Are we backing away from welfare-to-work?

by Leigh Graham · 2009-06-09 12:00:00 UTC
Topics: show more

Apropos of this morning's post, I see that Wisconsin, where what became '96 welfare reform was first piloted, has voted to soften its work-first, time-limited public assistance program, Wisconsin Works (W-2).  (Well, the Dems did, anyway.)

Extended time limits for participation [from 2yrs to 5yrs for some programs], more opportunities to collect W-2 monthly cash payments while attending school and revisions in how sanctions are meted out for program violations were part of the changes.

Legislators also voted to provide benefits to first-time mothers with problem pregnancies, while waiving W-2 work requirements.

Of course, some people object to prioritizing education and good health for low-income women and children.

One of the most amusing criticisms of welfare "generosity" I find are the allegations that WI will now become a "welfare magnet", as if lazy Americans everywhere will start arriving at its borders to collect what are ultimately very paltry cash payments.  First of all, if they're lazy, how the heck might these deadbeats be bothered to move?  Not to mention with their dozens of kids in tow.  What a hassle!  (/snark)

Honestly, how can we criticize more opportunities to finish one's education, more assistance during high health risk periods?  Seriously?  Isn't the point of education in this case to help people move out of poverty?  Wouldn't we want to keep women healthy and safe and secure during pregnancy to reduce the risk that her children could become wards of the state?  Can we possibly think 5 minutes into the future here?

At the time of the linked article's writing, only 9k families were collecting public assistance anyway.  Seriously, the mind boggles?  For this tiny population collecting less than $700 per month we're all up in arms?  What is wrong with us??

Finally, similar welfare reform advocates in NYS make a novel point: how about measuring the success of these programs by the reduction in poverty, not the reduction in caseloads? Now there's a start!

(Photo of women at the UW-Madison protesting welfare-to-work programs in the 1970s.  Photo by Tom Kelly, from the UW digital collection on flickr.)

Leigh Graham
PREVIOUS STORY:
The Mayor of the Shelter
NEXT STORY:
Sallie Mae Blinks!

COMMENTS (2)

    Comment Policy

    · All fields are required to comment.

    [X]

    Comments on Change.org are meant for further exploration and evaluation of the campaign on Change.org. To that end, we welcome constructive comments. However, we reserve the right to delete comments which, as determined solely in our discretion: (1) are offensive, abusive, or off-topic; (2) include content solely intended to personally attack the campaign creator, (3) are designed to subvert or hijack comment threads rather than contribute to them; and/or (4) violate our terms of service and/or privacy policy. Repeat offenders may be permanently removed from the site at our discretion. Please also be advised that: (A) we do not actively curate and/or monitor in any manner whatsoever the comments made on the Change.org platform, and (B) the creator of each campaign on Change.org may remove any comment at her/his/its discretion.