Mark Leno Talks to Bloggers

This morning, Assemblymember Mark Leno California was the guest of the premiere episode of the Politics Chat Show with Brian Leubitz of Calitics and Frank Russo of the California Progress Report.

You can listen to the show here.

Mark Leno on Budget Reform and the Internet

If he sounds a little tired, it is because this was recorded Friday night and he hadn’t slept in 40 hours due to the all night budget session (but he’s tireless).

Food Stamp Challenge Diary

I truly appreciate the support and encouragement I have received from colleagues and friends as I started this week to learn for myself if food stamp benefits are enough to eat adequately and nutritiously, while balancing a busy life. I can already tell you that the experience has truly lived up to its name— it really is a challenge.

Yesterday I began the day with a bowl of cereal, which isn’t a huge departure from what I usually eat. But as the day wore on, I began to notice the many food choices that were available to me before the challenge, but are no longer. A generous staff member happened to bring in four dozen hand-dipped chocolate strawberries. An array of cheeses and fresh fruits tempted me in the Assembly member’s lounge. All of it was off limits.

At lunchtime I prepared a bowl of chicken noodle soup. The afternoon didn’t get much easier as directly following session I made a quick stop at an event overflowing with delicacies that a person on food stamps certainly couldn’t afford.

Having not eaten since my lunch soup, I headed back to work for a 7 p.m. continuation of our Budget Conference Committee. A glass of water carried me through to it’s conclusion at 9:30 p.m.

When I arrived home at 10:30 p.m., the evening’s bowl of cereal could wait no longer. The temptation to have a second bowl was tempered by the knowledge that the two boxes of cereal I bought on Sunday need to get me through the entire week.

As hungry as I am, this challenge has gripped me. My intent is to continue it through the week.

Food Stamp Challenge Diary- Day 1

Today I began the Food Stamp Challenge, living off the national average food stamp budget–$21 a week. That breaks down to $3 a day, or $1 per meal.

It’s very hard to imagine how so many eat on so little money. This is exactly why I decided to take on the challenge. Two million people in California are on food stamps, two-thirds of which are children who need nutritious foods to fuel their growing bodies. It’s my hope that this effort makes just a few people think about the difficult choices that so many in our country and our state deal with every day when trying to stretch their food stamp dollar to feed their families.

When I went to the grocery store and bought food for the upcoming week, I have to admit, I got a little nervous about how little I saw in my basket. But I’m eager to raise awareness about hunger in California and gain a better understanding of what so many in the State experience everyday.

Today is a busy day as I’m running back and forth between the Budget Conference Committee where I’m working with my colleagues on the State Budget, and the Assembly Floor where I’m working to win Assembly approval of my own bills by the deadline at the end of the week.

I’m off and running today with the challenge and started my day with a bowl of cereal.

Check back with me a little later and I’ll update you on my progress.

Looming Budget Battle

From Hanke Plante at CBS 5:

 While Schwarzenegger will reveal his specific budget cut proposals on Monday, earlier this year he hinted that people on welfare could be in the bullseye. Welfare recipients are one of the only groups who are not protected by existing entitlements in the state budget.

But targetting the poor could set-up a summer-long budget battle under the Captiol Dome with Democrats.

“There’s a federally funded cost of living increase for those who are receiving public assistance and the governor’ss proposal is to take those dollars to balance our budget rather than to pass it on to those who are already living on very very little,” said Assemblyman Mark Leno, the San Francisco Democrat who chairs the Appropriations Committee.

It is looking like it will be a long summer.