[courtesy of California Progress Report]

California to lose $10.8 billion in Medicaid funding if administration’s rule changes are allowed to stand

Ron Pollack
Executive Director
Families USA

Medicaid rule changes put in place by the Bush Administration will cost California more than $10.8 billion in federal funds over the next five years. The cut in federal funding will, in fact, act like a giant anti-stimulus package. Those lost Medicaid funds will eliminate an estimated 46,700 jobs and an accompanying $1.9 billion in wages, and, even worse, cost the state an estimated $5.4 billion in lost business activity.

Virtually all that economic pain comes in the first year of implementation, when California would fail to receive approximately $2.2 billion in Medicaid payments, according to a report we released Friday by Titled “Bad Medicine.” The report analyzed the economic impact of seven new Medicaid regulations that were issued in 2007.

The devastation caused by the Administration’s cuts will affect millions of people who rely on Medicaid for their health lifeline. This will be tragic for their families.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank O'Donnell
President
Clean Air Watch

Twelve governors (California, Arizona, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington) have to congressional leaders and the President, protesting the disgusting move this week by the federal Department of Transportation, which is seeking to preempt these and other states from enforcing greenhouse gas standards for motor vehicles.

As the letters note, the Bush administration once again is making a cynical attempt to re-write the Clean Air Act and to take away a fundamental states’ right.

This issue, of course, involves the ongoing conspiracy between the Bush White House and the car industry to kill the California car standards. But another interesting greenhouse gas drama is starting to play out in California – and it could have a ripple effect on Congress.

In that case, the issue is how to reduce electric power emissions in California. (There was an excellent piece the other day in the LA Times.

by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Working Californians blogs]

Another day, another story about the devastating impacts of a missing budget on Californians. Today is comes the story of the 500,000 low income children who could lose their child-care due to the $1 billion in payments that are being held up by the lack of a budget. State Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell brought the issue forward yesterday. LAT:

O'Connell said thousands of licensed child-care programs served by the agencies are on the brink of closing, with many issuing IOUs to employees or taking out costly lines of credit that could mean future reductions in services. The ripple effect if programs cannot weather the budget delay could be devastating, he said, putting in jeopardy the jobs of parents who depend on child care as well as the state's 24,000 child-care workers.

"Many of the most vulnerable and helpless Californians are in fear of losing important services," O'Connell said during a news conference at the Emerson Children's Center in Burbank. "The programs provide developmentally appropriate instruction for students from the day they're born to 12 years old. The programs also provide meals, and for many children they are the most nutritious they will receive all day."

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