Groups Protest Whitman, Schwarzenegger At Women's Conference
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While conference attendees inside waited to hear from the current governor and candidates Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown, groups gathered outside had messages of their own for them.
More than 100 supporters of the Child Care Providers United California union and 30 members of the California Nurses Association held rallies in front of the conference to highlight their own political campaigns.
The child care union was protesting the upcoming end of the CalWORKS Stage 3 welfare program brought about when Gov. Schwarzenegger line-item vetoed it from the budget earlier this month. The program which funds long-term welfare for families will expire on November 1st and the group called on the governor to reverse his decision.
"It's raining," chanted the crowd, "It's pouring. The governor is snoring."
Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal (D-54) spoke in front of the crowd to show her support.
"I was shocked and frankly furious that the governor blue penciled something that took us to 100 days to negotiate," said Lowenthal. "80,000 children going to lose their child care. It's bad for kids and bad for our economy."
United Farm Workers of America co-founder Dolores C. Huerta made an appearance at the rally and also marched with the nurses association.
Huerta called Schwarzenegger hypocritical for hosting Whitman at a women's conference as a person who cut child care out of his budget and since Whitman proposes to eliminate the nurses' retirement funding.
The nurses marched nearby the steps up to the convention center and told everyone passing that "Meg Whitman has to go."
Before boarding the "Queen Meg Farewell Tour" bus to leave, the group protested Whitman's proposed cuts to education and services and tried to get jabs in about her voting record.
Heading back into the convention center, attendee Le Von W. Gilmore from Los Angeles struck a more conciliatory tone when asked about her preference.
"I like the fact that Meg Whitman is from the business commmunity," Gilmore said. "I like the fact that Jerry Brown is experienced. It's too bad they cannot co-govern California."
Reach reporter John Guenther here.
Comments
My God!! Our kids are at risk as it is! If there is no childcare for this kids the streets , drugs and gangs offer that care for free!!! believe me and it will cost way more money to rehab these kids as adults! Please save our kids from the streets and gangs!! We have plenty of crime and murder in LA , the majority of children in L.A are in poverty sometimes the meals they receive in school and their centers or providers is all they have for the day not mentioning the safety of this children!!
i was just told by my case worker sorry you did not make the lottery, i'm just keeping faith i'm going through cancer treatment and i'm trying to keep my job, i don't know what i'm going to do
Santee/El Cajon/San Diego - The dumping of the CalWorks Stage 3 program without recourse or time to plan has devastated families. I cannot begin to tell you the frustration we (my family) have for what the Governor has done. A better solution would have been to inform workers and parents and give at least a few months notice. This would have allowed workers and parents time to make other arrangements with less of an impact. I'm reading now, and hearing from others how people will lose their jobs, may have to go back on welfare (the very thing they we're trying to avoid), have to quit school, look for safe alternative childcare (which means loss time or possible termination of employment), and the list just goes on. I agree that folks shouldn’t have to ask the state for assistance, but the Governor could have given parents time to plan for a safe environment for their children, and workers with families a chance to find other employment. Instead he just terminated a program in less than 14 days. WE say, put the program back! Give these single moms and dads a chance to get their affairs in order so a revolving door isn’t placed on the welfare system.
Poppa
P.S. Thanks ladies for having a protest. Wish I could have been there to lend my support!!