Sacrificing Women to the Budget Gods

Sacrificing Women to the Budget Gods
by Laura Flanders

As states scramble to stay afloat -- how are they balancing their budgets? On the backs of working women of course. The new big trend is to cut subsidies for child care. And with child care -- poof -- a critical lifeline to working moms is disappearing. The same states that cut welfare entitlements in the 90s, forcing moms out to work, are now cutting the subsidized child care that was promised in return for workfare.

While the Obama government has provided some aid to states to keep subsidies up, it is not nearly enough, and some states are just calling it quits. In California, Governor Schwarzennegger, whose respect for women is well known, recently proposed to eliminate the entire state welfare and child care program entirely, affecting 1.4 million people two thirds children.

In some places, Head Start programs that have been in place for five decades, are competing for contributions from hedge funds and running street fairs. Many will have to charge tuition for the first time this September, exactly the opposite of the vision of the program.

The bottom line: remember that line about poor women being the canaries in society's coal mine. That sound you hear is them choking. As spending on war -- and elections -- continues to rise, we're suffocating our kids - and their caretakers.

If this is as test - how much will we really give up? Our society, the richest in the world by far, seems to be asking the question.

"finish" the wars, and balance the budget. There's only 2 ways to balance a budget. Increase revenue or cut expenses. Since the largest part of the Fed budget is Defense, and nobody wants to cut defense, and of course NOBODY wants to raise taxes!!! There's only one thing left...cut expenses and that's what's affecting all the programs you mention and many more you haven't covered at all.

cut the DOD budget and raise taxes on the rich to 1950's levels.

always the first to be thrown under the bus.

It's disgraceful. And to think that our politicians are always yakking about 'families.'

Women should stop f*cking until their rights as human beings are confirmed.

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amazing to me that it doesn't seem to be of interest and concern to many, as evidenced by the low standing in the ratings contest.

In spite of the life and death calamities at the top of the list, other social issues do manage to get interest.

This, not so much.


I completely agree that treatment of women is a social litmus test.

nt