Keep an eye on Califronia and the other state budgets

[AllentownJake]

These are the proposed budget cuts

# $5.2 billion cut to K-12 education and community colleges
# $1.7 billion by furloughing state employees 2 days a month until June 30, 2010
# $1.4 billion by reducing monthly grants to federal minimum for low-income aged, blind and disabled on Supplemental Security Income / State Supplemental Program and eliminating payments to recent immigrants
# $1.1 billion from CalWORKS welfare programs
# $788 million to the Department of Corrections and Rehibilitation by eliminating parole supervisions for all but those who have committed serious, violent or sexual crimes and reducing the medical budget by 10%
# $742 million to Medi-Cal by eliminating certain treatments
# $692 million by cutting UC and CSU budgets by 10%
# $459 million by eliminating general purpose grants to local transit agencies
# $473 million by reducing state payments for In-Home Supportive Services health workers
# $422.8 million to the Department of Developmental Services
# $275 million by eliminating the state First Five Commission
# $226 million by diverting money set aside in Prop 63 for mental health services
# $163.4 million by continuing through June 2010 "one-time" cuts in current budgets for state couts
# $150 million by eliminting or consolidating varitey of state entities including Integrated Waste Management Board and the California Conservation Corps
# $87 million by making various changes to the Cal Grant program including elimination of new grants awarded on the basis of competition
# $43.2 million by cutting Legislature's budget 10% and eliminating cost-of-living increase
# $37.8 million by eliminating food stamps for legal immigrants not eligible for federal assistance

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008-2009_California_budget_crisis

Cuts to education, the disabled, health care for the poor, transportation, mental health care etc.

California is the most extreme example, however this is happening in every state. Most of our social safety net is under state control.

This is going to be devastating and create more poverty and less opportunity. Its also going to increase unemployment not only for the state workers but those who are providing services to the state or to state workers. Of course if we weren't funneling so much money to save the banks that caused this misery, well maybe we could afford to help our states a little more.