Gov's Cuts to Hit Poor, Universities (California)

[DeepModem Mom]

Los Angeles Times:


Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected today to propose $3.8 billion in budget cuts over the next 19 months, including reductions in services to the poor and disabled, as well as in higher education programs.

The cuts, intended to help close a budget shortfall of at least $17 billion through mid-2005, would end art therapy for the developmentally disabled, scale back food stamp eligibility, reduce fees to doctors who treat Medi-Cal patients and eliminate recruitment programs at public universities. A draft was obtained by The Times.


The cuts affecting the developmentally disabled drew immediate criticism. Schwarzenegger's proposal would save $282 million by eliminating music, art, camping and other nonmedical therapy programs for the roughly 626,000 Californians who have mental or physical impairments that make it difficult to learn, speak or care for themselves. Another cut involves suspending the Lanterman Act, which guarantees myriad services for the developmentally disabled.

Issues involving the developmentally disabled have long been supported by Schwarzenegger, in part because his mother-in-law, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, helped found the Special Olympics program for the mentally retarded.


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cuts25nov25,1,6461574.story?coll=la-home-headlines


Times says that these first, "typically easiest" cuts, show how difficult it will be for Schwarzenegger to "close the budget gap" without raising taxes, adding that many Democrats and advocates for the poor support cuts in combination with taxes on sales, high earners, and/or tobacco.

[truthisfreedom]

1. honestly, i'm sure it would be really hard for anyone as governor

of California to figure out what to cut. but if he does some kind of deal for enron, i hope he ends up enmired in lawsuits from the women he's groped until he's forced out of office.

[theoceansnerves]

2. ugh

i feel embarassed to live here.

[KayLaw]

3. The least among you

The developmentally disabled are really born without much of a chance. Most have few or no friends and these programs help them to socialize at least a little, and lean to funtion and behave outside institutions, and maybe someday hold some sort of job.

Of course, as a group, they don't earn nearly enough to offer big donations to Republicans, and most can't even vote. So there you go.

Matthew 25:45, Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.