Blago comes to town to tout LIHEAP energy bill assistance

Low-income Illinois residents with high energy bills might be able to find some financial relief from this summer’s hot weather.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was in Rock Island this morning to promote the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, which helps subsidize household energy costs for those with incomes of up to 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.

Blagojevich, a Democrat, was joined by Illinois Reps. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, Mike Boland, D-East Moline, and Pat Verschoore, D-Milan, in promoting the program.

“At a time like this, unusually challenging issues are created by nature,” Blagojevich said, speaking at the Rock Island offices of Project NOW, the Rock Island County-based community action agency. “It’s a reminder to all of us that we need to come together and help one another.”

LIHEAP is a laudable program which truly helps those in need. I commend the governor for promoting it, despite the fact that the Republicans in D.C. have cut funding for it nation-wide.

I wonder if anyone in the press thought to ask the governor why the Rock Island county cooling center set up by the state was locked up tight and closed this past Sunday as temps soared to near 100 degrees.