Wisconsin and Welfare

Wisconsin and Welfare

April 29th, 2009 |

Recharging the Welfare State
Provided by State Representative Kevin Petersen

In 1996 there were roughly 5 million families on welfare in the United States. Of those families, 35,000 were from Wisconsin. Over a decade later, these numbers dropped to 2 million families on welfare in the United States with 9,000 of those being Wisconsinites.

The drop in welfare numbers can be credited to 1996 welfare reform which converted the 1935 Aid to Families with Dependent Children program to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

In Wisconsin, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families reform program is called Wisconsin Works or W-2. This program couples common sense work standards with assistance for families that fall on hard times. These reforms are an obvious success and should be built upon, not torn apart. Unfortunately, tearing them apart is what Governor Doyle is doing in his budget.

To start with, the governor’s budget would give pregnant welfare moms up to 36 weeks of payments with no work requirements placed on them whatsoever. Twenty-four weeks of that time would be provided for every pregnant welfare recipient after the birth of their child. Twelve of those weeks would be in the third trimester if a mom has an at-risk pregnancy.

Considering 70 percent of welfare recipients are from Milwaukee, you can be sure that many pregnancies will be classified at-risk. The City Health Department reported Milwaukee was 40^th worst among the 50 largest cities regarding infant mortality and one in ten babies in the city are born pre-term with low birth weight. Additionally, the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families reported that over half of the children born in Milwaukee were to unwed mothers (2005).

Statewide, moms in the private sector are allowed 12 weeks maternity leave, granted by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. These 12 weeks do not have to necessarily be paid leave. Why is it reasonable to our governor that these working mothers pay taxes so welfare moms can be home with their newborns for up to 24 weeks?

Governor Doyle also wants more welfare kids on the streets instead of in school. He is proposing weaker requirements on welfare recipients to send their kids to school. No longer would child truancy be a reason for reduced welfare benefits. More kids on the streets will not increase graduation rates or reduce crime. Instead, it will reduce a child’s ability to be a successful student and perpetuate dependency.

Additionally, under the governor’s budget, welfare participants will also have their time limit on any individual W-2 program extended from the current 2 years to 5 years. He is also loosening penalties for missing work, appointments, and interviews. These changes provide incentives for welfare participants to continue on welfare instead of re-entering the workforce. This is counter to the original intent of the Wisconsin Works program and national welfare reform.

Even under current standards and without the governor’s changes, there are cases of abuse and fraud. In Milwaukee, just two months ago, four sisters were found to be abusing the Wisconsin Shares program; a W-2 funded child care program. It is estimated they milked the Department of Children and Families out of $540,000. Remember, this is $540,000 of taxpayers’ money. These sisters have 17 kids and used the child care subsidy to make money while babysitting each others’ children.

This week, 366 employees from Thomas Products of Sheboygan found out they will be losing their jobs. Gardner Denver Inc., the parent corporation of Thomas Products chose to move to Monroe, Louisiana. Louisiana Governor Jindal personally put together a package that encouraged Gardner Denver to move to Louisiana.

In comparison, Governor Doyle is recklessly taxing and spending jobs out of this state. Governor Doyle’s welfare changes in the budget will cost taxpayers an additional $94 million and help push the W-2 and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families’ programs total cost to over $1.2 billion.

A productive workforce is not created by encouraging dependency and raising children in the street. A productive workforce is created by rewarding hard work and removing the hurdles placed in front of the individual entrepreneurial spirit that has made our state and this nation great.

Wisconsin and Welfare

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