America's poor are the ones most likely to suffer this winter at the Scrooge-like mercy of Y2K computer failures.

Eighteen major federal programs have been found unready to function properly in the new year, due to bureaucrats' failure to make their computers Y2K compliant.

All but four provide services to the those in the society who are most in need - the elderly, the very young, the sick, the homeless, the indigent.

Unable to detect the difference between the years 2000 and 1900, improperly programmed computers that haven't been corrected may not deliver government services and benefits on which those less-fortunate Americans have come to rely.

A report yesterday by the congressional committee that has been tracking federal agencies' Year 2000 computer compliance lists these 14 programs for the needy as "at risk of failure":

 Food stamps

 Medicaid

 Medicare

 Temporary assistance for needy families

 Child welfare

 Supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children (WIC)

 Child nutrition

 Child care

 Low-income home energy assistance

 Child-support enforcement

 Indian health services

 Public housing

 Unemployment insurance

 Food-safety inspection

Many of those programs are run by states, using federal funds, rather than administered directly by federal agencies.

"Isnt it strange that you have little kids, elderly people and people with low income on that list [of programs not prepared to deal with the Y2K bug]?" asked Rep. Stephen Horn, R-Calif., chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform, which issued the report.

A spokesman for the Health Care Financing Administration, which runs Medicare, said:

"Our greatest concern at this point is we dont know if health-care providers are ready. They dont have to report to anybody.

"Were concerned that they continue to get paid for treating patients.

LINK

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), November 23, 1999

Answers

Damn them, it is a
CULL

The demise of the weak vulnerable = less drain on .gov coffers.

CAN'T ANYBODY SEE THIS YET ???

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), November 23, 1999.

Of course it is a CULL!

You and I and many more have seen it coming for a long time, since "the contract with America" but what are we who can barely survive ourselves suspose to do? I pray myself that those who have done this will answer big time to God and 7 times what they have caused to happen to these least and defenseless ones will happen to them in return. I am old enough to remember when Society thought that a big bully who picked on the small guy was rotten to the core and people tried to stop them, but now it seems we as a society have gotten so selfish and greedy that we praise and support them.

Some of us on this and other Y2K boards who have been trying to prepare with what little we have are due some of the programs like my child due child support from a deadbeat dad. But they have not made the deadbeat pay in years. The program stinks and has no teeth so will not really be any different, just business as normal for me. Child support is a useless program if the deadbeat chooses not to pay they are one segment of society that is ---allowed to break the law--- and get away with it at the expense of mine and other children.

----SOCIETY does not care what happens to my child or these other defenseless ones,---- so it is no use talking about it; it's just a waste of time. The only thing to do is to call out to God for justice against the selfish, greedy and wicked ones.

I pity the old people who have worked their whole life paid into the system expecting to get "their money" back when they are old and sick and now they may be cut off when they can not fend for themselves. I have a young one to raise to adulthood who has had it very difficult and I wonder what our world will be like when our children (if they survive) have control since they have been treated thus; will they cut off the old and infirm like we are about to do?

The old and infirm then will be US!

-- Onebyone (susanwater@excite.com), November 23, 1999.

Thanks for the post Dog Gone

The lack of action/support by/for these .orgs is a sickening reflection on what our Society in general has become. ME ME ME ME.

-- ;-( (karlacalif@aol.com), November 23, 1999.

Well, actually it's more insurance FOR unrest, almost a guarantee now. take awya the transfer payments, the "Entitlements" and the folks dependent on them will go off like a powder keg.

Night train

-- jes a po' ol' footballer in the ghetto (nighttr@in.lane), November 23, 1999.

Ever hear the story of the chicken and the eagle.

-- freelunch (FYI@aol.con), November 23, 1999.

[ Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only ]

http://www.msnbc.com/news/338273.asp

NEEDY LEFT BEHIND ON Y2K

Many assistance programs not prepared for millennium bug
By Bob Sullivan

MSNBCNov. 22  Its the neediest Americans who might suffer the worst consequences of the Y2K bug, according to a new congressional report. The House Year 2000 Task Force issued its final report card on Y2K readiness Monday, citing 18 federal programs that are not yet ready for the new year. Of those, 14 are assistance programs such as Food Stamps, Medicare and Low Income Home Energy Assistance.

