Democrat's state budget deal severely underfunds public needs in California

Democrat's state budget deal severely underfunds public needs in California

By Lynda Carson - July 5, 2012

Oakland -- Oakland has been the long-time home of Jerry Brown, and during late June last month Governor Jerry Brown and the Democrats have once again sold out to corporate interests in the latest budget deal in California by grabbing another billion dollars from the safety-net for the poor in a deal that slashes and nearly destroys the states safety-net, with permanent changes being made to the life-saving programs.

Budget cuts throughout California during recent years are devastating to the lives of millions as Governor Jerry Brown, the Democrats, and the corporate dictatorship running the state continue to plunder and steal the precious resources needed for our schools, housing programs, public hospitals, prisons, health programs, state parks, programs for children and the elderly, the disabled, public libraries, public housing, food programs, and the many other life saving safety-net programs that have been serving the needs of the poor and the middle class.

In contrast to the on-going devastating budget cuts that are shredding the safety-net, corporate stooge Governor Jerry Brown and his Administration are pushing for the controversial multi-mega billion-dollar corporate projects known as the high speed rail ($100 billion estimate in costs), and the peripheral canal ($20 to $50 billion estimate in costs) during a period when the Democrat's recent catastrophic budget cuts are shredding the state's schools and poverty programs, tossing millions of people into a life of uncertainty, desperation, homelessness and poverty.

According to the census of 2011, poverty in California has grown for the 4th year in a row during 2010 with around 6 million citizens across the state that had incomes below the federal poverty level. Poverty levels are rising rapidly as a direct result of the on-going catastrophic budget cuts taking place that are fully being instituted and supported by Governor Jerry Brown, and the Democrats.

Despite the extreme poverty levels already affecting the poor due to the on-going budget cuts, Governor Brown and the Democrat's latest budget cutting deal to balance the state's budget on the backs of the poor, grabs an additional billion dollars from the safety-net.

Additionally among the recent catastrophic budget cuts agreed upon by Governor Brown and the Democrat's, the welfare-to-work recipients in CalWORKs will be limited to 2 years of assistance instead of 4 years, in addition to eliminating the Healthy Families program while dumping 880,000 children into the MediCal program, and eliminating around 10,600 slots for low-income children in state subsidized child care programs.

Also in the latest budget cutting deal, in addition to grabbing $225 million from the In-Home Supportive Services program, Governor Jerry Brown and the Democrats have also cut child care spending by 8.7%, resulting in an $80 million reduction in funding that eliminates day care for around 10,600 children, and freezes their cost of living adjustments through 2015.

More budget cuts are scheduled to take place if Governor Brown's plan to raise taxes on the wealthy, including an additional quarter-cent hike in the state sales tax is not agreed upon by the voters in November.

Governor Brown and the Democrats hope that by attacking state programs that serve low-income residents, that they will somehow win voter support for more higher taxes. However, the changes being made to the life-saving safety-net programs are permanent, and it is a no win situation for the low-income residents of California and the poor, that are being abused by those in power.

Using the poor as sacrificial lambs to win voter approval for higher taxes, Governor Brown and the Democrats have permanently and intentionally shredded the state government safety-net programs serving the poor, elderly, and disabled, and have placed the poor and downtrodden at great risk of starvation and homelessness in the very near future as a way to convince voters that there will be an additional $6 billion in budget cuts to schools and universities, if Governor Brown's tax proposal measure is rejected by the voters in November.

Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com