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California contemplates ultimate reform - no welfare (WOW!)
McClatchy ^ | 6/8/09 | Cynthia Hubert

Posted on 06/08/2009 6:44:38 AM PDT by Crazieman

Could California become the first state in the nation to do away with welfare?

That doomsday scenario is on the table as lawmakers wrestle with a staggering $24.3 billion budget deficit.

County welfare directors are "in shock" at the very idea of getting rid of CalWORKs, which has been widely viewed as one of the most successful social programs in the state's history, said Bruce Wagstaff, director of the Department of Human Assistance in Sacramento.

(Excerpt) Read more at mcclatchydc.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: bhoeconomy; calbudget; california; calworks; economy; obama; welfare
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To: randog
Someone needs to mash here:

21 posted on 06/08/2009 6:56:40 AM PDT by MrB (Go Galt now, save Bowman for later)
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To: mewzilla

The source article in the Sacramento Bee said that the number of people on it have dropped by half to 525,000 families per month since the Republicans crammed welfare reform down Clinton’s throat (my description, not theirs). I wonder if the staff on the program dropped by half, or if they kept the same number of employees for half the work.


22 posted on 06/08/2009 6:57:06 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, AIG, Chrysler and GM are what Marx meant by the means of production.)
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To: Crazieman

Lawyers are salivating and licking their lips at the tremendous amount of litigation coming their way if there is any attempt to implement common sense policies like this.


23 posted on 06/08/2009 6:57:51 AM PDT by Iron Munro (Suppose you were a clueless, idiot, and suppose you were Barack Obama; but I repeat myself)
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To: GnL

Have no fear California, Boxer and Feinstein to the rescue.

These two will come in to save the day with Federal tax dollars.

Welfare, like taxes are here to stay.

We american taxpayers only have Hope but know no change will come.


24 posted on 06/08/2009 6:58:55 AM PDT by VicVega (Just call him President Tut for short.)
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To: LouAvul
It’s a bluff. The career welfare recipients (and they are considerable) would burn down the state.

I'm thinking it's more like a threat. The state government extorts funds from national taxpayers knowing the federal government will never allow Kalifornication to go up in smoke because it contains too many illegal alien democratic voters.

25 posted on 06/08/2009 6:59:25 AM PDT by OB1kNOb (I asked my broker what he's buying today. He replied: "Canned food and ammunition.")
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To: MaryFromMichigan

“Wonder what a liberal’s idea of a “successful” social program is.”

That’s easy. It’s the one that provides tens of thousands of overpaid administative positions with fat retirement benefits plus it provides a guaranteed RAT voting block of several millions.


26 posted on 06/08/2009 7:00:14 AM PDT by Seruzawa (Obamalama lied, the republic died.)
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To: MaryFromMichigan

“Wonder what a liberal’s idea of a “successful” social program is.”

That’s easy. It’s the one that provides tens of thousands of overpaid administative positions with fat retirement benefits plus it provides a guaranteed RAT voting block of several millions.


27 posted on 06/08/2009 7:01:16 AM PDT by Seruzawa (Obamalama lied, the republic died.)
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To: MaryFromMichigan
Wonder what a liberal's idea of a "successful" social program is.

Mary,

This is a simple yet profound statement. I am disgusted that I have never seen or thought of it myself. What is the definition of successful with regards to, specifically, welfare?

I do not know for sure. But I suspect that high numbers of families enrolled in this entitlement have caused it to be deemed successful. I, and most logical citizens, would likely see it just the opposite. A successful welfare system would be one that works so well it is no longer needed. Recipients would be going back to work and not need assistance at all.

Alas, I am sure they grade it differently. "We have helped 400,000 families that would otherwise be homeless and starving. This is the most successful program ever." or... "Because of the success of our program, we have returned 250,000 folks back to work and they are no longer in need of our assistance in order to support themselves and their families. Therefore, we are closing our doors for now."

In liberal eyes, the more poor people there are that depend on the government entitlements for their basic needs the more successful the program is. That is tragic. It means, somewhere, somebody is hoping for more poor people and more failure for more funding and their own job security. It is truly a case where in order for some welfare administrator to have a job, there must be poor people applying for help. Who would you root for if your own livelyhood depended on the suffering of more people?

