TENANTS FROM HELL

My email inquiry to The Housing Authority (Section 8) in our county

Hello W.,

I am a rental property owner and am interested in what type of background check you perform on individuals that apply to receive housing vouchers (section 8).

1. Do you accept clients with a history of misdemeanors or only check for felonies?
2. How many years do you go back when checking their history?
3. Do you verify that a client is telling the truth when applying for assistance?
4. Once a client/tenant receives housing do you verify with the landowner who is residing in the unit?
5. Are there any follow-ups to assure that clients are not abusing the program? I understand you do a yearly inspection and both the tenant and client are aware of the dates well in advance but do you make any unannounced visits?

I appreciate your time and help in regards to my questions. Please send your reply to: carol.carol321@gmail.com

Thank you,
Carol


EMAIL REPLY FROM H.A.S.C.O. Section 8 Supervisor

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Section 8 Landlord.

We using the Washington State Patrol background screening. It provides a full criminal background check for an adult record. Clients certify under penalty of consequences that the information is correct and true. It is important to note that we only screen clients when they initially come on to the program. We encourage all potential landlords to screen our clients as they would any other potential applicant.

Once a client receives assistance, we execute a HAP contract with a landlord that indicates the approved household members. Clients must certify household composition annually, at a minimum, and anytime there is a change. Again, clients certify with consequences for failing to truthfully provide information.

We take allegations of program fraud seriously, and investigate all according to our policy.

Units are inspected at least once per year and clients are always provided with 48 hours notice of any inspection, as required by Washington Landlord-Tenant law.

I hope this helps as you make a decision about becoming a landlord. Feel free to contact me should you have any further questions.

Sincerely,
(I withheld her name)
Housing Authority
Section 8 Supervisor


My Letter with pictures sent to the Section 8 Supervisor

February 4, 2010

Dear W.,

Thank you for answering my questions. I'll be asking the same questions at random throughout the U.S. with similar programs. Please let me explain why.

We have had 2 previous Section 8 tenants (and still have 1) that I would definitely rent to again. Persons that truly need help. In 2008 we rented to another Section 8 couple, (names withheld in this post). I found out later that everything she filled out on the application was a lie.

* At the time I thought it strange that a couple having only one son would qualify for a 1,400 square foot, 3-bedroom unit. (There was a teenage daughter who would occasionally visit but she lived with her father.)

About 3 months later we received a letter from HASCO stating that the couple no longer qualified for vouchers. Although we made continuous special arrangements with the tenants..........................continue reading the letter and view some "after" pictures

This is what our other units look like.

* Note...Section 8 paid this couples entire monthly rent payments!
I'm not certain how many months, or years, this couple received free housing before Section 8 stopped paying their rent (3 months after moving into our unit). As far as I could tell, they were in their late 30's with no disabilities....just a good sob story that Section 8 apparently fell for.......but then how did they slip through the Section 8 background check, especially with their history?
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PLEASE ASK THEM!
We need to ask our representatives not what new programs they are in the process of initiating, or have initiated, for the "poor" with money demanded from the taxpayers but, instead, what have they done to monitor, correct, and "get rid of" the con artists, criminals, and plain human trash that abuse these programs which would leave more funds for people in true need. This is a question I will definitely ask Patty Murray when she starts patting herself on the back for all she has done for Washington State.........................
MOVE OVER, MURRAY!

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"NOTEWORTHY WOMEN"
This Week's Woman:

Lillie Hitchcock-Coit: 1851 Firefighter


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It's not often that I'm left speechless but...........



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Hey BoBo...
How dare you tell me how to spend MY money! I'll stop going to Las Vegas on MY money when you stop going to Hawaii, Copenhagen, and wherever else you trip around on with MY money AND when you take away Pelosi's plane paid for with MY money and tell her to move closer to her job...
(I won't mention your bought votes with MY money, your behind closed doors deals with MY money and all other crap you pull over on me using MY money! I'm pretty sure I speak for most taxpayers whose money you take it upon yourself to spend so freely.
STOP YOUR HYPOCRITICAL B.S.!

GOODBYE JOKER
You may have noticed that my horse Joker's picture is missing on the sidebar and that I've changed my icon from the picture on the left to the picture on the right.



So it's time for me to let go. No, no, Joker is very much alive and well.

I've had Joker, my Appaloosa gelding, for about 11 years. He's never been the sharpest tack in the shed but he's kind, sweet, and lovable (I’ve always had a very special place in my heart for him). After having back surgery I basically retired from any serious riding about 6 years ago and Joker got to retire right along with me, although he was only about 15 years old and very much in his prime.

I also have “the girls”, Summer, a 28 year old Appaloosa and Tootsie the paint (a previously injured brood mare that shouldn’t be ridden due to some minor back problems). These two deserved retirement and are quite happy just being oversize pets.








