proposed. It is also directed at paying the troops and maintaining existing equipment that is falling apart. He is actually demanding severe cuts on many of the military's projects like the F-35 and going after waste in the military just as hard as everywhere else. He even cut expenses to his own Air Force One.

Only THREE PERCENT is a ton of money when we are already talking BILLIONS of dollars!
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