Thank you for the thought.

28 posted on 06/08/2009 7:01:19 AM PDT by Tenacious 1 (Government For the People - an obviously concealed oxymoron)
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To: Crazieman

Yea, right. We all know this is smoke and mirrors. It will never happen!


29 posted on 06/08/2009 7:01:21 AM PDT by Dustbunny ("Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them. " Ronald Reagan)
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To: GnL

And with a welfare bailout from the federal government, the strings attached will be that Obama will “mandate” that California expand its welfare rolls and sweeten the benefits.


30 posted on 06/08/2009 7:01:37 AM PDT by St. Louis Conservative
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To: Crazieman

Deport illegal aliens and cut off their benefits.

Man a lot of locust are going to be hitting Oregon, WA state, AZ (McCain country), NV, NM, et al.


31 posted on 06/08/2009 7:04:29 AM PDT by Frantzie
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To: Crazieman

Here is the correct link

http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/1917387.html

Correct article title...

“Budget plan could doom CalWORKS aid to families, children”


32 posted on 06/08/2009 7:05:13 AM PDT by Beagle8U (Free Republic -- One stop shopping ....... It's the Conservative Super WalMart for news .)
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To: KarlInOhio
Thanks! I haven't been able to bring up the link, and that statement was really making my curiosity bump itch :)

I wonder if the staff on the program dropped by half, or if they kept the same number of employees for half the work.

If so, I'd call that a Pyrrhic victory for a state. And now you've got my curiosity bump itching again :)

33 posted on 06/08/2009 7:05:57 AM PDT by mewzilla (In politics the middle way is none at all. John Adams)
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To: Tenacious 1

“That would be an awful lot of voters to kick out of the state. Where would they go?”

NJ? Minnesota with all the Somalis. Colorado with the other Somalis.


34 posted on 06/08/2009 7:06:45 AM PDT by Frantzie
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To: St. Louis Conservative

How to fix California’s problems:

First you get rid of all the illegals.

Second, you cut off all social programs in the state such as welfare, Medical etc. so that all must be requalified to get them. Once the applications are made, each individual and their claim should be investigated thoroughly to determine the merit of the claim just like insurance companies do. This will end the waste fraud and abuse of state subsidized programs by folks that should not get them.


35 posted on 06/08/2009 7:06:47 AM PDT by Ev Reeman
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To: Beagle8U
Thanks for the link!

$157 million. $620 million. $3.7 billion.

Boy, someone needs to take a good look at where that moeny's been going...

36 posted on 06/08/2009 7:08:02 AM PDT by mewzilla (In politics the middle way is none at all. John Adams)
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To: Crazieman
From linked SacBee article: In Sacramento County, 33,500 families receive CalWORKs benefits, including more than 62,000 children, Wagstaff said. A family of three gets a monthly check of $689, plus food stamps. But CalWORKs does more than simply issue checks, he pointed out. It helps people, many of whom have depended on public assistance for years, learn new skills and get jobs, with subsidies for child care.

When you add up the market value of food stamps, subsidized child care, Section 8 housing, Medicaid coverage, etc, etc, these welfare recipients make more than the average blue-collar household. The $689 is effectively "playing around" money, when food and housing is covered by the government.

37 posted on 06/08/2009 7:08:38 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money -- Thatcher)
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To: Sgt_Schultze

No benefits are EVER cut for illegal aliens - the most protected class in America.


38 posted on 06/08/2009 7:09:49 AM PDT by Frantzie
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To: GnL
Obama will bail out the CA welfare programs before anything ever gets cut. That is almost guaranteed.

If welfare is cut, the welfare voters will have to move elsewhere (or get real jobs). The Dem Party would never recover from that big a loss of voters.

39 posted on 06/08/2009 7:10:28 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money -- Thatcher)
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To: mewzilla

“County welfare directors are “in shock” at the very idea of getting rid of CalWORKs, which has been widely viewed as one of the most successful social programs in the state’s history...”

“Which begs the question: Successful at what...?”1

Very sucessful in bankrupting the state at light speed.


40 posted on 06/08/2009 7:12:42 AM PDT by Frantzie
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