Although we have very capable caretakers that live on our property and care for our animals during the winter months I felt that Joker needed more...that he needed a job.

So for the past 5 years I have been (sort of...not very seriously) looking for a new home for him. The perfect place actually, so this task wasn’t easy. I had all sorts of conditions that needed to be met by the new potential owners and their home, LOL.


(His picture may not be on my blog anymore but a huge framed photo is in my office.)


Anyway nothing was ever good enough (and in reality I couldn’t stand the thought of him elsewhere). Then, a few weeks before we left for Arizona, a neighbor at the end of our block asked about Joker and that her older teenage kids were interested in riding and in general hanging out with him. So they did and one thing led to another and now Joker is in his new pasture down the road with a beautiful stall and lots of attention and a job! He’ll also have the same farrier that he’s had for years. Best of all I’ll be able to see him even when I’m just driving down the road! Perfect.

My neighbor calls with exciting things that Joker has done and is doing (and I'm a little jealous) but I know that he's much loved and cared for in his new home. Thanks Lisa and kids!

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"NOTEWORTHY WOMEN"
This Week's Woman:

Irena Sendler: Lifeline to Jewish Children
http://alistofplaces.blogspot.com/2009/11/irena-sendler-lifeline-to-jewish.html

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B.O.'S SPENDING FREEZE.......

What a bunch of B.O. that reeks of! Sure, after giving trillions of our tax dollars to special interest groups for personal raises and pet projects NOW we can have a freeze. But wait, what about the Student Loan Program (where's the freeze here?). The most hypocritical thing to me is this:

B.O. is constantly talking about fairness for everyone, share the wealth, there should be no "privileged few"...blah, blah, blah. However, students who decide to work in public service after they graduate will need to pay LESS of their loan back than others. Can these be considered a privileged few? Please, think about this! And encouraging people to work for the government.........smells even more like socialism.....


SO, B.O., CAN YOU SPEAK PROPER ENGLISH OR ARE YOU FAKING IT?
I wish B.O. would stop embarrassing himself and the American People with his enunciation. I understand that he was raised in Hawaii where things are culturally much different (I have a friend who was raised in Hawaii, so I know) than in the Continental U.S. but was he sleeping while at Harvard University?

"You know, I wannna...."
"You know, I just haftuh...."
"You know, we oughtta...."
"You know, I'm gonna...."
"You know, I gotta...."

What the heck kind of enunciation is that for a leader of a nation?

"I jus' wanna get this degree from Harvad, you know, I just haftuh and I oughtta have it...so you gonna give it tuh me or do I gotta do what?"

So, he's either not very well educated in the English language or he's faking it so to appear as one of the "the people"........does he even know that most people don't talk that way? And does he think we're so stupid not to notice what he's doing?

As to B.O.'s transparency he kept yapping about during his campaign.......yes, most people now believe he's pretty transparent and can see right through his B.S.


Clinton and Bush may not have been much, but this guy's totally off planet!
Earth calling B.O. anyone home up there?

* Houston.....I think we have a problem!

* Meaning:

Originally a genuine report of a life-threatening fault. Now used humorously to report any kind of problem.

Origin

John Swigert, Jr. and James Lovell who, with Fred Haise Jr., made up the crew of the US's Apollo 13 moon flight used (almost) this phrase to report a major technical problem back to their Houston base.

Swigert: 'Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here.'
Duke: 'This is Houston. Say again please.'
Lovell: 'Houston, we've had a problem. We've had a main B bus undervolt.'

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/188425.html

Scott Brown....

Congratulations!

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FUN AND UNUSUAL CHICKEN BREEDS
(for all my friends who raise and /or LOVE chickens!)

Meet the Godfather

And his henchmen.

Two of the bodyguards:

DIETING CHICKENS:

You callin' me fat, girl?"

ONE WEIRD CHICKEN:

The half-black half-white embarrassed chicken.
If it stopped crowing so often and loud
it may have less of a chance of embarrassing itself!
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"NOTEWORTHY WOMEN"
This Week's Woman:
Deborah Sampson/Civil War Soldier
• http://www.historyswomen.com/earlyamerica/DeborahSampson.html

• http://americancivilwar.com/women/

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THE PEOPLE OF MASSACHUSETTS

HAVE SPOKEN!

My Washington State friends..........let's get ready for 2010!

They're cleaning up their state....let's do the same in Washington. Most of you are already on board! (Old Teddy K. is probably rolling over in his grave over Scott Brown's victory! Oh, wait, not rolling over but kicking, clawing, and bellowing, LOL! YES, Teddy, you try to R.I.P. the best you can!)

