Comments on: Reality Check: The Governor’s CalWORKs Proposals http://californiabudgetbites.org/2009/07/08/reality-check-the-governor%e2%80%99s-calworks-proposals/ Serving Fresh Policy News and Views - One Post at a Time Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:04:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Reality Check II: The Governor’s CalWORKs Proposals « California Budget Bites http://californiabudgetbites.org/2009/07/08/reality-check-the-governor%e2%80%99s-calworks-proposals/#comment-476 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:53:36 +0000 http://californiabudgetbites.org/?p=1072#comment-476 [...] we noted yesterday, the number of families receiving CalWORKs cash aid has dropped by more than 400,000 [...]

]]> By: Linda R http://californiabudgetbites.org/2009/07/08/reality-check-the-governor%e2%80%99s-calworks-proposals/#comment-474 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:56:21 +0000 http://californiabudgetbites.org/?p=1072#comment-474 I notice that the chart above comes from CDSS. You’d think they’d be aware of their own statistics. Nevertheless, the one thing you can count on is politicians will use numbers in any way that suits them. The Governor himself stated that caseloads are “only” down 44%. Then he turned around and said they go up every year!

I wonder how many successful participants in CalWORKS are looking at losing jobs due to the potential loss of the Stage 2 and 3 child care subsidies. Child care for 3 children costs more than half of an income at 150% of poverty for a family of 4. It strikes me as short-sighted to short-circuit the progress of those who have followed the rules, worked hard, and done it right.

So much for pulling oneself up by those bootstraps… just when you’re making progress, that bootstrap gets yanked away? If you want someone to learn to stand on their own two feet, it’s best not to cut off their legs as soon as they get their footing.

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