Happy Saturday, Washington. We had a feeling that the recent series of city budget cuts might cause some logistical problems — the first seems to have occurred with the decision to significantly reduce help for first-time home buyers. According to the Washington Times, the Greater Washington Urban League — who is in charge of operating an assistance program for people purchasing their first homes in the District — told people, some of whom were already approved for assistance and scheduled for closing within a week, that the program had been shut down. The action has led Council Chairman Vincent Gray to call for an investigation. Gray claims that the Urban League was under explicit instructions from the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development to not cancel already approved assistance. Gray claims that of the $34 million set aside for the program, only $11 million had been frozen as part of November’s budget cuts. The assistance provides up to $77,000 in assistance for new home buyers — Gray said that he received around 40 calls from constituents who were told that “all the funding was cut.”

Elsewhere around the D.C. area:

>> In other financial oopsies, the Mayor fessed up yesterday that the city likely owes the federal government millions of dollars for improperly filed Medicaid claims. To be fair, Medicaid reform was included in Mayor Fenty’s initial 100-day plan, and Councilman David Catania notes that the improper filing issues are not unique to D.C. Still, though, it’s disconcerting to see what could amount to near one hundred million dollars so mismanaged.

>> Relatives of those involved in the Virginia Tech massacre are speaking with Virginia Governor Tim Kaine this weekend about what they perceive as glaring issues in the state’s official report of the incident.

>> Pepco will soon be powering some homes with Pennsylvania’s garbage.

Photo by gingher.