REP. STEPHEN HORN, HEAD of the task force, issued his final report card on federal agency readiness Monday, and it contained mostly good news  in fact, the federal governments bureaucracy as a whole received a B+ from the Y2K watchdog. But while high-profile millennium problems like air travel safety have received the most attention, a bevy of federal assistance programs are still not Y2K-compliant, the report said. Of 43 high-impact federal programs surveyed, 25 indicated they are millennium bug-free. Eighteen others in the self-reported survey indicated they are not ready, and fourteen of those are assistance programs  including child nutrition, child welfare and child support enforcement.

As a result, Horn said its possible, for example, that food stamps might not go out on time after the first of the year. Disruptions in Medicare payments are also possible, according to the agency that runs the program.

Isnt it strange that you have little kids, elderly people and people with low income on that list, Horn said. Just like when I got involved in this in the first place, theres procrastination and denial going around, that we are this far along, with millions of people to be served. There are real people out there depending on these programs.

PUBLIC HOUSING ALSO BEHIND

The report is the second in recent weeks to suggest agencies that help the poor havent kept up with Y2K efforts. Last month came word that residents in housing projects in some of the nations largest cities might lose heat, elevators or fire safety systems when Jan. 1 arrives. The Department of Housing and Urban Development found during an audit that local public housing authorities in Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and four other large cities were seriously behind in their Y2K efforts.

In Mondays report card, Horn complained that only New York City planned to warn tenants of potential Y2K health and safety risks.

Horns list of 18 federal agencies lagging behind includes eight programs under the Department of Health and Human Services and four controlled by the Agriculture Department.

Our greatest concern at this point is we dont know if health care providers are ready.

 SPOKESPERSON FOR MEDICARE

Horn wasnt willing to say these programs had gotten short shrift because they target the needy, choosing instead to blame the problems on the size of the agencies involved.

HHS is larger than the Pentagon in terms of budget and bureaucratic endeavor, he said.

AGENCIES BLAME THE STATES

The agencies involved blame the Y2K compliance problems on the intersection of federal and state computer systems. Most of the programs in question are federally funded state programs, rather than programs administered directly by the federal government.

Its complex, and its interconnected, said Campbell Gardett, a spokesman for HHS. He blamed state systems for the problems, and added that in many cases, state agencies simply havent filed the necessary paperwork to be recognized as compliant. I think were satisfied that theyre making progress.

MEDICARE WORRIES

Horn wasnt satisfied with Medicares progress, and his report indicated the agency had no idea when it would be Y2K compliant.

According to a spokesman for The Health Care Financing Administration, which administers Medicare, all the agencys 25 internal systems have been fixed for the bug, but six of 75 Medicare systems owned by partner insurance companies are not yet ready. They are on schedule to be compliant by Dec. 1, the spokesman said. But that still doesnt guarantee there wont be interruptions.

Our greatest concern at this point is we dont know if health care providers are ready, the spokesman said. They dont have to report to anybody. Were concerned that they continue to get paid for treating patients.

Y2K experts say large federally funded programs face a serious challenge in the days headed up to Jan. 1. The millennium bug, which might trick computers into thinking the year 2000 is really the year 1900, can cause problems even if only one system in a chain of thousands has not been upgraded. That makes Y2K a daunting problem for technicians updating disparate systems such as those connected to Health and Human Services.

Most federal agencies have a federal presence, but you dont see them on Main Street, said Tim Wilson, publisher of Y2K News. But welfare is everywhere, in every town. The vertical part of this is an overwhelming task.

Health and Human Services will be the poster child for Y2K, he added.

But Horn thinks the problems, while serious, are not insurmountable.

I say theres 39 days left. Get to work. Weve just got to go on overtime and get these things done.

Behind on Y2K: Many assistance programs aren't yet ready for the Year 2000. The trouble spots:

 Child Nutrition - 6 states not ready: Alabama, Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon

 Food Stamps - 10 states and territories not ready: Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Georgia, Guam, Illinois, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Virgin Islands

 Women, Infants, and Children - 6 states not ready: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, Oklahoma, West Virginia

 Unemployment Insurance - 3 states not ready: Connecticut, District of Columbia, Montana

 Child Care - 3 states at high risk: Kentucky, New Jersey, West Virginia

 Child Support Enforcement - 3 states and territories at high risk: District of Columbia, New Jersey, Virgin Islands

 Child Welfare - No states at high risk, but 14 states and territories are at medium risk: Alabama, Colorado, District of Columbia, Georgia, Guam, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming

 Low Income Home Energy Assistance - one state at high risk: New Jersey

 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families - 3 states and territories at high risk: District of Columbia, New Jersey, Virgin Islands

 Medicaid - 5 states and territories at high risk: Alabama, Alaska, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands -- Rep. Stephen Horn
------------------------------------------------------

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), November 23, 1999.

