[courtesy of California Progress Report]

California already spends less in Medicaid than all states except Louisiana and Georgia

By Frank D. Russo

This is not something that makes one’s breast swell with pride about the state of California in the 21st Century. Governor Schwarzenegger has rolled out the “Year of Education” and proposes to cut needed spending, so our educational system will only worsen and the future for our kids will be dimmer. You’ve read about this here and in all newspapers in the state--the resulting pink slips to cherished teachers, stories about other states recruiting those who will not have jobs with these cuts, and the outpouring of parents, kids, teachers, and busineses who need a trained workforce who have been appearing in their local communities where the cuts are felt.

But still within memory of last year’s blockbuster “Year of Health Care” directed and produced by our Governor, his budget would increase the numbers of uninsured in our state--including children--cut hospitals and access to medical care for millions of Californians, and end up costing us more in the loss of Federal dollars than it “saves us.” You’ll be reading more about this as the budget moves forward.

by jsw [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Disclaimer:  I am paid by exactly no-one to advocate for any political position.  I've heard rumors that certain people would actually pay me to stop.

There's been a lot of heat, and not as much light as would be ideal, generated around Proposition 93, the ballot initiative to extend (a bit) the current legislative term limits.  I have already turned in my absentee ballot, and I voted for Proposition 93, despite its manifest flaws.  If you're interested in why (and my take on those flaws), it's below the fold.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Governor’s Plan Likely to Cost the Average Middle Class Family Between $8,100 and $13,000 a Year

By Frank D. Russo

The California Labor Federation released a report yesterday that finding that Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposed health care plan looks like it will cost the average middle class family between $8,100 and $13,000 a year, forcing many Californians to choose between their financial security or breaking the law.

The report, is titled “Unfair, Unaffordable, and Unacceptable: An Analysis of the Schwarzenegger Health Reform Proposal’s Impact on Low and Middle Income Families,” and can be read online and printed out.

The Labor Fed has been criticized by groups such as the Bay Area Council which is supporting the Schwarzenegger plan as "swinging their hammer against Governor Schwarzenegger’s healthcare reform efforts, possibly shattering the last great hope for healthcare reform in California and perhaps nationwide." And the Schwarzenegger Administration has issued statements that the report is based on "fuzzy math" and is based on the proposal they made in June.

by Robert in Monterey [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]