Facts on California’s Legislative Budget Cuts 10-29-09

Sisters and Brothers, It’s Time to Fight!

The Californian legislature, Republicans and Democrats, have stripped our working class
of hard earned social services…here is a list of just some of the cuts to our safety net.

Welfare for Women and Children

$528 million cut from the CalWORKs program
$80 million cut from other child welfare programs

Healthcare

$61 million cut from Medi-Cal, California's version of Medicaid
$50 million cut from Healthy Families
$52 million cut in HIV/AIDS related programs and services
$6.3 million cut for social and medical services for our elderly population
$37.5 million cut from the In-Home Supportive Services program for the elderly and disabled
40, 000 elderly and disabled people were dropped from In-Home Supportive Services
90,000 more will lose some services such as aid in cooking and cleaning

Domestic Violence Shelters

$16 million eliminated in financing for the state’s Domestic Violence Program
6 domestic violence shelters have closed.

Education

$17 billion cut from California’s Public Schools and Colleges.
20,000 K-12 teachers laid off
$50 million cuts in the Early Start services program
$2 billion in cuts for higher education
CSU students will pay 32% higher tuition and UC students will pay 10% more
Community College fees went up 30% with fewer courses being offered

Workers

200,000 state government employees have been ordered to take three days off a month without pay, the equivalent of a 14% pay cut.
California has a 12% unemployment rate and the highest mortgage foreclosure in the country.

California Parks

$6.2 to 11 million cut in funding for parks

Tax Facts

In 2007, the bottom fifth of taxpayers -- those earning less than about $18,000 -- paid about 11.7% of family income in state and local taxes. By contrast, the top 1%, earning $430,000 or more, paid only about 7.1% on average, counting the deduction of state and local taxes many could take from their federal tax bill (California Budget Project).
Between 2000 and 2007, total corporate profits tripled. Between 2000 and 2007, 60 % of all income increases went to the top 1/5th of income earners (California Franchise Tax Board).
Overall, the portion of the state budget paid for by taxes on corporations is only 10 %, while 50 % comes from our personal income taxes!

We Demand

Repeal the budget cuts! Stop the war in Iraq & Afghanistan!
Close tax loopholes! Tax corporations and the wealthy!

Written and distributed by Radical Women
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Peace and Freedom Party

Facts on California’s Legislative Budget Cuts 10-29-09