Governor plans to completely eliminate welfare for families

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.

—Eric Bailey

Comments

[J in Texas]

Please delete welfare program. That system was intended for good but quickly grew out of control with corruption and professional welfare criminals and bums. The system should be involved a work program should be set up. If prisoners have jobs so should the people. It also the illegal immigration that has really destroyed the state or put it over the top. I too left california 8 years and glad i did so, I thought about going back but that could possibly be the worst decision ever. California needs to bite the bullet and be responsible. Ask your what would dave ramsey do?

[Ian-31 from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia]

I am a teacher who has visted the US (NY & CA) once. I was appalled by the myopic quality of your media and the dysfunctionality of your country. Us Ausstralians find your obsession with the right to bear arms, and the right to no universal health care quite odd. I thought we had evolved beyond a survival of the fittest in the jungle mentality, obviuosly not. Some readers here are insightful enough to recognise a lack of jobs in a recession means there will be problems for these "welfare scum" in obtaining employment. So when you cut their benefits, you will reduce cash-flow in the economy, exacerbate the recession and probably increase crime. So then what? Build more prisons and incarcerate more people. Great. Glad I am an Australian. Great idea about the marijuana legalisation/tax though. :)

[RTH615]

This is just another bluff, like cutting fire fighters, police and teachers. Don't fall for it because it will never happen.

[Rebel]

Hell, this sounds like an excellent idea to me. I'd like to see this go national.....get rid of all the entitlement programs, stop paying for poor, ignorant, teenagers to have babies, and send ALL illegals home. While we're at it, let's dismantle the Federal Reserve, impeach congress, bring all troops home, end international welfare to other countries, and work to reduce the overpopulation in the world. Let's start a revolution and a new way of thinking where we live to uplift mankind instead of hoarding money and power........just think, no more debt, no more hunger, no more wars, no more bankers, no more politicians, and no more brainwashing commercialistic capitalism.........

[Michele]

I am so surprised at the outrage in all these comments. Can't everyone see this is a "red herring?" Arnold and his CA legislation cronies will NEVER implement these plans, indeed I am sure they were not even intended, b/c Obama will come to his aid.

It's a Democratic, bleeding-heart, redistribution-of-wealth classic bait and switch. He had to say something THIS drastic to get the ire of the people up and force Obama's hand.

This is all for drama, for show. No one can honestly think CALIFORNIA is going to shut down WELFARE programs, do they?????? LUDICROUS. And they're not going to cut any beaurocratic jobs either. Since both these statements make excellent fiscal sense, it simply won't come to pass b/c LOOK WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW THERE!!

The reality is, CA will go further under, the state govt will grow even larger, more welfare recipients will be welcomed as will illegals and unemployment will rise and our federal taxes will increase to "cover" it all.

It's not going to get better in CA. EVER.

[JT]

If he completely eliminate these programs. It will cause students to drop out of college because they are unable to pay for school, because the tuition will increase. Families with welfare will probably end up homeless because would have to sell their home in order to put food on the table. But where are they going to put the food on the table. The governor it being unreasonable and because those are the programs that we need the most out of everything. Why don't he donate his money to pay off this debt. I mean he use to be a movie star and they make billions of dollars. He can ask some of his movie star buddies to cough up some cash too. The lower class can't offered their children to go to college and need help from the state in order for their children to be able to make a better life for themselves. If he cut these programs it will cause the residences of California to probably move to another state. This will make California more in debt because California needs taxpayer to pay off the debt and how are we going to do that if there are less residences.

[NiteRyder]

He sold our jobs to China and Israel and now there is
no taxbase for us to pay taxes from. Picking on women
and children and old people and the poor is his cowardly
style. Bush boot licker Mr Girlyman himself. Get Out, Quit
your job, you have failed

[Not an Arnie fan]

No welfare -->> people turn to crime --> people get caught --> people go to jail, costing the taxpayers a lot more than if they had just been left on welfare.

[GREG FORESTER]

All you people out there in Cali who are getting your panties in
a bunch about those proposed cuts are just suckin up more smoke generated by the Gov.. The reason he proposed cuts to the most vunerable people is to cause as much outrage as possible and try to force Obama into a bailout situation..After all, you people voted for him....Get real....Cali will be bailed out by Obama and your problems will grow bigger and bigger...Good luck to all you working people...I feel sorry for each and every one...Get smart, pack your bags....

[maxinatlanta]

Interesting proposal, however one must be careful not to eliminate the assistance for needed families, since we can see somewhat undesired developments with crime.

[Phil]

Rather than giving grants to students, give them low interest loans....to be taxed or paid back when they are financially able.
Welfare for single mothers should be for first born and only till old enough to attend school. After that they're on their own.
If they need a job, have them working on community payroll, cleaning streets, bus and train stations, parks or whatever the community they live in needs done. Maybe these people will have to spend time in the fields, planting and harvesting crops , rather than importing cheap farm labour from other countries. Pay a reasonable wage for work done....Work Fare.
For those that are medically or mentally certifiably incapable of working, they would need to receive a disability pension to allow for basic survival needs. A society is judged by how it treats its weakest members.
In a society that allows voters to continue to vote themselves ever increasing benefits without restricting job exportation, there comes a time when "the chickens come home to roost" and there is no more money in the pot or the industrial structure to provide the jobs needed for people to try and pull themselves up by working for someone else. Free Trade....what a joke.....naturally business will produce product where labour can be aquired at the cheapest rate.
Look at GM's agreements with china....try and find a product made in north america at walmart

The smart or ruthless ones will always find something to do to survive, but those that actually depend on welfare will suffer greatly.
For an inkling of the future that is almost upon us, in this peak oil economy, read James Kuntslers book "the Long Emergency"
Communities will have to revert from a position of what can I get for nothing to working together for the common good.
There will be many who cannot make it.

