Saturday, May 16, 2009
Government at Work - Federal strings prevent some state cuts
I've long believed that elected officials/politicians are short-sighted.
They are primarily interested in votes and money for their election campaigns. They pass laws to that end with little regard for long-term or unintended consequences.
As California is learning, the federal government has effectively blocked states from taking care of their own business.
On a side note, governors that attempt to prevent this, get clobbered by the media...
They are primarily interested in votes and money for their election campaigns. They pass laws to that end with little regard for long-term or unintended consequences.
As California is learning, the federal government has effectively blocked states from taking care of their own business.
On a side note, governors that attempt to prevent this, get clobbered by the media...
In the Sacremento Bee, Rob Hotakainen reports:
"The Republican governor and state officials find themselves unable to cut spending as deeply as they'd like in some areas because of the potential loss of federal funds. Schwarzenegger wants to save $750 million by rolling back the state's Medi-Cal program, tightening eligibility and reducing benefits.
It won't necessarily be easy.
To get his way, the governor needs special permission from the federal government, which pays the lion's share of the costs. It's an example of the many restrictions that Congress ties to its programs, making it more difficult for states to act on their own when times get tough."
