$1 Million Tabbed For Veterans

Absences, Baggy Pants Draw District's Attention

Thursday, August 08, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Let the taxpayer beware: real reform costs money &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Welfare Reform bill becoming law is almost a foregone conclusion. What
isn't so clear is how the other 49 states and Pennsylvania are going to design
a system that saves money, encourages self-reliance and family values, and
doesn't allow poor children or especially needy adults to fall through the
cracksCertainly the Ridge administration hasn't been at a loss for putting
forth new ideas to get more people off the dole and into the work force. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; However, this week's Time magazine and countless politicians, including
welfare's most ardent reformers, make a point that shouldn't get lost by the
governor and Pennsylvania's citizens: The most promising new welfare models,
notably in Wisconsin and Oregon, are currently spending more taxpayer money
now in hopes of substantial savings later. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That's probably going to happen here in Pennsylvania, too. If it doesn't,
it means we haven't reformed welfare at all, but merely gutted it and left a
lot of vulnerable souls flapping helplessly in the winds of circumstance. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson's program has already gotten large numbers of
people off the welfare rolls and into jobs -- in one county, social workers
reported a 50 percent drop in caseloads during the past year and a half. But
such successes are not without cost. Wisconsin budgeted an additional $40
million, or a 13 percent annual increase, to launch its Wisconsin Works Plan,
most of it going for day care so that welfare mothers can find and hold down
jobs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Be warned: If we in Pennsylvania want to fashion a welfare safety net
without holes, we must consider such costs as job training, job counseling and
day care to get the state's welfare system up and running. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Take it from those states whose welfare reforms are succeeding, it takes
money to save money. And while they're at it, Harrisburg should heed the
cynic's warning: "There's never enough time to do the job right, but there's
always enough time to do it over." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Let The Taxpayer Beware: Real Reform Costs Money 
The Welfare Reform Bill Becoming Law Is Almost A Foregone Conclusion. What 
Isn't So Clear Is How The Other 49 States And Pennsylvania Are Going To Design 
A System That Saves Money, Encourages Self-reliance And Family Values, And 
Doesn't Allow Poor Children Or Especially Needy Adults To Fall Through The 
Cracks.