The Fascist budget cuts courtesy of Herr Arnold
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by Tiny/PNN 2000 arms outstretched upwards, angled right..reaching|.reaching their eyes tilt slowly toward the sky, and then He appears, "Ar-nold, Ar-nold Ar-nold!" their collective voices climb to a solid chant "AR-NOLD AR-NOLD ARRRRRNOLD!!!!" The thin asbestos walls of the strip mall parking lot in Tracy , California tremble under their weight It has been thirty days since governor Arnold Schwarzenegger took office and as one of his claims as a candidate stated; ACTION ACTION, ACTION!!!, he aims to fulfill his odd promise. Although this sounded like the bubble comment of a cartoon action figure rather than a gubernatorial candidate, since he has taken office he has launched a series of fascist attacks on the weakest members of our society. First he made quick work of the immigrant drivers license legislation (killed it), proposed severe cuts to the in-home support services provided to disabled Californians as well as several other drastic cuts which would affect disabled folks, and most recently proposes to suspend spending to California's school funding guarantee. Ever since he began his run for governor I have been nervous of Schwarzenegger's vague Nazi background and fascist tendencies. He asserted from the beginning of his run, buried under all his terminator-like sound bites, that he wanted to cut services out of medi-cal all the while providing increased advocacy for the ever endangered Hummer (a war-like vehicle that he purports to own several of). When he perceived opposition to his fascist budget cuts he decided to take his budget "on tour" receiving a HAIL(Heil) ARNOLD chant from every clueless California enclave he visited. The San Jose Mercury News described Arnold as a populist. Wasn't there another Austrian power hungry politician described as a populist that illicited blind faith from his "people" no matter how fascist his policies became Well, yes I said it Hitler lurks in the populist murk that is Arnold, and Hitler's first choice for the death camps were disabled people, the mentally ill and other assorted "misfits" If you think I'm bitter, you're wrong. As the sole caregiver for two disabled family members who fall directly into his proposed cuts categories, I am scared. ACTIONARNOLD is proposing to cut all benefits for people who use in-home service providers who are family members and as well, all service provision to any disabled people who are ambulatory, i.e. if the only in-home services you receive are for cooking, driving to medical appointments, cleaning, laundry, help with bathing, etc Now the frightening thing about his choice of what to cut is how these cuts directly impact and increase the poverty of poor people and families of color, i.e., those of us who refuse to ever consider putting our elder family members in "homes" but wouldn't have the money to take care of them without the meager stipends granted from In-home support services and/or folks with disabilities that don't render them in a chair but whose lives depend on the driving, cooking and/or errand running of their in-home aids because without that help they wouldn't eat, get medicine, have a bath, or see their doctors/caregivers. As well, many daughters like me who transitioned off of welfare to non-existent "work" in the big welfare (de) reform dayz of the 90's were able to earn a living wage helping their family members with basic needs, as well as bring their entire families (elders, children, adults) up and out of poverty together. But of course, these family-based solutions which help the "whole" family rather than just the individual wouldn't be attractive to ACTIONARNOLD champion of Capitalist/Fascist values. Finally, as disabled folks and their advocates fight to preserve these basic services and defy the cuts, I hope that all Californians will speak to their Tracy-dwelling relatives and friends, eager to line up with outstretched arms and let them know that AR-NOLD is no longer a harmless pretend action figure but in fact, is a fascist leaning government official and we all need to worry what AR-NOLD's next form of ACTION ACTION ACHTUNG will be POSTSCRIPT; As of press time the Democrats in the House negotiated a slight compromise - which is to hold off on the budget cuts to health and welfare services until the next session which begins on January 8th. It is VERY Important to call your local legislator and let them know how you feel about these dangerous cuts as well as to call Arnolds office at 888-780-9275 press #8 and leave a message.As well there will be two press conferences/protests sponsored by a several economic justice coalitions in the Bay Area; Thursday @ 10:00 am 845 Jackson Street ( bet Powell and Stockton ) |