Posted on 06/07/2009 12:15:44 PM PDT by Zakeet
With empty pockets and maxed-out credit, California is debating whether it can continue honoring all parts of its social contract with the state's most vulnerable residents.
The state faces an unprecedented drop in tax revenue and a widening budget deficit amid the deepest recession in decades, prompting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to propose cost-cutting steps that once seemed unthinkable.
At stake are programs for the poor, elderly and frail, placing millions of people in the nation's most populous state at risk of falling through a decades-old social safety net.
Ending the welfare-to-work program for mothers and their children would affect some 546,000 families, and health insurance could be eliminated for 1 million children from low-income families. Services for Alzheimer's patients, disabled and other frail recipients of in-home care also would be greatly reduced under the governor's latest budget proposal, leaving more than 400,000 people without such support.
Schwarzenegger acknowledges that his proposals will be painful.
[Snip]
California spent 5.4 percent of all its state and federal funding on public assistance in 2007, compared to a national average of 1.7 percent. That doesn't include Medicaid and other social service spending.
[Snip]
Conservatives say states still have a long list of assistance programs and few people would be left without any help.
Federally mandated programs such as food stamps, low-income housing and Medicaid — the U.S. health program for low-income people, seniors and the disabled — will continue ... Those programs received financial boosts under the federal recovery act.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
“We should just conquer Mexico.”
Make them US citizens with a vote and representation at the national level? No thanks.
Hey Carolina, don’t you have any family who can help you out? Why is it my responsibility to feed you and your child? Where is this child’s father and why can’t he support her? There are American children who don’t have insurance so get to the back of the line lady - or better yet, go the hell home!
A contract usually involves commitment of at least TWO parties contributing to a mutual goal. What I’m seeing here is one party committing to helping the other, but the other’s job is to sit there and consume what the former provides - that’s not a contract.
Arnold started doing this months ago.
Legitimately disabled people have gotten two cuts so far, one just this month.
The amount for SSI was just over $900 per month last year, and was cut once earlier this year to $870
It is now being cut to $850
The federal share for SSI has stayed the same, it’s just the state that has cut it’s portion.
“...the state’s most vulnerable residents.”
Just go to the hood and look at their sneakers...you’ll see just how poor these people really are.
According to Arnold illegal immigration has nothing to do with the current economic problems faced by the state. So he says.
Why not stop all services for illegals? And stop all welfare for the able-bodied?That's the answer, but it makes too much sense for politicians to initiate that.
What do you want to bet that as the money is lowered to the recipients that the state workers will still have their jobs and their inflated salaries?
As far as the illegals, we voted to stop giving them services a few years ago and one leftist judge un-constitutionally nixed the will of the people.
If that wouldn't have happened we wouldn't be in the fix we are in now.
Billions would have been saved, and more jobs would have gone to citizens as the illegal insurgent criminal invading colonists would self-deport.
“Send them both back to Mexico.”
Send the mom back for sure, but maybe let the kid stay and find some lezbo couple to adopt her.
...or let mom bring the kid back with her. Mom’s choice.
At what point do we wake up to hear news that the CA underclass has revolted and declared CA annexed to Mexico? I’m often reminded of what happened in Rwanda, where a few radio broadcasts persuaded a large ethnic sub-population to wipe out another ethnicity, on very short notice, in a matter of hours. Initiated by La Raza-connected radio/TV stations declaring “it’s time!”, current bureaucracy centers could easily be wiped out, police stymied, positions of leadership replaced, and the whole state simply declared independent/annexed within hours. What’s BHO gonna do when tens of millions declare secession and non-cooperation? What’s Ahnuld gonna do when a La Raza posse, backed by 10,000 armed supporters, says “out. now.”? As a geographic bonus, the bulk of the population enjoys a 50-100 mile buffer zone of desert, and very few viable roads, both contributing to state defense.
Government lasts only so long as there is consent of the governed. Stop supporting the very large welfare class in CA, and we may very well see that class stop cooperating - and those inclined & prepared ready to lead that revolt and enjoy the results.
What’s the lady in the picture going to do when she, and a million others like her, stop getting handouts (much less jobs)? Where is the breaking point of CA’s welfare class? who is ready to lead them? and where?
SSI has also been used for "special education" kids who are encouraged to act disturbed in order to qualify.
Yes, there is an enormous amount of fraud
It's rampant and exponential
BS!!!
Perhaps now charities will return to their proper roles which were usurped by government illegally to try to buy voters and ensure their power.
Well run charities will out perform the government every time both in the completion of their mission and in the cost of doing it.
California could become a REAL leader in this country if they did away with government run welfare and charitable organizations took up the standard once again just as they did in the past.
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Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment
Obama: “
With Stephen Harper leading us, we will fight you with every hockey puck, moose, and beaver we have. To the last timbit.
;-)
There is something especially vicious about Canadian Beaver...
“Fuentas waited for more that 2 hours” for free food and free medical, but she is an illegal alien and shouldn’t be here at all. 2 hour wait! that’s just terrible.
There is nothing in Federal or State Law that prohibits a US Citizen child of an illegal alien from returning to that alien’s home country with her/him. Nothing. That’s just liberal mush-talk. Send Mama home and her daughter can decide when she turns 21 if she wants to become a US Citizen or a Mexican one.
When I worked in Montgomery, AL for social services, a man from California, a BIG MAN from California came into my office and physically attempted to threaten me as he yelled at me that I, personally, had stopped his California Welfare Check of $800. He moved to Alabama and expected his California Welfare Check to follow him!
At the time, a run down efficiency apartment in Los Angeles was $900 a month. He was a single male and received $800 a month . . . just for breathing . . . plus food stamps and some kind of medical coverage. And he comes to the Heart of Dixie and expects the same??? I didn’t laugh at him but I did decide that if he came at me from across the desk I was high tailing it over the cubicle wall in three steps . . . chair, desk top, over. His loud voice brought our skinny little non-armed guard to the door of my cubicle and the man quieted down. Plus I sent him to the Social Security Office to let them deal with him.
THAT is why California is bankrupt. They have been doing this for over 25 years and they have nothing to show for it but a huge deficit.
In my Georgia County over 30% of the population (6000 people) are unemployed and seeking assistance that just doesn’t exist. The Food Bank are giving away a lot of food every month. Fortunately, the working and retired people here are very graciously donating money and canned food for those less fortunate. It’s going to be a long hot summer for some people.
Is what is happening planned or happenstance? Watch http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1656880303867390173 and come to your own conclusion.
Instead of finding 3 hours of work, she travelled to the welfare office to wait for “her” money?
Her Money?
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