HHS Advocates Decry Legislators Responsible for Holding State Budget “Hostage”
Advocates and experts from the Health and Human Services Network of California issued the following statements on Tuesday in response to the California State Legislature’s first vote on a State Budget proposal before the close of the legislative session.
All advocates below are available today for comment at the phone numbers listed below.
“The fact that some legislators resolutely oppose any budget solution with revenues for California families just goes to show how truly out of touch they are. We are on the brink of a serious financial crisis in California – hundreds of thousands of jobs are at stake, and important services, such as child-care, are already closing their doors.
Child care is a lifeline for working families. In addition, we are an industry, providing jobs and fueling the economy. When child-care is no longer available to working families as a result of a budget impasse, parents must take time off from work to watch their children; it means child-care centers must lay off staff; and it further exacerbates the problems that California families are struggling so desperately to overcome.
But we can’t accept just any budget. If a late budget is contains cuts and not enough revenues, the result will be irresponsible long-term policy. This is neither sustainable nor acceptable given the severity of the crisis facing the millions of struggling California families.
Beatriz Leyva-Cutler, BAHIA Inc, 510-847-0784
“It is extremely disappointing but not shocking that minority party members failed to provide votes for a reasonable compromise budget. Their knee jerk obstructionism means that struggling families and businesses in California will continue to be held hostage to their rigid ideology. While it is unfortunate that child care and shelters are not being paid, caving into the demands of the Republicans would mean some of those programs would go away for good. That is far worse than no budget. The Democrat’s budget preserves jobs, preserves the safety net when we need it most and asks all in California to contribute to the solution.
Michael Herald, Western Center on Law & Poverty, (916) 844-6263
“The economic recession which has gripped California for the last few years has had devastating impacts on our families – many of whom are struggling on a daily basis just to survive. And while important programs are being constantly threatened with closure as a result of the delayed budget, a much more terrifying prospect lies in the passing of the Governor’s proposed multi-billion dollar budget cuts. These services are not only the last lifeline for millions of families, but they are a vital element in maintaining and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout the State.
Legislators who fail to understand this also fail to understand the very dramatic circumstances facing millions of their constituents. We need a timely budget on-time, but we need one that is realistic enough to address the most important outstanding issues facing the economy, our families, and our State in general.”
Leticia Alejandrez, California Family Resource Association, (916) 285-1800
