" . . . We are trying to be in the middle with this budget," he said, acknowledging the risk of displeasing both sides of the aisle, but "I always find there's a middle way."
That middle has long eluded California's self-described "post-partisan" governor on budget issues. The state's finances are in no better shape now than they were when Schwarzenegger came to office in 2003, promising to clean house. And there is little hope in Sacramento that much will happen this year to bring long-term balance to the state's books.
Lawmakers and activists right now are focused on the most immediate threats. Despite the governor's attempts at moderation, there are many competing interests in Sacramento that stand to lose from his proposal for bridging the shortfall.
The revised budget would:
* Restrict full in-home supportive services for seniors and people with disabilities, and cut the pay of the service workers. Only the most severely impaired would get aides for household tasks, although in-home medical assistance would continue. About 84,000 people --a fifth of all those helped under the program -- would be affected.
* Deny thousands of impoverished parents healthcare coverage that they now have through the state's Medi-Cal program. Under the change, a single parent with one child who earns more than $8,540 a year would no longer be eligible.
* Eliminate California's $111-million program of cash assistance for legal immigrants who are old, blind or disabled. The program helps 10,300 people a month.
* Pare the healthcare provided to impoverished people who have been in the country for five years or less. Those newer immigrants would be eligible only for healthcare for emergencies, pregnancies, in nursing homes, and for breast and cervical cancer treatments.
* Eliminate cost-of-living increases for the disabled in the supplemental security income program -- part of the Social Security system -- with the state keeping $109 million that the federal government is providing to California.
* Cut welfare grants under the Cal-Works program by 5% instead of providing a cost-of-living increase, saving $187 million.
Democrats have declared most of the proposals unacceptable.
"The governor's proposal is devastating to the poor, elderly and our state's most vulnerable at a time when they need help more than ever," said state Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco).
Educators were not satisfied with the governor's plans, either.
