Schwarzenegger the Barbarian: The $85 Billion Budget Destroys Many

I have always been a Schwarzenegger fan. Terminators 1 & 2(lets leave out that third one),the muscles, the comedies, the jaw and the squeaky clean marriage to Kennedy relative Maria Shriver. However, his recent signature to the $85 billion budget really nudged me in the opposite direction of my previous love for the man.

This new imitative will take away $80 million from child welfare programs, $50 million from a low cost insurance program for low income children, $61 million from medicaid and $52 million from AIDS programs! This is not the first budgeting cut made by the governor in an attempt to help out, in June he called for another cut of $24 billion. Total Recall anyone? And all to curve the financial slump that the state has gotten and to provide “cushion” for rough times. Excuse me if the recession is not a tough time. The gross state product was the largest in the U.S. for 2007 and contributes to 13% of the total of the U.S. gross domestic product and yet it is one of the states hit the hardest by the recession. The state has the 4th highest unemployment rate in the entire nation. The governor has been reported to say, “Our wallet is empty, our bank is closed and our credit is dried up.”

In 2006, over 61,500 lived with HIV/AIDS, the second highest HIV/AIDS population in the nation and the numbers have continued to grow since. However, I suppose that this is not as important as having “cushion” for rough times to come. To be specific this cut takes 80% of funding away from education and prevention programs, 50% to early intervention, 50% for community home care programs, 70% from HIV counseling and testing, 20% away from housing and finally 100% from therapeutic monitoring programs-wow what a way to kick em while there down. This cut virtually leaves no resources for those with HIV and AIDS.This is negligence to say the least, hundreds of people will die without access to care and many more will be infected without educational awareness resources.

I can’t help but feel sorry for the children in California. If they were born to low income families they can kiss health care good bye. Children account for a little more than 25% of the states population. In 2006 the Govenator signed a legislation to offer children the health care they needed. 2006 was also the year of his reelection and so it doesn’t really surprise me that he signed this as a political incentive and just three years later recant his offer leaving children with less than the beginning. Medi Cal offers tons of help and programs for low income families and those with disabilities however with $61 million cut, many of these programs will also be left out in the cold. Schwarzenegger has been a provider of many programs for children in the past; but this year has really proven his commitment(or lack there of) he has for them.

Schwarzenegger himself has been said to have a net worth over $200 million. He is living in a “cushion” estate. He owns his own private jet and was a millionaire before the age of 23. The state is full of tent cities filled with children and middle class people who lost their jobs to the recession. These children not only have electricity, heating,cooling, food, a place to use the restroom but now they don’t have health care either.  Saintly in the beginning as most politicians but has also like most politicians fallen through on his acts and promises to his state. Further more, the Govenator has been involved in many scandalous events such as admitting to using steroids, taped smoking marijuana, and has had over six women claim that he has sexually harassed them (such as grabbing their breasts and requesting sexual favors). It is obvious where his mind and focus is and isn’t. It may be on marijuana,women, and his savings for the disasters that are yet to come by taking away from his state’s children, who I believe are the future of the state. He may have money stored for future disasters but he won’t have the people to benefit from them because they will all be dead due to lack of health care. But none of this seems to touch him since he himself has had it made since before the legal age of drinking. He is the “bubble boy” of the 21st century; him and his family are living in their own little bubble of comfort and wealth while the rest of the state around him are in shambles. And so I suppose it is easy to shun and leave the children, unemployed, those infected with HIV and AIDS out in the cold. It is worst than leaving his state out to the wolves, because he is the wolf and is is the man running the state.(And to elaborate, running it down into the ground).

Image via Wikipedia

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