Governor Baldacci has always
believed in the generosity of the people of Maine. “Neighbors helping
neighbors,” is how he has described his community action program, KeepME Warm. Over
the past two years the program winterized 4,000 homes, helping to save low-income
residents as much as $250 per year. Every year he has been on hand helping out,
calking windows, insulating furnaces, and putting plastic on skirting boards.
Keeping warm in Maine during the winter is
serious business.
To some it means the difference between
staying healthy and becoming ill. It can be a matter of life or death.
“We can no longer wait for the
federal government to step up and do its part. We must act, and quickly, to keep our
neighbors warm and safe,” said the governor.
When oil prices began to climb, the governor
demanded an increase in Low Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds from
Washington, DC, but he had no intention on relying on the Bush administration.
He took swift action on his own, for the
well-being of Maine’s citizens.
Last November 4 he announced his new program
called the KeepME Warm Charitable Fuel Fund. With the program, state government would put
$5 million aside for the most vulnerable citizens of the state for fuel purchases. An
additional $5 million is being raised by community organizations, companies and
individuals in a grass-roots endeavor.
Using his collation building skills he brought
together three of Maine’s former governors, Angus King, John McKernan, and Joseph
Brennan, to help with his fuel fund. Governor Baldacci convinced them that the welfare of
the people of Maine transcends party affiliations.
They recorded a radio announcement that was
aired on 42 stations to spread the word about the charitable fuel fund, asking the
citizens of Maine to donate a few dollars to help their neighbors in need.
“As governors, we have put all
differences aside and come together to help Mainers in need,” Governor Baldacci said.
“The money generated from the Public Service Announcements will help our seniors and
our disabled stay warm this winter.”
On November 15 the governor brought together 35
representatives of different faiths, the Maine Municipal Association, community action
agencies, and community service centers from across the state to discuss raising money for
the fund and coordinating efforts.
"We appreciate the governor's leadership in this
energy crisis and his approach to involving the entire community in helping our neighbors.
It feels rewarding to hear the governors of Maine speak with one voice when it comes to
helping Maine citizens get through this winter and make plans for the next," said
Fenwick Fowler, head of a community action network.
Two teenagers from Wilton put their allowance money aside,
artists created special works to be auctioned off, charity dinners have been held
throughout the state, companies have pooled resources, all in aid of the fund.
Pamela Everett literally found herself out in the cold when
her money ran out, along with her heating oil. Everett makes just above the LIHEAP?s
requirements for fuel assistance. A single mother who relies on child support and a
disability check, she had no money left at the end of the month.
"I had not a red cent," said Everett, who found
out in the nick of time that she was eligible for $300 from the governor's charitable fuel
fund. When the money came through she said, "I thought I was going to fall down
because I was so appreciative. I was so grateful. It will get me through until spring. It
really was a lifesaver."
"Money from the fund can be used for both LIHEAP
recipients who have used up their LIHEAP benefit (but still have heating needs) and for
those households who are just above the LIHEAP eligibility level but are facing a heating
problem," said Dick Davis, the governor's senior advisor.
"The maximum income level for non-LIHEAP recipients is
equal to 70 percent of the 'area median income' for the county in which they live."
Ten Community Action Programs around the state are
receiving and dispersing the KeepME Warm funds. "Any money that comes in is
distributed to those agencies every two weeks," said Davis.
Each Community Action Program has basic eligibility
requirements for the funds, but differs depending on location.
Oil prices in Maine have jumped from an average of $1.91 a
gallon on Feb. 13 last year to $2.35 on Feb. 13 this year, a 23 percent increase. Over the
past three years, heating oil prices have shot up more than 100 percent. For people
earning just enough to get by, the increase can be devastating.
The governor and Dale McCormick,
director of housing, prepare to winterize a home. The KeepME Warm program is the first
public-private partnership of its kind.
The number of applications for LIHEAP funding is on the
rise this winter, mainly because of the increase in the price of oil. This winter over
48,000 households signed up, at least 2,000 more than last year.
Without the governor's additional funding efforts, LIHEAP
could only provide needy families in Maine with about 180 gallons of oil each - about half
a tank.
"The governor responded in light of the fact that the
federal government has not increased funding significantly to the LIHEAP program, and fuel
prices have doubled in the past two to three years," said Beth Nagusky, director of
Maine's Office of Energy Independence and Security - an office created by the
governor.
Because of Governor Baldacci?s established programs, Maine
government already purchases 30-40 percent of its electricity form renewable power and
uses biodiesel to heat state buildings. His transportation efficiency measures have
reduced state employee travel 2.3 percent and fuel consumption by 4 percent. So, when oil
prices rose, state government found itself in good standing.
Last December, for the first time in living memory the
governor, the congressional delegation and leaders of the Maine Senate and House met at
the Capitol. There they publicly agreed to work together in a coordinated effort to help
Mainers with fuel assistance and put pressure on Washington, DC.
In Washington, DC Congressman Tom Allen joined with other
members of Congress from Northeastern states in a bipartisan letter that appealed to
President Bush for an increase in funding this year for LIHEAP and for targeting the
additional funds to the nation’s coldest states.
“On January 5th, the federal Department of Health and
Human Services released $100 million in emergency LIHEAP funding. But, instead of
targeting this emergency funding to cold-weather states, HHS chose to distribute it based
on the overall population of each state plus the percentage of low-income households using
heating oil and natural gas. This allocation formula was unfair to cold-weather states
like Maine, which received just $1.1 million in additional funds. Our letter urges the
president to seek more LIHEAP funding and target that funding where it is needed
most,” Allen said.
Congressman Michaud introduced legislation that is intended
to increase funding for the LIHEAP.
The resolution calls on the top ten oil companies in the
world, that made more than $100 billion in profits in 2004, to donate a small percentage
of these profits to help low-income families through LIHEAP.
“This would be a powerful way for some of our top
companies to demonstrate responsible corporate citizenship without new regulations, and it
would help countless families make it through the rest of this winter,” Michaud said.
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