LIFETIME Parent Leaders protest the Governor's cuts to CalWORKs benefits.

On Monday, January 12th, 2004, parent leaders of LIFETIME transformed the State Capitol in Sacramento into a tenement house, stringing laundry lines holding over 150 shirts from poor children and families throughout the state, each with a message about how the Governor's proposed budget cuts target poor families and children. The proposed welfare cuts, according to parent leader and LIFETIME board member Vivian Hain, "will take the shirts off our backs and the diapers off our babies."  Parents and children alike voiced outrage over the fact that the self-anointed "children's governor" plans to cut funding to the state's poorest children.   "The Governor's cuts will slash my children's benefits, which are already at 53% of the poverty line" said Rya Frontera, a CalWORKs student at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, "leaving me to support a family of three on less than $500 a month.   Governor Schwarzenegger, don't balance the budget on the backs of my children!"

LIFETIME Parent Leader and Board Member, Vivian Hain is interviewed by the press during the "Shirts off our Backs" Action in Sacramento.

More than 150 CalWORKs parents, children, and their supporters from fifteen California counties traveled to Sacramento to send the Governor their message, some on tiny "onesie" baby shirts, and others on giant-sized t-shirts five feet high.   According to parent leader Celia Pinedo of Ventura County, the proposed budget cuts unfairly target parents who reached their lifetime limit on welfare, since many parents were forced into low-wage jobs that do not pay enough to take them off welfare.   At the press conference that followed on the North Capitol steps, Celia described how the Governor's plan would slash her children's benefits, as she struggles to support a family of six on a $7-an-hour, part-time job. "Governor Schwarzenegger," Celia warned, "don't target my children!"

LIFETIME youth also had a message for Schwarzenegger.   Nine-year-old Jasmine Hain warned the proposed welfare cuts would "terminate my family" and advised the Governor to "keep his promises to children."   A child from Camptonville, in northern Sierra County, admonished Schwarzenegger with a small shirt that read, "Kindergarten Cop, I thought you cared about us!" Six-year old Michaela Howerton of Oakland sent a shirt with the words, "My back is too small to balance the state budget.”

The media event was followed by a march to the Governor's office to demand a meeting with Schwarzenegger about the parents' budget demands.   Parent leaders and their children took over the Governor's office, while a crowd of more than 100 supporters chanted, "Think Before You Act! Don't Balance the Budget on Our Backs!"   In response, Schwarzenegger's legislative secretary, Richard Costigan, agreed to meet with parent leaders, as mothers chanted, nursed babies, and changed diapers in the Governor's office, while television cameras rolled.

LIFETIME leaders Jenny Bapp, a CalWORKs student at Cal State Fullerton, and Lakisha Neal of Contra Costa County led the takeover, during which Bapp declared "this budget targets the most vulnerable population in the state—our children. The Governor wants to cut CalWORKs grants, COLAs, and childcare funding—the only thing left is the shirts off our backs."   Parent leaders delivered t-shirts and diapers to Costigan, who agreed to broker a follow-up meeting between parent leaders and the Governor himself.  As parent leaders departed, they warned Costigan, "we'll be back!”

The timing of the action, according to Rebecca Vilkomerson of the California Partnership, was "perfect," coming on the heels of the Governor's budget proposal, which had been released only one business day prior to the action, and a press conference that same morning by Senator John Burton, in which he promised to fight the Governor's proposed welfare cuts.   Consequently, the protest was featured in at least seven newspapers across the state, including the front page of the Los Angeles Times , which featured a photograph of the action with the caption, "Laundry List of Complaints."  The event was also covered by the Sacramento Bee , the San Jose Mercury News , the Contra Costa Times , the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin , the Los Angeles Daily News , the Honolulu Advertiser, and Sing Tao .

In addition, footage of the protest and the takeover of the Governor's office was broadcast on ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox Television affiliates in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Barbara, San Jose, and Sacramento.   Finally, parent leaders' views on the state budget were broadcast on KITS 105.3 FM in San Francisco, KPFA 94.1FM in Berkeley and KZFR 90.1FM in Chico.

The “Shirts Off Our Backs” action was organized by the Parent Leadership Committee of LIFETIME, a statewide committee of more than 120 CalWORKs parents organizing for public policies that will bring their families out of poverty, with support and advice from the National Welfare Made a Difference Campaign, the Center for Third World Organizing, the California Partnership, and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 535.