California Gov. Brown proposes big changes for welfare

[FreakinDJ]

Kevin Yamamura | The Sacramento Bee

As unemployed Californians struggle to find work, Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed strict rules for parents on welfare: Get a job in two years or lose nearly half of cash aid along with training and child care.

"This is not nice stuff, but that's what it takes to balance the budget," Brown said earlier this month when he released his plan, which would halve the current welfare-to-work time limit.

The governor's welfare cuts would lop nearly $1 billion off the state's $9.2 billion general fund deficit. He would prioritize employment as California faces federal penalties for having too many parents who do not work 30 hours a week.

Those who study poverty say Brown's proposal is harsh because even well-qualified workers can't find jobs in this economy. They contend that parents who max out on welfare benefits are the least equipped to join the workforce.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/01/16/135964/california-gov-brown-proposes.html#storylink=cpy

[Tx4obama]

1. Hey, what is that emoticon in your sigline doing there? n/t

[Javaman]

2. Swimming. nt

[Juneboarder]

3. I guess it's a way

to force us all in to slave labor for slave pay.

[mike_c]

4. meanwhile the seventh largest economy in the world refuses to tax the wealthy.

Prop 13 is strangling California, and it's masterful in its ability to inspire middle class Californians to defend it, while the wealthy and big corporations reap most of the real benefit, and the state struggles with an anemic budget and cuts services to the neediest.

[Snake Alchemist]

5. Prop 13 is a tough one.

Can you imagine if it was not in place during the bubble? People would have been losing their homes left and right as property values skyrocketed.

[mike_c]

6. in fact, that might have prevented the bubble....

You say that like it's a bad thing.

More likely, repeal of Prop 13 would allow the legislature to take pressure OFF of individual homeowners and transfer more of it to corporate land owners-- more than anything, Prop 13 PREVENTS us from considering alternative property tax assessments that shift the burden onto those best able to pay it. That's its real benefit, from the wealthy's perspective. The notion that without Prop 13 grandma will be out on the street is exactly the meme that Prop 13's biggest beneficiaries, none of whom are grandma, want us to repeat day in and day out.

[Snake Alchemist]

8. I think the legislature would be more than happy to kick grandma out of her home.

And put in place a wealthy contributor. Even without the bubble, many places in California have seen properties greatly appreciate in the last 40 years. The Bay Area is an excellent example. What are your ideas for alternative property tax assessments?

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. I would not repeal it, because of what led to it

but I would highly reform it, if you know what I mean.

It needs to be reformed in ways that are not nice, but the State can chose, become a banana republic or start taxing the rich.

[Yavin4]

11. Maybe High Property Taxes Would Have Prevented the Bubble

from happening in the first place.

Also, you could write in protections for the poor and/or elderly homeowners

[Major Hogwash]

7. Tell 'em to move to Idaho, Governor.

That's what happened in 1975 when we had a huge influx of Californians.

[alp227]

10. thanks to Clinton's welfare reform, hate radio, and Prop 187, "welfare" has become a dirty word.

even supposedly experienced progressive Dems like Jerry have to kowtow to the arrogant, pampered majority who would spit at welfare recipients in public. This shows how low our political discourse has become: politicians of both parties have to appear tough on the poor because poor people are just LAZY! Never mind how manufacturing has fled to China or how low demand means fewer workers or how there are children to raise. Poor people just have NO WORK ETHIC and should just die off! Oh yeah, Prop. 187 misled many voters to think that...gasp...MEXICANS are coming to the US to get welfare (of course that's only if they had US-born citizen kids, I doubt that childless undocumented adults are leeching off TANF, WIC, etc.)

and do the politicians not understand that employers always walk away if they see applicants whose benefits expired?

[Fearless]

12. "Reform" +1000!

[BlueToTheBone]

13. I hope the homeless and out of work come and

camp at the governor's mansion and wait for those jobs.