By Stella Kim and Judy Patrick, Special to the San Jose Mercury News

Now that Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed the Democrats' budget, things are even more desperate. While we commend him for pushing back against gimmicks, unless we get agreement on how to increase revenues, we will be looking at an all-cuts budget. Californians simply cannot afford that.

People like Michele Marino will already be paying a high price when we enact the cuts that have been made. A Cal State Long Beach student, Michele is determined to get an education and make a better life for her two sons. Fed up with her abusive partner, Michele decided to leave even though her low-wage job didn't provide enough income. She sought help and began participating in CalWORKS, our state's welfare-to-work program. Now, she also helps other women who want to leave abusive relationships.

Unfortunately, recent cuts to CalWORKS jeopardize Michele's dreams. Instead of receiving $533 per month, Michele would get just $492. That's $42 dollars less, which may not seem like much. But that $42 helps Michele get food on the table and pay for gas that allows her to drop her kids off at school, drive to class and ultimately get off CalWORKS.  Read Article »