An intense campaign is being pitched in California where voters will decide next week whether to take from children and people with a mental illness to plug a budget hole. The heat is turning high while local politicians appear on YouTube and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger enumerates what will happen if the measures that were hammered out in a political deal should be voted down.

Words like desperate, grim, and bleak convey the concern. Some are recommending splitting the ballot, voting "no" on these two measures and yes on the others. The story does not end with the May 19th vote. In addition, the governor is threatening service and program cuts that wouldl affect vulnerable people. According to the L.A. Times, "the state would cut more deeply into Medi-Cal programs. It would limit an adult day health care program to three days a week and cut by 10% the money the state pays to providers of substance abuse treatment." In addition, to save $50 million, the governor is proposing a state review of antipsychotic medications.

UPDATE:
Voters said no to ballot proposals to cut programs for schools and borrow from mental health (Prop 63), along with three other solutions to the close the gap.
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