<p>Where others see gloom, state Sen. Richard Alarcón sees opportunity. He dreams of ending poverty while California's social safety net is collapsing under the weight of a record budget shortfall.</p>
<p>"It's exactly at this time when we should be looking at the widening chasm between the have and have-nots," said Alarcón, who created the Senate Select Committee on the Status of Ending Poverty in California.</p>