Posted on 02/09/2010 6:06:26 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO (CBS 5) ― A state program that provides health, education and childcare services for preschool children could be the latest victim of California's budget crisis.
...
The First 5 program is perhaps best known for preschool classes, but there are also parenting programs and other resources for new parents. Times are tough in Sacramento, and now the governor and some legislators have their eye on the $500 million-a-year the tobacco tax generates. Voters have opted twice to keep the tax in place. But on Wednesday, an Assembly Committee will look at taking half of First 5's money for the general budget.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbs5.com ...
What’s the % of children of illegal immigrants that use the program? How much less would the budget have to be if parents immigration status was a requirement?
“in 1998 voters approved a tobacco tax to pay for services to help parents meet their children’s needs for the first five years.
Times are tough in Sacramento, and now the governor and some legislators have their eye on the $500 million-a-year the tobacco tax generates. Voters have opted twice to keep the tax in place. But on Wednesday, an Assembly Committee will look at taking half of First 5’s money for the general budget.”
What a great scam. Get the sheep to approve a tax for “The Children” and then once its in place steal the money for something else. LOL SUCKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice of California to give free pre-school services to all the illegal invader welfare parasites watching soap opera all day long on their fat buttocks, eating food stamp funded Doritos.
It would be so unfair to cut this critical program.
Kill the programs....If they can't afford to care for their own kids, they need to get a better jobs, or leave the state.
Hey Norms did you understand that program I vote for it at the time I thought it was good idea but turn out be wasteful program
Tell me what original idea of this program who founded it
As best I recall, it was an after school hours program to assist folks by ‘babysitting’ and giving their kids good healthy activities to participate in locally with supervision. kind of a yuppie daycare.. I know there was more to it but .. it was never supposed to be funded until the state ran a surplus but they kicked it in gear a few years ago anyway .. and collected dough the whole time
My daughter takes my grandson to a First 5 preschool class, and it’s great. She’s no bum or illegal. She’s a stay-at-home mom. Isn’t that what we want for our children?
and as you can see, I could be completely wrong too about original intent as the article states with the emphasis on pre-school... :-]
So it was good thing until it last then Sac-Town took it over turn into welfare program I see
I see that commerical advertise alot on KCET Los Angeles especially during NATURE and NOVA shows
Does your daughter pay anything for this service?
I do...I’ve been paying for it since 1998. I’ve never received even a thank you.
Yes, we all pay taxes, and way too much in CA. This is one morning a week for 2 hours, and First 5 is well-structured in this city. Parents make a reservation for the upcoming week, and instructors are organized, competent and thoughtful. Two hours a week can make a huge difference in socializing and learning skills to a 3-year-old. My daughter and her husband are raising children who you would want to be around. That’s because she chooses to be with them and not working while some Spanish-speaking woman cares for them. Your First 5 dollars are well-spent IMHO.
I’m glad to know I could be of service. But here’s how it really works:
The voters of California were convinced by Rob Riener and the welfare and teachers lobbies that early childhood ‘socialization’ was so important that a ‘free’ service should be provided by the State to parents with young children. To sweeten the deal, only evil smokers would be taxed to pay for it. In other words, a program that was sold as a common good for society would be paid for exclusively by people who had already been vilified and marginalized. That’s were I come in.
The voters thought this was a great deal: get something for nothing and punish smokers at the same time. The measure passed handily.
In effect, the law requires me to surrender a portion of my income that could be used for beneficial purposes for myself and my family and redistributes that income to you and your family.
So that’s how it really works. While your family has enjoyed the freebie, my family has had to go without to provide it to you.
I know Reiner was involved. Since we pay taxes for this program, whether we like it or not, does that mean I should never use the program just because I didn’t vote for it? Should I also refuse police or fire protection? I’m not promoting First 5. I just stated it was a good program for my grandson who’s mother doesn’t work so she can be home with him and raise him to be an upstanding citizen and an asset to society.
So next time you have a break-in or a fire, don’t call 911 and use my dime to solve your problem. And, certainly, you don’t approve of the liberal unions to which these members belong, or you wouldn’t take advantage of their services.
And don’t treat me like I’m an illegal alien ripping off American taxpayers. Get a grip!
Just an FYI, for those less educated than the people using the First Years programs, the preschools are parent participation. In other words, each student has a parent/caregiver in the classes with them at all times. Also, I have not met a studuent that is not an American citizen. The classes are unique to anything that is offered in that they allow a stay at home mom a resource to take their kid(s) to for social, intellectual, and artistic exploration in a ‘preschool-like’ setting. Not even the church offers that. The only other thing that comes close (but isn’t nearly as good) is the public library. I suppose you want to end that as well. Perhaps you’d prefer I drop my kids off at a day care instead, pay 300+/month and work while someone else raises my kids? Get educated or get out of the way.
What exactly are you going without? Cigarettes? If so, you’d be the last one to talk about waste. By the way, thank you. My two girls and I are leaning so much in the program. Now that it’s ending, I wish there was a program like it I could pay for, but there’s nothing else out there like it- I’ve searched. I can afford private preschool but, to be perfectly honest, it’s not as good.
You raising the issue of fire and police is disingenuous. Fire and police are vital services. But is it fiscally conservative to provide this kind of child care free on someone else's dime? Just about any service can be positioned as vital when someone else is paying for it.
Tell me, do you get a crick in your neck from looking down your nose at others in that manner? Does your misplaced sense of superiority ever give you acid reflux? But it is clear you have no qualms about taking the money of others for your own needs, and are very good at judging how others use their money and deciding that you know how to use it better. In other words, you'r just a typical snot-nosed liberal asswipe, the type of person who is bankrupting the once-great state of California.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.