When George W. Bush arrived in California last week for the first time as president, he quickly reaffirmed his belief that temporary price caps would do nothing to reverse the runaway energy costs plaguing the Golden State. If lawmakers approve that gesture, a share of those proceeds could end up at Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee, known as MAAC, and Campesinos Unidos Inc., the only agencies through which federal energy-assistance dollars headed into San Diego County may pass.
Office hours can be sketchy.
Telephone messages often go unanswered. Applications by mail are returned for minor omissions, pushing back relief for desperate people with overwhelming debt or pending shut-off notices. The federal program started in the 1970s as a modest effort to help poor families. At the time, it was minuscule by Washington standards. The cost of administering the block grants and complying with onerous reporting rules often diverts resources from their primary purpose.