Dec. 09, 2004 - 18:21 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

Yeah Riiiight

Much of what I write about is what is happening in my own back yard. And that of course is commenting on what I read about the events. But in the big picture I think that much of the same type of thing is happening country wide. With some variations of course.

There are two articles in the Rocky Mountain News today. One of them is by Bill Scanlon of that same paper, in part:

"Officials: Backlog shrinking

Despite outlook from 2 counties, benefits system assailed again

"Officials from two Front Range counties Wednesday testified that the state's new $200 million welfare benefits system is performing fairly well and can catch up with the backlog."

"We fumbled at first," said Cathy Tegtman, implementation coordinator for Weld County. "But processing time is improving and confidence levels are growing. Our backlog is slowly decreasing."

Randy Hall, income maintenace manager for Larimer County, said 85 percent to 90 percent of the cases are being processed in a timely manner and by-and-large accurately. "Our plan is to continue to use overtime, to share our knowledge of best practices and work harder," Hall said. "We can accomplish this."

"The Colorado Center for Law and Policy, a public interest law firm, says the state's new $200 million Colorado Benefits Management Program is so plagued with errors that some poor people are going without needed food, shelter and health care."

"Earlier, clients testified they werent' getting their benefits, and country workers said CBMS still is so fraught with problems that the backlog of applications continues to grow."

"Despite optimistic reports from Weld and Larimer counties, CBMS took some hits again Wednesday. Hall acknowledged that in Larimer County the number of applications out of compliance with federal guidelines grew from 79 in early October to more than 400 today. Cases are out of compliance if they're not processed by the federally mandated seven-day, 30-day or 45-day deadlines."

"Ron Rice, food assistance manager for the Colorado Department of Human Services, said about 9,000 food stamp applications are out of compliance. And he said the state doesn't yet have a timeline for erasing the backlog."

"Earlier testimony had estimated the backlog -- applications incomplete or still sitting on desks -- at about 100,000."

"Roy Cohen, applications manager for Human Services told Colorado first Assistant Attorney General Wade Livingston that in the first weeks following CBMS rollout on September 1, most of the errors were caused by county workers unfamiliar with the system."

"Now, they're making fewer errors and are less frustrated, Cohen said."

"But on cross-examination, attorney Michael Cook got Cohen to acknowledge that the more recent errors are primarily a result of problems in the CBMS system, rather than human error by country employees entering information. The overall number of fix requests sent to the state help desk have fallen only slightly."

"Tegtman said Weld County sent 125 applications for food stamps or other programs to the state, which is helping the counties cope with the backlog. Most of those applications were processed accurately, she said."

"She said Weld won't meet the Feb. 28 deadline to get current cases up to date. "I'd guess we'll have that done by the end of 2005."

"Asked if she is confident Weld County can work through the glitches in the new system witout hurting clients, she said, "We are doing our best."

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Opinions ? Yes. Why is it that figures were not publicized about all the other counties in this state ?

This much advertised NEW Computerized system seems to have been very efficient in making things much worse at a very speedy pace.

Every little, "Yes but," coming out of the state and county pooh-bahs mouths indicate that there are many, many folks out here with out shelter, food, medicine or other needed services which should be readily available but are dammed up behind some existential red-taped fol-de-rol bought and paid for by our state mis-government it appears to me. Testimony, "estimating a backlog of applications incomplete or still sitting on desks -- at about 100,000." Now that is a heck of a lot of privation of all kinds for many people who have no other source of help.

And yet, public figures bandy all sorts of numbers about, numbers which are supposed to justify things, make excuses and this one Weld County lady on being asked, "if she is confident Weld Country can work through the glitches in the new system without hurting clients," saying, "We are doing our best." Now just what the hell does that mean exactly ? That the clients will have to go hungry, homeless and without medical care 'til the end of 2005 ?

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And then there is the other article in today's Rocky Mountain News by David Montero of that same paper. In part:

Homelessness grows

ADVOCATES CITE LOWER-WAGE JOBS, HIGHER HOUSING COSTS

"A sputtering economy coupled with increased housing costs in Denver has created the largest homeless population in years, a report released Wednesday found."

John Parvensky, president of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, said the problem stems from a confluence of state and federal budget woes, the rise in lower-wage jobs and lack of affordable housing in one of the nation's more expensive real estate and rental markets."

"The problem is going to get worse before it gets better," Parvensky said before rattling off a series of sobering statistics at the coalition's Stout Street Clinic."

"This year, the coalition expects the metro-area homeless population to top the 11,000 mark for the first time. And state tax credits for builders to construct affordable housing haven't been available for a few years while federal tax credits will dip from $11 million this year to $10 million next year."

"Metro-area shelters also claim to be seeing huge increases in first-time and working poor homeless. Parvensky tied it directly to wages and cost of living, saying that a person making aminimum wage would need to work 108 hours a week just to afford the rent on a two-bedroom apartment."

"In fact Samaritan House Shelter reported the average wage for the working people it sees at $8.94 an hour, with their take-home pay totaling $1,193 a month. That barely covers the 2004 fair market rent set by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - $964 a month for a two-bedroom apartment in the Denver metro area."

"That same shelter also reported that 40 percent of the people they've seen this year are first-time homeless and that the number of FAMILIES showing up increased to 1,107 in 2004 from 322 in 2002."

"Surveying 13 metro-area shelters and nonprofit advocate groups for the poor, the report touched on other issues that have crippled the ability of the homeless to escape their situation."

"Included in those issues were the delivery delays in food stamps after the state brought the Computer Benefits Management System on line this fall and the inability for homeless to get identification -- one of the barriers often cited in keeping homeless from getting jobs."

"That's what Floyd Hamilton has been facing for the past month. The 44-year old said he worked as a forklift operator at a lumber yard in Littleton for eight years making $11.50 an hour before getting laid off last month. Then his identification was stolen and he hasn't been able to replace it, he said."

"He said the problem is the state requires two forms of ID to get a relacement and that he can't get a job without the proper identification."

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The first article mentions Weld and Larimer counties. Some of the facts and figures come from the Denver-metro area. Not mentioned are the other counties in our state. So there is really no way for the average person like me to find out just how bad things really are in my state.

The second article brings my nose to the nitty-gritty in my town. According to the figures quoted, "Samaritan House reported the average wage for working people it sees at $8.94 an hour, with their take-home pay totaling $1,193 a month. That barely covers the 2004 fair market rent set by U.S. Department of Husing and Urban Development -- $964 a month for a two bedroom apartment." So, $1,193 a month minus the $964 rent allows only $229 a month for all other expenses including transportation. That is $57 a week.

I remember reading a long time ago that one of the problems that a homeless person has is the fact they do not have a residential address or a personal phone number where they can be reached. Two methods of ID required ? Wow. So how does a person or persons re-establish themselves once they have become homeless -- or is homeless a synonym for hopeless ?

We are being told that the economy is on the rise, Dow-Jones going up, things are looking better. But I wonder at all this propaganda, getting better for who, who is profiting in the "rise of "our" economy ?"

Am I a believer in what is being pushed out ? In a pigs what ? Yeah Riiiight . . . . . . . . . .

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