When you start to hear of all the "good things" Ms. Murray has done for our state once she starts schmoozing the public, ask her what money she has saved us. Ask her what programs she's helped clean up, get rid of, or make better instead of creating more programs that won't be monitored and will never die but instead turn into greedy, uncontrollable $$$$$$$$$$ monsters through government neglect and inept management skills! (Ask her if she even knows about the wasted money in the USDA Childcare Food Program.)

Better yet, send her letters or e-mails asking these questions.

That's what all of us should be asking Congress.



Senator U.B. Idiot......Rally Stupid........ Miss Ima Moron (who used to be Mr. Imo Moron)

I have a theory about how some of these Government Programs get started:
Senator U.B. Idiot's nephew, Rally Stupid, needs a job. Now, Senator Idiot knows enough that if he mentions the words "Free For:" followed by the words "Poor" and "Underprivileged" he can start just about any program under the sun (because this makes people who work for a living, and have something, feel guilty.) Since this tactic has worked for years Senator Idiot starts another Government Program and puts Rally Stupid in charge. So Rally Stupid hires Miss Ima Moron who also needs a job. Rally and Miss Ima realize they're 2nd cousins and hire all their other kissing cousins who are now in charge of billions of dollars of taxpayer money. Unfortunately none of them have ever balanced a checkbook let alone know how to use a calculator. Doesn't matter though...the money just keeps on rolling in...courtesy of the U.S. taxpayers.

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Pretty shameful when a President acts and sounds like a wanna-be jock that's not getting his way. Watch his body language, especially his eyes, and listen closely to that "down-home" voice! (And especially watch the audience planted behind him.......) Ahhh, really slipping, B.O.. Even made the liberals cringe. Laughable really, but most embarrassing for the people in this country.

B.O. and "The Rich!"
But what's really starting to disgust me most is B.O's continual comments about protecting the "people" from the "privileged few." The "privileged few" that make $250,000 a year...which could be your neighbor, the dentist and his nurse wife who might live in a home worth $500,000 depending on the state and area. THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT THE RICH AND "PRIVILEGED FEW". This does not take a very large brain to figure out. Trying to pit people against people in our own neighborhoods, perhaps?

The John Kerry's = estimated $500 MILLION dollars (5 homes equalling 29 MILLION dollars!
The Gore's = estimated $100 MILLION
Kennedy's 4 trust funds= from $20 to $100 MILLION
Pelosi= estimated $92 MILLION
Clinton's= estimated $35 Million
and the Obama's who will also be rolling in millions not to long from now just as the Clinton's went from okay rich to super rich.

I can't even imagine that kind of money!

THESE ARE THE PRIVILEGED FEW. (I only mention Democrats? That's because Conservatives and Independents don't try to make people feel guilty for working to take care of themselves, or about making $250,000 a year if they have that opportunity.)

Most of us would keel over in awe if we could drive by some of the real "Privileged Few's" mansions and see how they live. But the average person doesn't see their lavish lifestyles while we do notice Dentist and his nurse wife and their $500,000 home! These hypocrites in Washington, DC disgust me to no end. So the next time you hear B.O. talk about the rich........remember who the "privileged few" really are.

And the HYPOCRITE AWARD goes to....................you guessed it!

HELP THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAVE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS!

This is a program that I have previously posted about. I am sending this to Patty Murray who is up for re-election as a senator in Washington State (as well as other representatives in my state).

To: P. Murray
Re: The USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program
Date: January 21, 2010

The USDA CAFP program began in 1972.

Direct from the USDA web site:
"CACFP plays a vital role in improving the quality of day care for children and elderly adults by making care more affordable for many low-income families. Through CACFP, 2.9 million children and 86,000 adults receive nutritious meals and snacks each day as part of their day care." (http://www.fns.usda.gov.cnd/Care)

(Notice the key word many low-income families) It does not mention the children it pays for that are from average or above average income families.

The USDA advertises this program as helping low-income families, homeless families, shelters, and in general helping the poor. The Federal Government grossly downplays the fact that it gives all licensed daycare providers these federal funds for all children in their care. In other words Donald Trump's kids could be fed with tax dollars if they attended a licensed day care home that was signed on with a sponsor.

On a good note, in 1996 providers were given a greater amount of money for low-income children, and a lesser amount for children from average to above average income families, called tiering. Prior to that time there were no eligibility guidelines whatsoever, every day care provider received reimbursements for all children.

