Just Don’t Call It a Depression: Alameda County Edition

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted to cut general assistance to the poor, in another sign of just how bad the economy is. According to the Trib, the move by the board of supes yesterday will slash the county’s general assistance program, which provides cash stipends to needy adults who do not otherwise qualify for state or federal aid, by about $12 million a year. The county is coping with a $178 million deficit, caused primarily by declining state revenues and a substantial decrease in local tax proceeds.