This probably isn’t what Mac Taylor had in mind.
When giving advice on solving the state’s desperate cash flow crisis, the state’s Legislative Analyst acknowledged that federal loan guarantees could be helpful, but cautioned about accepting federal help with strings attached:
“We recommend that the Legislature agree to no substantial diminishment in the role of California’s elected state leaders. In our opinion, the difficult decisions to balance the state’s budget now are preferable to Californians losing some control over the state’s finances and priorities to federal officials for years to come.”
Well guess what, the puppet master has already appeared , and it’s not cash flow that’s on the line, but nearly $7 billion in federal stimulus funds. Turns out that one of the budget cuts hammered out by the Governor and legislative leadership, saving $74 million by reducing the pay of home care workers, has run afoul of the powerful union that represents these workers.
And when they could not prevail at the Legislative bargaining table, the Service Employees International Union exercised their own veto in the form of a White House threat to withhold the entire stimulus package from California, unless this cut is rescinded.
This will be an interesting showdown, since restoring the cut will take a two-thirds vote of the Legislature, and it was at the Republicans’ insistence that this savings in home health care costs was considered in the first place.
Joe Matthews has suggested that there may be some appropriate roles for federal oversight (although I would draw the line at interfering with our direct democracy). But this power struggle over home health care should send a strong message to our elected officials that seeking a bailout from Washington for our sinking ship may result in a new master and commander.