California’s poor getting poorer because of state budget
By Cynthia Hubert, Sacramento Bee
Things just got bleaker for California’s poorest residents.
CalWORKs, the state’s “welfare to work” program, took a major hit in the state budget deal that Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law Thursday, reducing grants to their lowest levels in more than 20 years.
Beginning today, monthly grants will be slashed by 8 percent, to an average of $460 for a family of three. That translates to an income that is less than 30 percent of the amount the federal government has determined is necessary to meet basic needs.
In addition, the new budget reduces the lifetime limit on CalWORKs cash assistance for adults from five years to four, and cuts funding for employment services and child care. Advocates also are lamenting the suspension of the Cal Learn program, which offers aid to pregnant and parenting teens in an effort to keep them in school.
Welfare officials said the cuts will make it more difficult to accomplish the CalWORKs mission of offering temporary cash aid, job training and other help to lift people from public assistance to independence. Some 1.5 million Californians get CalWORKs benefits.
“We are taking people who live on the bare minimum as it is, and they are going back to 1987 levels in funding,” said Nancy O’Hara, assistant director of Yolo County’s Department of Employment and Social Services. “Who can live on that?”
So what is the point? Want to make us all feel bad so we’ll volunteer to pay more taxes so that welfare recipients can live better? We’re all having a tough time right now. Those of us who work and pay taxes are being squeezed harder than ever. What more do these people want from us?!?
Maybe it’ll give folks a little incentive to get out and find a new place to live where the opportunities are better, or even start a business of their own instead of relying on the government. The State is not who you want to rely on for your livelihood. They can take away even quicker than they give.
They need to cut the government nipple off as to many people are happy sucking on it and we cant ween the citizen off the state now. There is no incentive for many to find a job becasue they recieve so much government assistance it makes more sense to not have a job, especially if you have kids. They need to cut this program more and be way more responsible in giving cash aid to those in need. I know so many people in this town that take advantage of it. There is no incentive to work… Dont work, get free money and great benefits you dont have to pay a dime for. Things need to change…
I say just start robbing the rich crooks who put us in this position in the first place. People are so weak and scared. Do not forget this is your land, not the governments. Go out in the woods and build a home and if the government interferes, defend by any means necessary. Rent is a rip off and we all should be entitled to own a home rent free. That is what freedom is. Not influence from weak people like Dogwoman who are afraid to stand up to the government.
Go back to being self sufficient and remove all politics from our lives. They are the problem. People in the old days lived off the land, not some weak ass government. And without people telling them what to do or how to live. Government and weak people are the problem. Exterminate the rich.
Sam, go back on your meds.
Californias poor are getting poorer because our state government spends so much money supporting ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS putting their kids through school and making sure they have cheap housing!!Lets face it folks we are the lower class LEGAL CITIZENS. Our welfare does not matter to the politicians in this state as much as the ILLEGALS feelings of entitlement.
That’s nice and Christian of you. Accusing someone of suffering from mental illness because their point of view is different than yours. Millions of people are affected by mental illness in this country. It is not funny at all.
Anyone who suggests exterminating the rich has a serious problem.
Illegals sopping up around 20 billion of our tax dollars and the demos and many repubs say we need more.
Talk about mental illness and America’s and CA’s precipitous decline into 2nd and 3rd world status.
History is the story of wooden shoes going uphill and satin shoes going downhill. Can America be saved? I am beginning to doubt it.
If we can get back to the majority making the decisions for this country (the citizens), and not the minority: career politicians, lobbyists, & corporations, then we can return common sense to our land.
The whole political game of republican vs democrat, keeps our eyes and minds off others hands in the cookie jar. They like to exploit differences of opinion, when actually there is way more in common.
Very well said, Care. I completely agree with your statement. We the people need to take a stand against the political establishment in this country. People need to show up to the polls and stop with the “it doesn’t make a difference mentality” I know that most people have. With the dismal polling numbers for most elections it has left our country to be run by the career politicians, corporations and lobbyists, who only care about their personal interests. If everyone did their duty and voted I think things would be much better off.