The Social Program Terminator

Ahnold has made good on his promise to cut billions from California's state budget since voters resoundingly rejected paying for social programs.

Now, these programs will get...terminated.

Faced with a ballooning deficit and a clear signal that voters won't pay more to fix it, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger released a budget plan Tuesday that would eliminate welfare, drop 1 million poor children from health insurance, cut off new grants for college students and shut down 80 percent of state parks.

In a state that long has prided itself on its social safety net, it could well go down in history as the most drastic reduction in social programs ever. And billions in further cuts will be unveiled later this week.

The governor's proposal to whack an additional $5.5 billion from state programs stunned even longtime Capitol-watchers with its blunt force. Ending cash assistance for 1.3 million impoverished state residents, for example, would make California the only state with no welfare program.

"Every single first-world nation has a safety net program for children," said Will Lightbourne, Santa Clara County's social services director. "This would return us to the era of Dickens — you'd have to go back to the 19th century to find a comparable proposal."

The governor's office reiterated that the cuts were painful but unavoidable, with the proposed budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year already outdated before lawmakers even begin debate. Schwarzenegger's finance team now says the deficit will grow to $24.3 billion by July 1, up from the previous $21.3 billion projected shortfall.

Not any more. California's welfare program? About to be terminated. State parks? Hasta la vista, baby! Health care for kids? Blown away.

But that's how Republicans do things Cali style...making increasing revenue impossible and even making dipping into the state's rainy day fund out of bounds.

So now, Ahnold has to take a chainsaw to the state's safety net. He hasn't hit K-12 education yet. He will have to go there. More cuts are coming...$24.3 billion worth.

But then again, this is exactly how the shock doctrine Republicans want it to work: draconian across the board spending cuts that will brutally affect millions. Government spending is the enemy...unless it's for war.

Guess what this is going to do for the Republican brand?