Lifestyle Analysis Factor questionnaire

Okay, Scott we know you abhor your sizable income taxes going to the poor, disgusting low-lifes that receive public assistance and this is your way of bringing justice to this sad world.  But, I’m curious do you really think you’re going to find enough discretionary money in the cigarettes, cell phones and subscription tv packages of those on public assistance to merit the increased bureaucratic BS this proposal will generate?

Relative to Discretionary Income

Mr. Brown moved that the bill amended by inserting, after Section 90, the following new Section:-

           SECTION XX. Chapter 7 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after Section 4P the following section:-

           Section 4Q.  (a)The commissioner shall require that each department, commission, board, office, institution, division or other agency within the executive department of the government of the commonwealth that provides free or discounted costs of public assistance, goods and services  to applicants based on federal poverty level using any monies appropriated from the general fund, including but limited to free or discounted costs of housing, food, heating oil, tuition, medical care, clothing, legal assistance, and transportation,  to determine whether an applicant or, for goods or services that benefit an entire household, an applicant’s household, has any discretionary income as determined by  a Lifestyle Analysis Factor questionnaire as an additional condition of eligibility for such assistance, goods and services.

(b) Any applicant who has discretionary income identified in the Lifestyle Analysis Factor questionnaire shall be required to pay a portion of such income each month to the department, commission, board, office, institution, division or agency to offset the costs of such assistance, goods or services as described in this section.

(c)The commissioner shall publish a model Lifestyle Analysis Factor questionnaire for the purpose of this section, which shall require at least the following information from each applicant age 18 or older to be answered under the penalties of perjury:

(1) Whether the applicant lives alone or with other household members and the names and ages of such household members and the address of the household;

(2) whether the applicant owns any real property and, if so, the location and value of the property net of any outstanding mortgage debt and the amount of the monthly mortgage payment;

(3) whether the applicant owns or leases any motor vehicles less than four years old and, if so, vehicle identification number and the value of the vehicles net of any outstanding loans and the amount of monthly loan payments;

(4) whether the applicant owns or leases more than one motor vehicle;

(5) whether the applicant owns any boats, off-road vehicles or recreational vehicles of any kind and, if so, the types, value net of loans and monthly loan payments for such vehicles;

(6) whether cable or satellite television service is provided at the location of the household and, if so, the monthly cost of the service and how much the applicant contributes each month to that cost;

(7) whether the applicant in the past two years been convicted, fined or admitted to sufficient facts concerning the possession of any controlled substance and, if so, the date and location for each offense and how much the applicant paid to obtain the controlled substance;

(8) whether the applicant has any open or pending warrants for his arrest at the time of the application;

(9) whether the applicant smokes cigarettes and, if so, how many packs per day and how much the applicant spends each month to purchase cigarettes; (but don’t fund prevention programs!!! edit mine).

(10) whether the applicant has a mobile phone or pager and, if so, how much the applicant spends monthly for mobile phone or pager services;

(11) whether internet service is provided at the location of the household and, if so, the monthly cost of the service and how much the applicant contributes each month to that cost;

(12) whether the applicant has any credit cards and, if so, the credit card provider, account number, current balance and maximum available credit remaining;

(13) whether the applicant owns any stocks or mutual funds and, if so, the identification of the person or company holding such stocks or funds and the current value thereof; and such other information regarding spending and monthly costs incurred by the applicant as the commissioner may determine.

(d) Each applicant age 18 or over shall be required to pay the department, commission, board, office, institution, division or other agency reimbursement based on his discretionary income and spending as follows:

(1) for applicants who own their primary residence, an amount equal to 5 percent of the difference between the assessed value and the outstanding mortgage loans on the property each month;

(2) for applicants who own real property in addition to their primary residence, an amount equal to 10 percent of the difference between the assessed value and the outstanding mortgage loans on the property each month;

(3) for applicants who own or lease any motor vehicle less than four years old, the amount of $50 each month; for applicants who own or lease more than one motor vehicle, $100 for each such vehicle each month;

(4) for applicants who own any boat, off-road vehicle or recreational vehicle, an amount equal to the retail value of such vehicle as determined by the registrar of motor vehicles or for boats by the department of environmental management or their successor agencies;

(5) for applicants or their households who subscribe to television or cable services, the difference between basic non-high definition service and the actual monthly cost of services for such household each month;

(6) for applicants who have been convicted, fined or admitted to possession of any controlled substance in the past two years, the amount of $200;

(7) for applicants who smoke cigarettes, $10 each month or one-half the actual monthly expenditure by the applicant to purchase cigarettes, whichever is greater;

(8) for applicants who subscribe to mobile telephone or pager services, an amount equal to the difference between the least expensive monthly service available from their mobile phone or pager provider and the amount actually spent by the applicant each month;

(9) for applicants or their households who subscribe to internet service, the difference between the cost of the least expensive dial up service and the actual monthly cost of services for such household each month;

(10) for applicants who have credit cards, an amount equal to 10 percent of any available credit in excess of $5,000 each month;

(11) for applicants who own stocks or mutual funds, an amount equal to the value of such stocks or mutual funds.

(e) Applicants may resubmit updated Lifestyle Analysis Factors questionnaires to update any changed circumstances at any time. (Phew! edit mine).

(f) The Lifestyle Analysis Factors questionnaire shall include consent forms by the applicant to allow verification of spending and asset data with banks, credit card companies, other state agencies including the registry of motor vehicles, utility companies including telephone, internet and television service providers, and criminal records for outstanding warrants.

(g) No applicant with outstanding arrest warrants in Massachusetts shall be eligible for taxpayer-funded free or discount assistance, goods or services while such warrants are pending.

(h) Any applicant who wishes to demonstrate he is unable to pay the amount of the monthly reimbursement or any portion thereof may file an appeal with the Division of Administrative Law Appeals which may hear the matter de novo for determination of the applicant’s actual ability to pay
and in which the applicant would bear the burden of proof..

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