One good thing to look forward to. The "Entitlements" to the corporations and large organizations middle class and upper class hopefully will be cut off at the same time if not before.

How many big corporations get all these "tax breaks" & "credits" for doing business the way the government wants it done. "Welfare" for the upper classes called tax breaks and credits so they can keep their high and mighty noses in the air and "think" it is only the poor underclass, no goods who are on the dole from the government coffers. The arts programs how many millions go in grants to that each year? Gonna be gone ---hurray!!

Then there's the middle class and upper class college age kids getting student loans and grants to make their lives better and survive in a new technology world. Yep, guess those middle and upper class welfare kids on the dole will loose their goverments "Entitlements" too. All the colleges who get grants "welfare" to produce what? Another study to see how many times a cow burps per day?

Lets see who else will lose their goverment dole "welfare program" when things crash? Well there is the goverment "welfare" loan programs for middle and upper classes to get home loans, Fannie Mae, FHA, grants and loans to big farmers oh so many others. Not to many people get a conventional loan if they can get the goverment dole "welfare" one. Now I have just never figured it out how me giving my money to support someone else get a new house helps ME??? Seems like it is taking my money that I could use for my child and transfering it to someone else so they can live to me. Yep, welfare at the most sinister.

Then all those rich property owners will not get the Section 8 tax money to build apts to keep the poor stationed in so not only will the poor lose their homes but the rich won't get the credits to add money to their pockets. The whole thing needs to be rethought. I mean giving money to the rich to build apt. homes for the poor so the rich can get rich off the rent payments of the poor? If your gonna help house the poor why not just build the apts. and let the poors payments go toward a "house" payment so they can eventually own the place, instead of "transfering" the money to the rich. Keep the rich out of that loop I think.

Yep, lots of people are going to lose their goverment dole "welfare" programs. Strange that child support, the one I need, is lumped with "on dole welfare programs", when actually it is just trying to get the law enforcers to make a dad obey ---the law of the land-- and support his minor child so the child can eat, have heat, wear shoes that fit and have a warm winter coat. Have all the things that a DAD is suspose to give his his child by law . But this society is not interested in making -mostly men- obey the law-- anymore.

They are just interested in making sure children have less and take away the benefits promised those old people who have PAID into the system for so many years is taken away from them when it is time to give their money back as per the original agreement. Yes while they clap and hurray that the welfare Entitlements are going to be rioting in the streets. Looks like there are more on welfare than the poor.

May be we should just abolish all laws, heck there are a few I would like to choose to disobey like sending in my tax money, wear a seat belt against my will, pay tax money to help big business get bigger so they can manipulate the goverment officals to make pass laws that help big business while making it harder for small and start up business to survive and thrive.

Yeah, I wonder what will happen to ALL you welfare people on the dole when the goverment says no more we are shut down? No house loan, no kid going to college, no money credits for helping your business grow larger so you can get richer, no more grants to keep a bunch of college people employed, no money for the artists to play with his colors hummmmm will be interesting to see how all ya'll make it without your benefits from the government.

Guess all ya'll big corps. rich and middle class welfare class scum will have to learn to live like me. Make it on your own!!!! I've learned to live and make it without what is my childs RIGHT by law ----child support--- since I am her sole support and have been for years. Won't really hurt me when the welfare state fails. Nope not a bit.

-- Onebyone (susanwater@excite.com), November 23, 1999.

Onebyone, how you gonna protect yourself from all the enraged starving looters? Can't see no winners in this unprecedented catastrophe which is sneaking right on up to a fat lazy rich population partying on without a clue.

-- Like a Thief In The Night (Darkness@Plunge.One Hour), November 23, 1999.

Same as I have protected myself and my child all these years.

Some defensive measures == Cold hard steel. A gun that I can shoot the eye out of an animal at 50 paces plonk its dead and a hunting knife with blade to the floor come up at the bellie and " Z " your gone mister.

I have learned the hard way how to survive. It sure would be nice to have a man around to do the "manly" thing but even if one does not choose us at this time; my child is gonna survive as long as I am standing, :-) and don't count me out if I am down.

Plus my house is not anything anyone would want :-) trust me it isn't. MUCH bigger takings around here.

Have other defensive measures in place too.

-- Onebyone (susanwater@excite.com), November 23, 1999.

There's your new pool of Slave Labor. But how many are good work fodder?

-- white bus to (warming@centers.concentration), November 27, 1999.