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by Vivian Hain - POOR Press Political Correspondent and Welfare QUEEN It is now time to give poor families what they need to thrive in order to survive! With the recent May Revise of the California State Budget by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs) for California´s poor children and their families on welfare (CalWORKs) were frozen for the fourth year in a row by Governor Schwarzenegger again! Under state law, CalWORKs grants for poor children and their families are supposed to increase each year – but state policymakers want to suspend this Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) again this year, even though CalWORKs grants are currently 50% below the poverty line – the same amount they were in 1989! Think about what the cost of rent/housing was back in 1989 versus what it is now in 2007! While the state says it doesn´t have money for the CalWORKs COLA, it plans to make debt payments to Wall Street brokers a year before the payments are due. Poor children are being asked to sacrifice, while state legislators got an increase in their salaries – and the Governor has proposed a Cost of Living Adjustment for his staff! What Does the CalWORKs COLA Mean to Low-Income Children? In 1989, milk only cost $1/gallon – today it costs over $4! Low-income families are already struggling to make ends meet, and a CalWORKs COLA would give a typical family of three about $30 more every month to provide food, shelter and the basics for their children. Even at that, $30 does not even cover the basic cost of bills today. This week, the budget conference committee is meeting to begin finalizing the state budget, and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D-L.A.) and Senate President Don Perata (D-Oakland) have the chance to add the CalWORKs COLA back into the state budget. Call: Nuñez and Perata and tell them to"Choose Poor Children and Give CalWORKs families COLAs!" Senate President Don Perata: 1-866-920-9457 Contributing Correspondent for this article: |
Original Post Date
2008-01-09 12:00 AM
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