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Monday, February 13, 2012

Con: Governor had to cut welfare spending
Gov. Corbett's budget calls for cuts in welfare spending.

By Gary Alexander

Swamped by federal mandates, a crazy quilt of programs, and the burdens of recession, the public-assistance system stands revealed for what it is — a clumsy monster of increasing appetite that consumes 40 cents of every state tax dollar.

At last count, 5.8 million Pennsylvanians were employed, and that number pays for 2.7 million of their fellow citizens who receive some form of public assistance. This ratio is a formula for failure. We are focused on maintaining the safety net for Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable and most in need. However, Pennsylvania taxpayers cannot sustain the continued growth of public assistance.

Public welfare was created to provide temporary assistance for most recipients and to be a last resort, not a way of life.  Since 2001, the welfare budget has grown by 75 percent — more than double the 30 percent growth in poverty over the same period. Our system is broken and the cost-saving reforms made by this administration are key to ensuring its survival and preserving access to services for the truly needy.

The General Assistance program, which is solely state-funded, provides cash assistance and medical assistance to those individuals, mostly adults, who do not qualify for federal programs. It has over the years become a sort of catch-all in a widening welfare budget. Our proposal is simple: If we eliminate the cash portion of General Assistance, we can maintain the medical assistance benefit for these recipients. This is not a decision taken lightly, it is taken out of necessity to preserve services.
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