State of Texas must provide for the poor

Latest

Lupita Mena, outspoken for her community since the 1960s, applied for “Lite Up Texas” only to be told the program had ended. In August, her light bill was $144.
Lupita Mena, outspoken for her community since the 1960s, applied for “Lite Up Texas” only to be told the program had ended. In August, her light bill was $144.

WESLACO, TX — The State of Texas stopped assisting the poor with their light bill on August 31, 2016.  Over 700,000 Texans who relied on assistance were affected, like Francisca who is a 68-year-old retired farmworker living on SSA and SSI benefits. Francisca says in the summer months, “The Texas heat is too much—we have 80 to 90 degree mornings and by noon it is a scorching 105 degrees. To top it off, we are all adults or senior citizens in this housing project and not one of us received any notice that this assistance with the light bill had ended. We as elderly depend on this assistance and it is just not right that we find things out after the fact.”
Texas has one of the highest poverty levels in the country and none of our Democratic lawmakers have tried or stepped forward to resurrect the program. It is so sad that the champions of the poor have stayed silent, supposedly they are the ones that “fight for the working poor and elderly.” This just shows that little by little, we the elderly, part time employed and unemployed, are losing our right to live. Our numbers of poor are increasing daily. We are being put up against the wall.
We as humans have the right to live a comfortable life, since we have worked all of our life harvesting the fruits and vegetables that are consumed day in and day out, throughout this country. So we ask and demand from our state government that the State of Texas take over these utility corporations and run them where it benefits all of society.

+ Articles by this author

Free to republish but please credit the People's Tribune. Visit us at www.peoplestribune.org, email peoplestribune@gmail.com, or call 773-486-3551.

The People’s Tribune brings you articles written by individuals or organizations, along with our own reporting. Bylined articles reflect the views of the authors. Unsigned articles reflect the views of the editorial board. Please credit the source when sharing: ©2024 peoplestribune.org. Please donate to help us keep bringing you voices of the movement. Click here. We’re all volunteer, no paid staff.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Featured

Pushing People into a Really Bad System Will End Really Badly

President Trump's executive order fuses drug use and homelessness, ignoring that homelessness can cause or exacerbate substance use because people use drugs to cope with pain. Forced institutional settings rather than housing will not help the ill or unhoused.

Chicago Resistance Speaks: ‘Until All Are Free, None Are Free’

An uprising is growing as the government tries to impose a dictatorship. Chicago resistance leaders recently offered their thoughts in public remarks made at demonstrations and press conferences.

Los Angeles Continues to Rebuild and Resist

Angelinos, suffering from the profit over people economy, continue to rebuild after the fires and to protest immigration raids, while also experiencing joy in such difficult times.

Chicago Teachers Union Says: Trump, Stay Out of Our City

Chicago Teachers Union rejects any unlawful federal occupation of their city, while welcoming federal leadership that fully funds public education, restores SNAP, and expands Medicaid to healthcare for all.

Journalist Says Why ‘I Can No Longer Work With Reuters’

A photojournalist says why it is impossible for her to maintain a relationship with Reuters "given its role in justifying and enabling the systematic assassination of 245 journalists in Gaza."

More from the People's Tribune