California Gov. Jerry Brown has suggested steep cuts to social programs that benefit parents and children on the verge of homelessness. Brown is hoping to close a $9.2 billion hole in the budget (and drum up support for tax hikes) by asking the state’s most desperate families to do without.

Brown’s plan is to split the state’s CalWORKs program into three new schemes, which would result in smaller payments overall and less time for recipients to find work before they lose assistance. Let’s not forget that California has the second-worst unemployment rate in the country. — PZS

The Sacramento Bee:

Those who study poverty say Brown’s proposal is harsh because even well-qualified workers can’t find jobs in this economy. They contend that parents who max out on welfare benefits are the least equipped to join the workforce.

“These are the families with the least work history, the least education, and states are saying, ‘We don’t want to deal with you, we’re going to cut you off,’ ” said Liz Schott, a senior fellow with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

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