Slash and Burn Budget Hurts Working Families

Statement by California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Art Pulaski

 

“Governor Schwarzenegger’s slash and burn approach to the state budget is cutting the vital services that California’s working families need now more than ever. By balancing the budget at the expense of working families, students, the elderly, and disabled, the governor has failed to make the tough choices required of leaders.

“Many of the deepest cuts come to state health and human services programs, and represent penny-wise, pound-foolish spending priorities at a time when the governor is still advocating for universal health care coverage. We support that goal, but this budget reverses course and will make achieving health reform even more difficult.

“This budget is out of touch with the needs of Californians, as well as the wishes of voters who already rejected the same budget power-grab proposal less than three years ago. Recycling bad ideas that have failed before won’t solve this year’s budget problems, it will only distract from the real issues at hand.

“California needs and deserves real, balanced budget solutions. This budget fails to deliver them.”

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