Comments on: Reality Check II: The Governor’s CalWORKs Proposals http://californiabudgetbites.org/2009/07/09/reality-check-ii-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: Linda R http://californiabudgetbites.org/2009/07/09/reality-check-ii-the-governor%e2%80%99s-calworks-proposals/#comment-481 Sat, 11 Jul 2009 20:38:03 +0000 http://californiabudgetbites.org/?p=1099#comment-481 “CalWORKs has actually generated more than $12 billion in General Fund savings since CalWORKs was implemented in 1998. How? By shifting federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant funds as well as state matching funds from CalWORKs to other programs – as allowed by federal law – thereby “enabling the state to spend less General Fund.””

and is THIS the reason that child care subsidies are now threatened? Because the money was shifted to Education, which IS a large portion of the budget? If so, it looks like something many will have occasion to regret.

]]> By: Linda R http://californiabudgetbites.org/2009/07/09/reality-check-ii-the-governor%e2%80%99s-calworks-proposals/#comment-480 Sat, 11 Jul 2009 10:27:22 +0000 http://californiabudgetbites.org/?p=1099#comment-480 I did know, from LOTS of looking around, that the budget cuts in Healthy Families and in Dept of Education subsidies for child care for WORKING Stage 2 and 3 CalWORKS participants (SO THEY CAN WORK!!!) are virtual drops in the bucket of the state’s total shortfall. I think it works out to less than $10/per capita, statewide. Even if only 1 in 5 would contribute, it would only take $50 apiece. (My bet is that participants would gladly pay that rather than lose their JOBS or their children’s health care!)

But I had no idea that CalWORKS was such a small portion of the state budget! This is extremely important news!

I plan on emailing the link to everyone I know, and I urge every Californian who reads this to do the same, along with a request to contact State legislators. What else can we do to get this info out into the public’s mind?

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