Governor of California plans to completely eliminate welfare (drug, attorney, death)

[AnUnidentifiedMale]

LA Times:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is proposing to completely eliminate the state’s welfare program for families, medical insurance for low-income children and Cal Grants cash assistance to college and university students.

The proposals to sharply scale back the assistance that California provides to its neediest residents came in testimony by the administration this afternoon at a joint legislative budget committee hearing. It followed comments by the governor earlier today that he would be withdrawing a proposal to help balance the budget with billions of dollars of borrowing and replacing it with program reductions.

The proposals would completely reshape the state’s social service network, transforming California from one of the country’s most generous states to one of the most tightfisted. The proposals are intended to help close a budget deficit estimated at $21.3 billion.

Governor plans to completely eliminate welfare for families | L.A. Now | Los Angeles Times

[pghquest]

Wow, Schwarzenegger might get ONE thing right during his term in office..

[ovcatto]

It appears to me that this is the first move in a political game of chicken.

[afoigrokerkok]

Good luck getting it through the ultra-blue Legislature.

[GOPATTA2D]

Way to go, Arnold!

[pghquest]

Originally Posted by ovcatto

It appears to me that this is the first move in a political game of chicken.

Thats all it is, its another scare tactic, last week it was laying off police, fire department etc, this week its the poor..

[Miborn]

Originally Posted by pghquest

Wow, Schwarzenegger might get ONE thing right during his term in office..

There is only one problem with this is they will flood to neighbor states like Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Nevada.

[NCN]

One would hope this catches on. Taking care of its members is the job of the church. Government is not in the charity business.

[Bostonian123]

Arnold is just using scare tactics. He knows the legislature will never let him.

Lets see what Arnold can cut:

http://www.ca.gov/About/Government/agencyindex.html (broken link)

This is a list of the California agencies that start with 'A'. Sure seems we could shut down a f*cking ton of departments for a while and see if we could live without them.

* Access for Infants and Mothers (What the **** is this?)
* Accountancy, Board of
* Acupuncture Board (Are you ****ing kidding me)
* Administrative Hearings, Office of
* Administrative Law, Office of
* Adoptions Branch, Department of Social Services
* African American Museum, California (can be funded through private donations. If not enough, then cut.)
* Aging, California Commission on (people are getting old...it happens)
* Aging, Department of (what we need a commission and a department?)
* Agricultural Labor Relations Board (is this the states business?)
* Agriculture and Environmental Stewardship, Office of
* Agriculture, Department of Food and (how many agriculture offices do we need?)
* AIDS, Office of (what the **** to they do everyday?)
* Air Resources Board (need to die a horrible death)
* Alcohol and Drug Programs, Department of (not vital...cut)
* Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board
* Alcoholic Beverage Control, Department of (ABC) (A department and a board?)
* Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority, California (ugh...don't have any money...so nothing can be financed...buh bye)
* Analytical Chemistry, Center for (really...should the state be doing this?)
* Animal Health and Food Safety Services
* Apprenticeship Council
* Apprenticeship Standards, Division of ( what the heck is the Apprenticeship Council for then)?
* Arbitration Certification Program (huh? what is this?)
* Architects Board
* Archives, California State
* Arts Council (sorry luxury...cut)
* Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus (do they get state money...seems racist...does the European Legislative Caucus exist?)
* Assembly, California State (should cut these guys as they don't work)
* Assembly Democratic Caucus (shouldn't get state money)
* Assembly Republican Caucus (shouldn't get state money)
* Athletic Commission (what do they do?)
* Attorney General
* Audits, Bureau of State
* Automotive Repair, Bureau of (why is the state in this?)

Just the A's so many programs to cut...without touching something that will cause serious problems or civil unrest.

[afoigrokerkok]

Originally Posted by NCN

One would hope this catches on. Taking care of its members is the job of the church. Government is not in the charity business.

"Charity" business...no. But the government should provide some limited welfare. Not everyone is a member of a church and people do need some stable, guaranteed form of assistance.

Again....I stress the word "limited."