The governor of California, who lacks the effectiveness of his National Socialist role models, is apparently using his veto power to strike down parts of the budget and is calling for more cuts to healthcare and welfare services. Time for honesty and brutality.
It's easy to cut these services. After all, the members of society who use them the most are looked at as "unproductive." There is some truth to this in general terms. They don't pay as much in taxes (a quality they share with another useless group of society -- the rich). They don't vote, so there is little chance of political repercussion. There are many who can't/won't work, so they also don't contribute much in the way of income tax. In other words, they are looked at as a drain upon society.
Of course, what isn't looked at is what happens when these services are cut, though plenty of healthcare and welfare providers have pointed it out. In short, it becomes a disaster. A bad situation becomes worse. People who can't eat aren't just going to go away. People who don't get their monthly rent money from the counties just don't disappear to go live somewhere else. In times of economic crisis substance abuse goes up, domestic violence goes up, crime goes up, health goes down (this happens across all economic sectors). The California governor, Schwarzenegger, may look upon these people as unimportant and unproductive, but the ecologist in me sees a disaster that will cripple the state even more than the legislators inability to act
There are tough decisions to made. No argument there. I just think that many people, myself included, are having a hard time seeing how these budget cuts really spread the misery, as those politicians have proclaimed. Perhaps they weren't referring to the cuts themselves but rather the outcome of those mercenary decisions.
2 comments:
i remember my "what the f**k" reaction to medicare pt d and the whole "deficit reduction act." the policy makers, from the feds on down repeatedly demonstrate a compassionless attitude toward the same demographic...an attitude of expendability of the poor, the elderly and the disabled because the laws, the "fix it"s they come up with are a loaded gun aiming at snuffing those folks out. i am repeatedly reminded that the united states will not take care of its citizens--especially the citizens who need the most help and protection.
i'd better stay employed or else i'm screwed.
It amazes me that people are so damn blind to the problems and solutions. Decriminalizing drugs won't be the be-all-end-all, but it is a start. At the very least this should be done with pot.
Cutting off services to the poor and the elderly helps absolutely no one and sets in motion a series of long-term problems with no solution in sight. We are still paying for Reagan's infamous gutting of mental health services.
Ecology isn't just good to know, it's the law of the land. One thing follows another.
Unfortunately, we don't hold these politicians responsible.
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