[dumbcountryboy]

You pay firefighters and teachers and policemen $100,000 a year? To CALIFORNIA, you're too dumb to exist as a state. You deserve to go under, to sink into chaos and be taken over by the Chinese.
Slash the bureaucrats salaries and benefits, problem solved.

[Phil]

Dumb country boy......my guess is that you are a pyromaniac that didn't get along too well with your teachers or police....
At least you could research salary ranges before shooting off your mouth. Use google if you have never been to a library.
For the job these people do, they deserve all our support and respect. I wouldn't do their job for twice the money. Most of the police officers time is spent dealing with malcontents and assorted rif raff.
Who is going to pull your ass out of the house when its on fire.
If parents of children are like you, I know the teachers really have their work cut out for them.

[doogle]

I thought Kalifornia was a sanctuary state.

[Abdullah R. Chaudhary]

This is stupid and unfair....Many students live on calgrants. If calgrant gets eliminated many students like me won't be able to attend college. This is very unfair.

[Eric red]

What a great idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This plan at the very least will help rid california of gang trouble.

[Scott]

What is really scary about all these underlying comments about "illegals" is the similarity of tone before the rise of Hitler and the extermination of millions of innocent people that followed.. California wake up!, you unconsciously invited these people in with open arms because of jobs that the caucasians refused to take. I believe the US is on the very precipice of a very dangerous path toward civil and moral decay much like the years before world war II. Lest we forget. I think all ideas for solving the crisis warrent discussion, but discussion should be constructive - not destructive.
Scott from Canada

[dude]

I think it is great they are getting rid of welfare. Funny thing though. They won't get rid of all the human services employees. They won't need them either if they get rid of welfare. It's sad the governor is going to keep around a bunch of useless employees. They should befired because if there is no welfare to give out we have no need for a welfare agency.

[major]

If these turkeys in Sacramento had been responsible leaders all along, the Governor wouldnt need to take drastic measures.

Raising taxes is not a long term solution, responsible stewardship is.

Most of the legislators past and present should be put in jail for what they did to California.

Also keep in mind that at least half the deficit is due to handouts to illegal aliens over the last 20 years or so

[dumbcountryboy]

PHIL,
I DON'T CARE. I know how much they make in my state...and you're off your collective rockers. Corporates and collectives will use any criteria to justify their unjustifiable salaries. YOU ALWAYS create pain to the citizenry instead of taking it in the shorts yourselves, so you can ensure enough chaos to justify taking it out of somebody else's shorts. Socialism run's into trouble in the words of M. Thatcher, "when you run out of other peoples money".
I WILL GO TO WAR TO PREVENT UNCLE SAM BAILING YOU BASTARDS OUT, the same with the rest of the high living bastards. YOUR COMEUPPANCE is nigh, enjoy it....
SECESSION is the only answer to the Federal Monster, same as the California monster. And may all you bureaucrats, politicians and banksters, rot in hell.

[JD]

Want to go to college? Get a partime job! And what the hell is wrong with booting illegals from public assistance? Kick them out of schools and hospitals too....It is about time.

[phubar]

Illegals are here because they do the work that americans refuse to do, eliminate welfare and those americans refusing to do such "demeaning" jobs will take them and the illegals out of work will go back to their country. Kill two birs with one stone, get rid of those pesky illegals, make those crackheads on welfare do something productive instead of killing each other for drugs and solve the budget crisis, WIN WIN I say.

JUST DO IT! bye bye welfare!

[Cresty]

Prop 13 was a simple response to out of control gov't spending. The average citizen normally simply cannot fight the combined power of public sector unions, their clients, and other gov't hangers on.

what else could they do? All the public has left are the bluntest of instruments to express disapproval.

And now, CA has a 10% income tax and a 9% sales tax. And the state is out of money. How could that be, in the most successful state in the nation on so many levels?

Simple - illegals.

The CA politicians in DC have been, in general, some of the post pro-immigration and anti-border-enforcement politicos in the country. Well, now you have what you aksed for. Illegals driving up costs for government at every level - health care, education for their children, prisons, etc. And CA has more than any other state.

Yet still, there is no howl of protest from the state citizens. It is as if you all are living in a dream. Or simply cannot perform the most basic powers of observation and reasoning.

some of those citizens recently rejected all the tax hikes. They know that the problem cannot be solved by higher taxes. More and more illegals will absorb the benefit of higher taxes (although higher taxes will probably do more harm than good at this point, given how uncompetitive CA is and will continue to be compared to so many other locales). In any event, until illegals are kept out, and those that are here are sent home, the public has every right, and indeed obligation, to vote against raising taxes.

The CA and national press are silent on the issue. Damn you all! Your children and grandchildren are being robbed of their birthright by your narcistic-feel-good political correctness that substitutes short term feel good ness for the hard decisions that need to be made. And your greed.

CA has always been about 5-10 years ahead of the rest of the country on so many trends. The wave of government insolvency will be crashing to a town near you.

Don't say you weren't warned.

[cuthean]

Thomas Chittum was prescient.

[Pistol Pete]

Schwarzenegger is a Nazi and a demon! Eugenics anyone?