Welfare reforms stirring concerns

Both federal welfare reform legislation and a proposed state welfare reform plan could have disastrous effects on the neediest among us, say New York State Catholic Conference representatives and diocesan Catholic Charities aid providers.

New federal welfare reform rules stipulate limits on cash grants and legal immigrants' benefits. And Gov. George Pataki's reform proposal, unveiled last week, includes plans to:

* begin cutting monthly benefits to poor families after 18 months on welfare, with additional cuts in stages over the next three years and a total end to benefits after five years;

* end benefits to new, legal immigrants arriving after Aug. 22, and cut Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to legal immigrants already living here;

* require all able-bodied adults to participate in workfare programs, cutting off their benefits entirely after five years.

"On a graph showing the number of people who need jobs compared to the number of jobs that state projects will be developing, there's a shortfall of almost a million jobs," he told The Evangelist. "If there were enough jobs for everyone, there would not be a need [for aid]. That's a reality that was not looked at at the federal level."

Sister Maureen Joyce, RSM, director of diocesan Catholic Charities, worried that the Governor's plan is "very specific about how he's going to reduce grants, but very general on how he's going to transition people to work."

Effect on children

Since federal legislation increases daycare funding and also mandates that an increasing number of welfare recipients enter the work force each year, Gov. Pataki proposes to increase state spending on day care, funding 14,000 more child care slots.

However, critics have noted if the required 17,000 welfare recipients were to join workfare programs, that would result in 28,000 children needing day care, twice the number proposed by the Governor.

"They don't speak about, proportionately, the number of slots for the number of children needing care," Sister Maureen stated.

Effect on salaries

Forcing thousands more people into the work force when highly skilled workers are already working at low-income jobs, Mr. Buttigieg added, may mean employers have to reduce wages again to compensate. "There are a whole host of issues that have a ripple effect," he said.

Sister Maureen believes that even if all welfare recipients were to look for work, there are not enough jobs for them to take.

"I don't know where these jobs are going to come from," she said. "If you look at the jobs in the newspaper, many have skills associated with them."

She called the reform plans "a further indication of society wanting to blame someone. The poor, because they don't have an organized constituency, are the ones being punished."

Effect on immigrants

Among those who would receive the most punitive effects of the proposed welfare reform plans are legal immigrants, the critics charged. After attending a meeting of Christians United in Ministry (CUM) regarding welfare reform, Albert Turo, Catholic Charities' associate director for parish social ministry, expressed deep concerns about the idea of cutting aid to those who are legally in this country.

"Everyone assumes that when we talk about immigrants, we're talking about the undocumented," he declared. "But these folks came here legally, for a variety of reasons. An example would be an immigrant woman who's husband dies. She never became a citizen, never had a work history. Somebody is going to be cut off who is somebody's grandparent. They could have their own children who are citizens. How can we do this?"

Effect on adults

Another group that may be in danger from the new legislation is able-bodied, childless adults. According to Sister Maureen, that appellation makes readers of the law think that persons in this group "could go out tomorrow and get a job."

The reality, she said, is that many such "Home Relief" recipients are people recovering from addictions or those with mental and physical disabilities.

"People say, `They can get a job in a fast-food place,' but many of them are just out of a drug or alcohol rehab," she said. "I think we need to put a face on the people who are going to be adversely affected."

One such face is that of an Albany child, who, Sister Maureen said, asked to live at a soup kitchen or food pantry, where she knew she would be taken care of. "It's a sad commentary on the city of Albany that people are looking for that safety and security and not finding it," she stated.

Reforming reform

Safety and security, said Mr. Buttigieg, will be available only when New York's welfare system creates reform that looks at the individual, not balancing a budget.

When an individual enters a local welfare office, he said, the workers' "first approach needs to be: 'How do we support your efforts to become involved in the work force? How do we support your effort to get off assistance, and stabilize your family while you're working?'"

While Gov. Pataki warms up to present his welfare plan to the State Legislature, which is expected to meet in December to begin working on these issues, Catholic Conference and Catholic Charities officials are vowing to get the word out about repercussions on the needy if the Governor's plan is passed.

Catholic action

Calling it "virtually impossible" for Catholic agencies and parishes to fill in the gap left by the effects of welfare reform, Sister Maureen said that instead, Catholic Charities is encouraging "the people in the pews to say, `What kind of a society are we living in where we have to ask people to bring canned goods to liturgies so people can eat?'" and to then decide how to use their time to help those in need.

Catholic Charities will not ask for additional financial contributions, she said, adding: "It's the government's responsibility, and we will not condone the government's turning away from the poor."

Mr. Buttigieg urged Catholics to become informed about the particulars of welfare reform legislation before making a decision on their position. The Catholic Conference is presently distilling the 800-page federal legislation into two- to three-page position papers that will state the Conference's stance on welfare reform issues. Those papers will be available for those who wish to read them.

"Everybody is supportive of welfare reform. The issue is, what are the specifics you're in favor of?" he questioned. "I can't imagine anyone wanting a child to go hungry, or a disabled person to be deprived of assistance. If people would like to see the system changed, what would they like to see in its place?"

(11-21-96) [[In-content Ad]]