In response to a civil Grand Jury report entitled “A Failure of Oversight”—and more than a year after the mess left behind by the collapse of the Lompoc Housing and Community Development Corporation (LHCDC) came to light—our City Council has promised to come up with a policy to keep such failures from happening in the future. It’s good to see the city finally take, at least partial, responsibility for the demise of LHCDC. But, this wasn’t just a financial disaster; it had human consequences. The city should go beyond crafting a policy for accountability and take active steps to reach out and assist those most affected by the mess LHCDC made of low-income housing in our community. At the very least, the city should: 1. Reach out, identify those affected, and listen to their needs. Their voices have been missing from this conversation. One such resident came forward at a City Council meeting, but was offered little support. 2. Prepare and disseminate information about resources and assistance opportunities with regard to low-income housing. If the city is partially responsible for what happened, then they are also, at least partially, responsible for making sure our commitment to those in need is kept and that those affected have a fighting chance to land on their feet. 3. Consider forming a Rental Housing Mediation Task Force Program—similar to the successful program in Santa Barbara—to help all Lompoc residents stay in their homes, especially in light of the spate of foreclosures in our community that often leave renters with little to no recourse.

The corruption, abuse and neglect our children receive at the hands of a system that was designed to help.

The country needs to spend nothing. Social Security and Medicare would be solvent forever

The recession has really made it difficult for employment. It has forced college graduates to turn to assistance at their local Social Services. The Welfare Reform Act need to be revised for people who has college education and work experience. We don't want to sit in an 8 hour a day class that only teaches people to become self sufficient when of course we are college graduates. We are only at Social Services because employment is very difficult to obtain and working minimum wage barely pay the bills or feed families. Please establish a program that put college graduates first in line to gain employment. We don't need to be trained how to obtain employment, build resumes, or studies toward GED program. It's great that the program is there for people who are in those guidelines but it also makes college graduates over qualified. It's nothing within the program that help college graduates feel that we are benefiting something. The law itself is blinded and no one never imagined that the recession would lead college graduates who has an Associate Degree, Bachelor Degree, or Masters Degree into Social Services.

My family has taken in several foster children in the past, several of them from mothers who cannot afford to take care of their child. Before politicians decide to turn down a women's right to a choice, they should assure that there are enough social services in place so that child won't be raise in poverty.

This is to demand Ohio Child Support Guidelines be revised. Too many families are struggling to pay impossible amounts of child support, only to support the Ex's and NOT the children who are the ones to be provided for. Actual costs to care for a child, not your amount of income need to be considered in support orders and custodial parents need to be held accountable for the money awarded to them!

Since 1987 that's 27 years ago all of the New Jersey Nursing Homes have been getting a mere $35.00 monthly.We have gone thru the first deppression,but now that your hinting about a new one that might be on it's way i think it is time you raised the personal needs allowance to let's say $55.00 monthly.The personal needs allowance is for clothing,personal items, phone bill, outings,like trips to IHOPS,RED LOBSTER and others,.I have two blogs www.personalneedsallowance.blogspot.com and NursingHomePersonalNeedsAllowance.com/petitions

The Homeless Advocacy Project, a Philadelphia-based non-profit, runs a nationally acclaimed program to help obtain federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for disabled and/or mentally ill homeless people. The Corbett administration just slashed state funding to this program by $722,000, ostensibly to "redirect" funds to other Department of Public Welfare programs. Cutting a well-run program that brings in federal funds to help the homeless stay off the streets makes no sense...Philadelphia residents (but also others in the state) will end up paying more in crime, incarcerations, and hospitalizations, to say nothing of the human costs. See Philadelphia Inquirer article 8/24/12 for more information

We need to have Amtrak as part of our transportation system. Amtrak could provide a more comfortable and cleaner way to travel. Amtrak is also enviromentally friendly to the air.

The state shouldn't be allowed to charge interest on back child support. they charge you 4 to 6 % and we are trying to pay it off.

This law affects people who have a temporary need of assistance with normal things such as carfare to get to interviews and doctor's appointments; get help paying rent; buy food for substance. Website:savegeneralassistancepa.org

I had a stroke at age 35 & decided to end my Toxic 16 yr marriage. During my quest to secure affordable housing in union/essex counties I discovered a large # of waiting lists at senior housing buildings,why? Most lists have years long waiting periods like the Summit senior building list is 6 yrs long. Persons like myself collecting Social Security disability are not eligible for TRA or TANF. Persons with disabilities basically are waiting for seniors to pass away in order to get affordable housing.