Friday, May 22, 2009

California to lose Welfare.  CNN’s top story is about a man that punched a blind lady on a bus.

Absurd.  Absolutely Absurd.  California’s governer has proposed to cut welfare, yes, cut welfare.  I have checked to see if CNN covered this issue, and I have found remembered that CNN is complete crap.

First, the news, for those who don’t know:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is proposing to completely eliminate the state’s welfare program for families, medical insurance for low-income children and Cal Grants cash assistance to college and university students.

Now, put aside the fact that millions of families rely on welfare checks for month-to-month subsistence.  Put aside the fact that these are the same low-income families who were most deeply effected by the onset of the current depression, the job losses, reductions in hours.  Put it aside that this country can give 7 TRILLION dollars to private firms but cannot afford to provide reasonable medical care to low-income children who, hell, did not necessarily chose to be born poor in America.  Put it aside that cutting Cal Grants is a good way to ensure that the rising generation is less educated, less employable, less thoughtful, and less likely to be able to eek out a living in what are sure to be increasingly difficult financial circumstances.  Forget about that.  Forget it.  Because it doesn’t matter.  Here’s what matters:

As you can see, the most popular stories are “Veteran new wave filmmaker seduces French starlet Sagnier,” “Tiny seahorse, world’s longest insect among top new species,” and “Man punches blind woman on bus.”

The situation is this: There will be mothers and fathers tomorrow waking up to the news that they will no longer receive the check that makes it possible for them to keep the lights on.  There will be students who can no longer afford a college education, and parents who will have to resort to God-knows-what means to find care for sick children.  GM, a failing company, will receive $4 billion more dollars in tax money.  California will go on paying $40,000 plus on incarceration costs per inmate per year, assuming that it is a better use of tax money to raise human beings in cages than to allow them the same free-range rights Californian chickens now enjoy. More tax money still will be dropped on the heads of Pakistanis, Afghans, and Iraqis, who don’t yet know how wonderful it is to live in a free and prosperous society. The sun will rise on a country none the wiser, because, well, because some guy punched a blind lady on bus.

And that’s an outrage.