(ConservativeJournal.org) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom is coming under fire for a failure to balance the state’s budget. Newsom reportedly refused to reconsider a welfare policy that grants everyone in California, including illegal aliens, state funded health insurance. The extremely expensive program was defended by Newsom as something he believes to be valuable. Ironically, Newsome was willing to end benefits for disabled illegal aliens, angering his allies.
California spent several billion dollars to grant illegal aliens access to American healthcare, the program came online in January. The expansion to California’s Medicaid program allowed over a million people to register for taxpayer funded insurance. The state is now $45 billion over budget and is desperate to cut costs.
Newsome is eyeballing a program that pays caregivers to come into the homes of illegal aliens with disabilities and perform basic tasks for them like cleaning, cooking, and errands. The program is less costly than housing the individual in a nursing home. Americans would keep the benefit.
Newsome said cutting the benefit from disabled illegals would only impact 3000 or so out of 15 million people enrolled and save roughly $94 million. Attorney David Kane with the Western Center on Law and Poverty called it “a betrayal.” Ronald Coleman Baza is with the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network and suggested the move was “indefensible,” while implying legal and illegal immigrants both deserve government benefits.
State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo suggested the move would result in illegals being treated differently than citizens.
The program has been scrutinized for allowing people to hire their own caregivers and use the program as financial assistance and extra income for family members.
Marvin Estela Pineda is a 42 year old blind woman from El Salvador, and her daughter Mayde Pineda, 22, works 84 hours or so per month doing basics like cooking and cleaning for which she is compensated $16.50/hour. She suggested the loss of the program would result in “significant hardships” for the family.
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