Polar Vortex and Congress Join Forces to Screw Poor People

Good news, poors! Just in time for one of the worst winters ever, Congress decided to make your life even shittier!

While temperatures dip to below -50 degrees in some places, many Americans who could previously count on aid from the government to help offset heating costs are getting shut out by the government this year:

Sequestration’s budget cuts last year meant that thousands of families were left in the cold this winter. Congress cut funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program by about $155 million, and total funding has decreased from $5.1 billion to $3.32 billion since 2010.

Oh and if that’s not enough, don’t forget that fuel costs, including natural gas, propane and electricity have all gone up. So while the energy companies get richer and richer, you go broke slowly trying not to freeze to death. Awesome.

Thanks to this epic graphic from The Huffington Post, we can see just what the regional breakdown is from this latest round of Congressional cuts.Don’t worry about it though! I’m sure you have some cherished family albums that would make excellent kindling for a home-grown fire. Get creative with it, poors! BOOTSTRAPS AND WHATNOT.