Rendell’s welfare program criticized
No one opposes extending a helping hand to someone in a time of need. It’s the generosity of the American Heart that helps those who can’t help themselves and to provide assistance during a time of need so people can get back on their feet. Providing cradle to the grave welfare assistance only encourages a lifetime of dependency on the state. There should be a limit to welfare assistance – combined with a timeframe and a governmental program that discourages dependency on the state, rather than encourage it like the current Rendell Welfare Plan.
Since first taking office in 2003, Gov. Ed Rendell had added 360,000 more Pennsylvanians to the welfare rolls – exploding the welfare budget to a staggering $3.2 billion. Welfare spending is now so large, that the Rendell administration has tried to hide the expenditure by using cash from the tobacco settlement and the lottery fund – monies originally earmarked for programs benefiting the elderly.
Under the Rendell Administration, an estimated 50 percent of all new spending now goes to pay for the state’s burgeoning welfare system. Considering the fragility of our economy, coupled with our citizenry’s call for a more efficient and cost-effective government, Gov. Rendell’s welfare dependency plan flies in the face of prudent long-term financial stewardship.
The Rendell administration is engaging in a reckless and disingenuous sleight-of-hand, now referring to the current welfare system as a “medical” program.
The Rendell PR machine is trying to create the illusion that the state’s welfare roles are declining by classifying only those who receive cash assistance-about 287,000- as being part of the welfare population.
They fail to tell the public that the medical assistance branch of the program has exploded to include 1.2 million people. Altogether, the state’s welfare system now serves 1.87 million individuals – far more than the 287,000 that Rendell claims.
It’s no surprise that for the first time ever, the Department of Public Welfare’s budget is the largest state expenditure – with one in 10 Pennsylvanians dependent on the system.
While Rendell touts the creation of 150,000 new jobs during his tenure, the real story is that for every new job created, 2.3 persons have been added to the welfare rolls.
This administration seems to have it backward when we are adding welfare cases at a 2-to-1 rate over the number of jobs being created. This is unacceptable.
Gov. Rendell’s continued opposition to the national trend that discourages welfare dependency and encourages welfare recipients to enter the workforce, could result in Pennsylvania being forced to pay more than $120 million in penalties if we do not act soon to meet federal guidelines for moving recipients from welfare to work.
Pennsylvania ranks dead last behind Puerto Rico in meeting the welfare-to-work guidelines, requiring a 220 percent improvement to meet the federal standards.
The greatest achievement of any welfare to work program is realized when recipients move permanently to the workplace. We must remove outdated state mandates that block the road from welfare-to-work. We must remove these outdated welfare dependency incentives with new federal guidelines aimed at making welfare a temporary stopgap, not a permanent way of life.
In order to tackle this looming crisis, the Legislature must act quickly and decisively by refusing to fund the governor’s explosion in welfare spending – unless he complies with federal welfare-to-work requirements.
Failure to do so will only heighten the threat to senior citizens and the disabled – as the administration tries to use funds earmarked for seniors and the disabled in order to meet its self-inflicted welfare dependency mortgage payment.
I urge all members of the Legislature to set aside partisan differences and join forces to put Pennsylvania back on the track of true welfare reform – that encourages independence, self-sufficiency and personal responsibility.
State Rep. John Perzel, a Republican from Philadelphia, formerly served as Speaker of the House of Representatives.