From a 2002 Report to Congress on the Family Child Care Homes Legislative Changes Study
"The intent of Congress in establishing tiering was to focus CACFP benefits more narrowly on low- income children. A 1995 study, the Early Childhood and Child Care Study, showed that more than three-quarters of the children served in CACFP family child care homes came from families with incomes above 185 percent of the Federal poverty guideline. Meal reimbursement rates were the same for all income categories, which meant that less than a quarter of program benefits were going to low-income children. Reducing reimbursement rates for meals served to higher-income children would, in principle, allocate a greater share of program resources to the low-income group and reduce overall costs of the program." (http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/efan02006/)

Three-quarters of the children served in CACFP family child care homes came from families with incomes above 185 percent of the Federal poverty guideline? Less than a quarter of benefits were going to the ones in need?

Today, tax dollars are still given to licensed daycare providers, who are not low-income, to purchase food for children in their care whose parents have an average or above average income. Why?

At the rate of 2.9 million children each day (not counting the 86,000 adults) at an average of only $1 per day per child (which is a low estimate) just how many dollars is that per day?

In addition there are numerous sponsors in 50 states (each with its own number of daycare provider members) http://www.cacfp.org/sponsors.asp. These sponsors receive administrative/operating costs to run their nonprofit programs.

Administrative Cost Reimbursement Rates for
CACFP Sponsors of Family Childcare Homes, July 2004-June 2005

Dollars per home per month

Contiguous States Administrative Costs:
(homes= Daycare Providers that are on a Sponsors Program)
Initial 50 Homes =$88;
Next 150 Homes= $67;
Next 800 Homes= $53
additional homes= $46
(Alaska and Hawaii receive larger amounts)

Since I haven't found information as to how many day care providers are members of each program sponsor I can't tally up any figures. However, if a sponsor has 1,000 members they would receive $79,000 per month for their program's operating costs. If you count all 50 state's sponsors and assume that each sponsor may have as many as 1,000 provider members this cost is astronomical....in addition to the millions of dollars each day the Government pays in reimbursing providers for meals and snacks served to the children in their care.

(And what about fraud? www.usda.gov/oig/webdocs/kidcare.pdf)

The Government's basic argument is this:
This program is to make sure children get healthy nutrition while in care. Daycare Providers should be taught nutritional requirements to insure the health of children. The Government will give Daycare Providers money to make sure that they purchase and provide the proper foods to meet these requirements. The Day Care Provider (business) receiving funds will be monitored to help insure from fraud. .................3 visits per YEAR, one of them an unannounced visit!

My very simple solution:
As a part of becoming a state licensed daycare home (and business owner), providers must take a class in nutrition. State licensing inspectors should do a routine inspection in order to determine if the licensed provider is in compliance. (Just as they do with restaurants, and other state licensed businesses).

Simple isn't it? It's only complicated when the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GETS INVOLVED!

From (http://www.minutemenu.com/web/cacfp.html) : "The Food Program is an investment in America's future, and to protect that taxpayer investment this federally funded program is heavily regulated. There are inches-thick volumes of regulation governing every aspect of the program, and it can take years to learn all of the nuances of CACFP rules."

(Years to learn? Inches thick that perhaps no one has read? This does sound familiar.)

Ms. Murray, this is a quote from your website: "Families and businesses are really struggling, and they deserve to know that their elected leaders are working to make things better both now and in the future. We need to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly to help our country get back on its feet.

I agree with you, so what are you planning to do about the waste of taxpayer money in this program? I urge you and the rest of Congress to stop giving tax dollars to feed children from average or above average income families. This program needs to apply to children from low-income/no income families only. The money the Federal Government is wasting could instead be used to help pay back the national debt it has created.

Or perhaps the savings from this program can fund your S. 2740, the LEARN Act.

Sincerely,

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WHETHER YOU ARE A LIBERAL, CONSERVATIVE, OR SOMEWHERE ON THE FENCE, HERE'S SOMETHING MORE TO THINK ABOUT:

To all past and present U.S. Administrations:

• The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775. You have had 234 years to get it right and it is broke.
• Social Security was established in 1935. You have had 74 years to get it right and it is broke.
• Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 71 years to get it right and it is broke.
• War on Poverty started in 1964. You have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor" and they only want more.
• Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. You have had 44 years to get it right and they are broke.
• Freddie Mac was established in 1970. You have had 39 years to get it right and it is broke.
• The Department of Energy was created in 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It has ballooned to 16,000 employees with a budget of $24 billion a year and we import more oil than ever before. You had 32 years to get it right and it is an abysmal failure.

You have FAILED in every "government service" you have shoved down our throats while overspending our tax dollars.

AND YOU WANT AMERICANS TO BELIEVE YOU CAN BE TRUSTED WITH GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM?

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After all this......I'm thankful and enjoy...


a beautiful sunset......





a healthy bowl of homemade soup..........



the bird outside my window ...



and the freedom to question what I feel isn't right...............

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I finished the BLUE, YELLOW, GREEN, ORANGE,
PURPLE, and Pink cards...
a few more to go, then we'll have some fun with your color personality!
What do you think?