Sarzonia
12-01-2005, 15:41
WOODSTOCK (ASP) -- In a move that surprised and angered many of Sarzonia's more liberal politicans, Parliament narrowly approved a measure that would cut welfare spending by 50 percent from next year's fiscal year budget. President Mike Sarzo surprised some analysts by signing the bill into law yesterday.
"Our government has an eye on ensuring that all citizens have the opportunity to achieve financial independence," Sarzo said in a press conference announcing the new law. "This legislation imposes tighter controls on the already prescribed limits to welfare benefits and provides a disincentive to remain on the welfare rolls longer than necessary."
House Speaker Josh Williams, the leading opponent of the legislation, blasted the President's decision to sign the bill, saying it was "reprehensible and irresponsible" to slash welfare.
"Sarzonia just turned its back on its least fortunate citizens," Williams said. "This will go down as a day of infamy for all but the very wealthy."
Further cuts in welfare spending are expected over the course of the next five years, with Senate President Pro Tempore Karen Beltran calling it a "rape of the welfare programs."
However, House minority leader George Wendt praised the new laws, calling it "a positive first step to real independence.
"In a best-case scenario, welfare benefits and unemployment insurance are meant to be stop-gap measures. They're not supposed to be the end-alls. It's time to stop having capable people be wards of the government."
Fred Bartlett, a political science professor at Joe Gibbs University in Nicksia, called the move "the biggest shock of the Sarzo administration," bigger even than his announcement of his homosexuality.
"This trumps that for sure because Sarzonia has long been one of the world's leading welfare donating countries," Bartlett said. "Sarzo's sexuality and the identity of his partner don't even begin to compare to this."
The measures take effect with the first day of the federal government's fiscal year, beginning February 1.
"Our government has an eye on ensuring that all citizens have the opportunity to achieve financial independence," Sarzo said in a press conference announcing the new law. "This legislation imposes tighter controls on the already prescribed limits to welfare benefits and provides a disincentive to remain on the welfare rolls longer than necessary."
House Speaker Josh Williams, the leading opponent of the legislation, blasted the President's decision to sign the bill, saying it was "reprehensible and irresponsible" to slash welfare.
"Sarzonia just turned its back on its least fortunate citizens," Williams said. "This will go down as a day of infamy for all but the very wealthy."
Further cuts in welfare spending are expected over the course of the next five years, with Senate President Pro Tempore Karen Beltran calling it a "rape of the welfare programs."
However, House minority leader George Wendt praised the new laws, calling it "a positive first step to real independence.
"In a best-case scenario, welfare benefits and unemployment insurance are meant to be stop-gap measures. They're not supposed to be the end-alls. It's time to stop having capable people be wards of the government."
Fred Bartlett, a political science professor at Joe Gibbs University in Nicksia, called the move "the biggest shock of the Sarzo administration," bigger even than his announcement of his homosexuality.
"This trumps that for sure because Sarzonia has long been one of the world's leading welfare donating countries," Bartlett said. "Sarzo's sexuality and the identity of his partner don't even begin to compare to this."
The measures take effect with the first day of the federal government's fiscal year, beginning February 1.