Compiled by the El Reportero’s staff
The Governor’s May Revision of the state budget, released Thursday May 14th, targets a range of important health and human service programs for low-income Californians in an effort to close a $15-$21 billion budget defi cit in the 2009-2010 budget year. Among these proposed cuts, the Governor targets key programs for immigrant communities.
The proposal seeks to eliminate the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI), the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP), Medi-Cal for lawful residents who have been in the country for fewer than five years, and placing harsh time limits on benefi ts for children with immigrant parents in the CalWORKS program. Established in 1998 under the Republican Administration of Governor Pete Wilson, CAPI provides cash assistance to lawful immigrant seniors and persons with disabilities who were rendered ineligible for federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI). CAPI provides basic assistance to this population, who rely on the grant to pay for housing, food, medicine, and other necessities. CAPI serves approximately 12,000 lawfully residing immigrant families in California who would lose this support under the Governor’s plan.
- CAPI helps prevent immigrant seniors and persons with disabilities from facing homelessness and despair, serving as a lifeline for this vulnerable population. Severing that lifeline will only create more costs and problems for the state and local com- munities, as immigrants are pushed into homelessness and other unacceptable conditions.
- Elimination of the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP). CFAP provides nutrition assistance to low-income immigrant adults who have resided lawfully in the U.S. for less than 5 years.
- Elimination of full Medi-Cal for many lawful immigrants: The proposal targets low-income immigrants who have had legal permanent status for fewer than fi ve years. These immigrants are low-income working parents, seniors and persons with disabilities. Most are lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and have worked and paid taxes in the U.S.
- (Other programs that will be affected as well, were included in this article due to lack of space).
Anti war group to hold protest against U.C. Berkeley faculty
The organization WORLD CAN’T WAIT will hold a large anti-torture protest demonstration to the 2009 graduation ceremonies at UC’s Berkeley Law (Boalt Hall), denouncing the continuing presence of former Bush administration lawyer John Yoo on UC’s tenured faculty, the organization announced.
Joined by protesters from other organizations and the UC community, World Can’t Wait calls for John Yoo to be prosecuted for torture, a war crime and a crime against humanity.
One year after a similar large protest at Boalt’s 2008 graduation, World Can’t Wait organizers say they will call for John Yoo’s prosecution, disbarment, and his firing from the university for his role in crafting torture memos for the Bush administration.
Travel warning for Novel H1N1 Flu to Mexico removed CDC’s Travel Health Warning recommending against non-essential travel to Mexico, in effect since April 27, 2009, has now been downgraded to a Travel Health Precaution for Mexico.
Mexican government grants 75 scholarships to Latino students at CCSF
The Mexican government gave 75 scholarships under joint program with the Istituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior and the University of California, at Berkeley for San Francisco City College Latino students.
The Mexican Consul General in San Francisco delivered the scholarships during a special ceremony, and are aimed to contribute to programs that help better the live of Mexicans abroad, said a consular statement.
