Monday, May 21, 2007

The more things change....


While we've been saturated locally with coverage of the journey of the wayward whales, something else has been taking place in Sacramento.

As an aside, one of the things I've found most frustrating about living in this area is the news coverage. The four local newscasts (including CW) fill their airtime each day with fluff, human interest and ultimately meaningless chatter between the anchors instead of devoting quality time to coverage of what the state government is doing. I'd hoped for more. This is the capital of the state and I figured that important issues would be up for discussion.

Not so. And that includes print media such as the Sacramento Bee, although it at least has more detail than anything on TV or radio.

So.. while we've been subjected to literally hour-by-hour and "breaking news" interruptions to programming to watch the progress of the whales out of the delta, they downplay the fact that the governor's budget is up for discussion this week.

I was finally able to find a summary of the governor's proposed budget in the LA Times. It would appear that, as usual, the poor and needy will take the biggest hit in the gut. Social services are being cut at an alarming rate, including cuts in welfare programs, smaller raises for social services workers and cash assistance for families in need, the elderly and disabled population.

College tuitions will increase, making it harder for those who want to do something to improve their situations. Students will end up with an increase in their debt to student loan companies and other financial aid programs. (That is assuming, of course, that they qualify at all!)

These are just a few examples. The majority of it is all business-related stuff that just makes my brain numb.

I can definitely see the trend developing here. California, a state which used to have the reputation as a liberal state, is increasingly buying into Bush-inspired, hardnose, business-catering policies. Those who have will have even more and those who have less will have even less. Those who are least equipped to advocate for themselves are on the losing end.

I don't claim to have the answer to any of this because I stopped having any faith in the political process many years ago. Still, it's worthwhile to keep track of these developments, if nothing else to know when it's time to bail.


Peace,

~Chani

11 comments:

Christine said...

Chani,
I grew up in the Golden State and am really glad I'm gone. Though not many other places are fairing much better, unfortunately. Don't get me wrong--I loved California for a million reasons, but the ever widening republican hold was NOT one of them!

QT said...

It seems, more and more, government exists to make laws so business interests make more money.

And that is pretty much where they seem to stop.

Julie Pippert said...

Don't you know that distract and redirect attention is the best method of discipline?

Yes, that's sarcasm you hear...officials aren't our parents who get to decide for us what's best for us. How nice to have the media cooperate so nicely.

Pam said...

I agree whole heartedly that it's important to keep abreast of what's going on in government. That way you get to see the glint on the blade of the political ax as it slices through your life.

Pam said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
S said...

I was discouraged to see that Schwarzenegger was even electable. That he is governor, just that fact, says so much about the dismal state of our political system.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

I despise Arnold. He's a rude, crude, egomaniacal womanizing Nazi who is extremely dangerous to California.

His main objective seems to be getting the requirement that Presidents be native born expunged, and while normally I would not object since most Americans or their ancestors came from other countries, I dearly hope we don't change our requirements for him.

He's been closing schools in our state for years, too.

There is something terribly wrong with a government that prioritizes killing people in other countries over taking care of its own citizens. The vast fortune spent in Iraq is a special insult to Americans who live in poverty.

Anvilcloud said...

It heartens me that so many Americans are not singing from the authorized version of the neo-con hymnbook.

Girlplustwo said...

it's unbelievably depressing. good thing the prisons are getting their $$. we'll be needing them more than ever as folks get more and more desperate.

thailandchani said...

All,

I actually find this topic nearly impossible to talk about in any reasonable way. It is unbelievably depressing... and what's ultimately so depressing about it is that so many people are willing to support a government and a way of life that finds it acceptable.

There's not really much I can say beyond it. I'm surprised I even bothered to blog about it. Getting mad over this kind of thing is like getting mad at a dog for barking.


Peace,

~XChani

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