Archive » August 3, 2007

 

McClintock on Right Path to Eliminate Foolish

Spending

 

 

          We are privileged to be represented in the State Senate by Tom McClintock. In my opinion, he is the preeminent voice of reason and intelligence on fiscal matters. It is too bad the media will not relate in detail the fraud and foolish waste of taxpayer dollars he is seeking to eliminate from this year’s state budget. In my opinion, the Governor and Legislature should be ashamed of themselves that these items are in the budget in the first place, let alone defending against the efforts of McClintock to eliminate them. I would like to take this opportunity to list a few of the cuts he suggests we make. His total list amounts to nearly $3 billion! For Tom’s full list, visit the news and information section at the COLAB website at www.colabsbc.org!

          Adopt the governor’s plan to conform welfare eligibility to federal law. ($324 million);  Federal law sets a five year limit on the time a person may remain on welfare and requires work activities as a condition of receiving welfare. Most states conform to these requirements and have seen a dramatic reduction in their welfare rolls as a result. California law allows welfare recipients to remain on the welfare rolls indefinitely, or to ignore federal work activity requirements, with only a slight reduction in benefits ­ paid entirely by state taxpayers. The above savings DO NOT include the added cost savings of reducing the state’s welfare rolls and avoiding federal sanctions for failure to do so.

          Repeal in-state tuition subsidies for illegal aliens. ($75 million): Under current law, California taxpayers provide non-residents of the state of California including foreign nationals illegally in the United States the same in-state tuition subsidy as legal California residents­ as long as they have spent three years in and graduated from a California high school. In 2005, the LAO estimated the total cost of the AB 540 waivers at the UC, CSU and Community College system at $120 million annually. According to the L.A.O., the University of California estimates that up to 13 percent of their waivers are for foreign nationals illegally in the United States and the Community Colleges estimate that up to 90 percent of their waivers are affected. Assuming a 13 percent rate at CSU as well, that brings the total cost to California taxpayers of providing the in-state tuition subsidies to foreign nationals illegally in the United States to as much as $75 million per year.

          Extend San Diego County’s “Project 100 Percent” statewide. ($80 million): Within 10 days of the application being accepted, a public assistance investigator for San Diego County makes an appointment and actually visits the applicant in their home. This home visit allows the investigator to confirm with their own eyes whether the applicant actually lives there, has the children they claim and is otherwise eligible. Over the ten years this program has been in existence, they have found that one in five applicants misrepresents information on their welfare applications. Based upon the FIRST MONTH’S welfare benefit, they estimate the program saved a half million dollars last year in San Diego County. Since the average stay on welfare is 25 months, the actual savings of this program are more likely in the $12.5-million range. Annualized and extrapolated across the rest of the state, that’s over $80 million per year.

          Repeal appropriation for Cesar Chavez Day. ($5 million): Chavez Day celebrations should be funded with private donations like any other holiday.  This figure does not include the cost of paying government employees for taking the day off!  This is what the State pays for actual celebration costs!

Eliminate state-only cash assistance program for immigrants. ($128.3 million): A condition for legal entry and residence into the United States is a pledge that the immigrant will be gainfully employed and will not draw upon government support. This state-only program flies in the face of that pledge, which is why the federal government refuses to fund it.

          Andy Caldwell is the Executive Director of COLAB and a 39 year resident of the Central Coast.  To contact him and find out more about COLAB, visit the website at www.colabsbc.org.