Tuesday, May 1, 1984

CHAPTER 5, MAY

A routine work day. I got my dearly needed food stamps. I went to the grocers and 'porked' out. I only have $5.00 worth of food stamps left.

When Cecil got his disability check today, it was only $60.00 for the month. He showed me all of his paperwork, and it clearly is a government error, which the local Veteran's Administration office here admitted, but all they can do is file more paperwork on his behalf. In the meantime, the VA has given him a $43.00 food voucher, and they have agreed to pay me $97.00 for rent. I won't be able to get the $97.00 'til more paperwork is filled out. I've been frantically re-figuring. I'll be able to pay everything without Cecil's rent this month. I was given a paper from the VA stating that I will be paid June 1, 1984. If I'm treated as poorly as Cecil, I'll see it in a year, maybe.

Cecil's story is another classic case, the same as Love's was, of government mismanagement. Although entitled to full disability, he was completely shut off after the Reagon Administration took office. He had to go home to live with his Mom, while she collected welfare for her and him. Then he was reinstated to full eligibility after a year of letter writing and hand-wringing. He started helping out with his Nephew's room, board and spending money. His Mom was cut from the welfare rolls, because Cecil was still living there, while trying financially to get on his own feet after the year of non-payments. This went on for another year. Then he beat the system by buying a car and moving out. His Mom went back on welfare, but because of Cecil's nephew's scholarship, Cecil's Mom was denied any money to provide for the nephew, so Cecil agreed to help out still, even though he wasn't living there. Now Cecil has been cut back to $60.00 a month by a government error, that he's trying to get straightened out, and has filed some paperwork to the government again. Alter all, we have to find something for our government employees to do and re-shuffling paperwork is meaningful work. Right? Right! Cecil is in disbelief that the government could screw up his case a second time in two years, but he is a novice in comparison to others. At least his life isn't on the line like poor Love, because he wouldn't have a prayer, and maybe he will live long enough to get it straightened out again.