I am going to need a bit of assistance in understanding the logic behind this budget.
On the other hand, Texas has a serious problem with the rate of children being put into its child welfare system.
Zerwas called saving abused or neglected children one of the most critical functions of government, and said “we can’t get lost in the statistics on this.”
The Texas Department of Child and Family Services has asked for more than $1 billion in additional funds to make basic improvements to the child welfare system, including more staff to investigate child abuse. Lawmakers in both chambers have proposed allotting $325 million of that — less than one-third of what the agency says it needs.
Zerwas said his colleagues should scrutinize the agency’s request to make sure all that additional funding is needed.
Texas leaders have largely remained quiet about whether they’ll provide more resources to that system, even among widespread reports of its failures.Now, instead of ameliorating the policies which have created the conditions of child poverty, the State of Texas is going to dump more money into a child welfare system which has demonstrated itself, year after year, to be ineffective.
Wait! I retract the aforementioned statement.
Texas is jacked when it comes to the efficacy of its Medicaid programs, which, of course deals with child welfare; therefore, the state has demonstrated itself to extremely efficient in allowing Medicaid fraud in child welfare to flourish.
And, here we are, once again, with these same lobbyists (funded through Medicaid dollars from fraudulent billing of privatized child welfare programs) and elected officials (whose campaigns were funded from fraudulent billing of privatized child welfare programs) getting another billion dollars to be pumped into its jacked child welfare system.
 |
| A Quick & Dirty Texas Road Map of Dark Money from Child Welfare |
Well, if you are just as bewildered as I when it comes to the budgetary logic of Texas, I shall assume you, too, are in need of a bit of assistance in understanding the logic of this budget.
Here is a link to the latest Texas legislative actions on its child welfare system.
The dark money in Texas politics just got darker.
House passes $218B budget
AUSTIN — After 15 1/2 hours of debate on hundreds of amendments to the Texas House budget, lawmakers in the lower chamber passed the two-year, $218 billion document early Friday.The House vote included using $2.5 billion from the state's savings account, known as the rainy day fund. State Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond, thanked lawmakers for exhibiting "true leadership" with their willingness to tap the fund, "instead of electing to use an unconstitutional transfer from the transportation funding."
On the winning side of the House budget debate were child welfare advocates, who saw funding for foster care and Child Protective Services tentatively boosted; social conservatives, who scored $20 million for the Alternatives to Abortion program; and the lieutenants of House Speaker Joe Straus' leadership team who, in a display of unity, easily brushed aside most challenges from far-right Republicans.
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
No comments:
Post a Comment