What Others Are Saying About California Health Budget Cuts

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director of Health Access California

Shane Goldmacher at the Sacramento Bee's Capitol Alert has a useful compilation of some of the reactions to the budget. Here's some that touch on the health budget, from Health Access board leaders, member organizations, allies, and others:

Marty Hittelman, president of the California Federation of Teachers: “The governor’s budget revision tries to protect education, but lacks the funding to do it... Shifting the bulk of the cuts to health and human services is a disguised cut to education. These programs aren’t isolated from schools. Our students need to come to school ready to learn, and they can’t do that hungry or sick.” “School kids did not cause this crisis,” said Hittelman. “Their teachers and school staff are being confronted with uncertain futures. It’s time to put in place a fair, stable and progressive funding source for education and other vital services.”

Ted Lempert, president of Children Now: “It’s mind-boggling that too many of our state's leaders still can’t see the shortsightedness of cutting children’s health, education and economic support. California’s children currently are well behind national average measures of well-being and per-child funding. It’s also clear that investment in these programs today will reduce the state’s future costs and increase its future revenues. Yet California continues to make decisions that are leading us closer and closer to a next generation that can’t support our human capital needs and increasingly overburdens public costs. We’re shortchanging our future in big, bad ways.”

Annelle Grajeda, president of SEIU California State Council and SEIU Local 721: “We need our elected leaders to understand that the people of California will not accept cuts that hurt our children, seniors, and communities. The proposed budget reflects a short-term mentality, but we’ve got a long-term problem on our hands. Cuts that yield quick savings now but create costly problems later are unwise. This budget is a missed opportunity to move the ball forward."

Cathy Maupin, interim executive director of the California Children's Defense Fund: “In a state with the 8th largest economy in the world, it is a moral outrage that cuts to foster care, health coverage, cash assistance for children, and food programs are even being considered. Our policy makers must recognize that every step taken to improve the lives of children improves the lives of all Californians. Instead of structuring our state budget to address the urgent needs facing millions of California’s families, the Governor proposes once again to balance the budget on the backs of our state’s most vulnerable population: children. In many cases one family will feel the effects of multiple cuts simultaneously. For example, the same child receiving CalWORKs may experience a freeze in her cash benefits, be disenrolled from health care, and have her food assistance benefits reduced."

Tom Porter, California state director AARP: "AARP is extremely disappointed with the Governor’s 2008 May budget proposal, announced today. Far from improving upon his initial budget proposal, the Governor’s budget revision proposes even deeper cuts to critical services to the most vulnerable Californians.