Congress look to make states work harder on welfare program

[Judi Lynn]

Posted 1/21/2006 2:30 PM

Congress look to make states work harder on welfare program

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kevin McGuire estimates that 18,000 welfare recipients in Maryland have entered the workforce during the past two years.

"If that's failing, I'm guilty," said McGuire, who oversees the state's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

But under proposed changes to the nation's welfare laws, McGuire and his employees will have a lot of work to do over the coming year, or Washington could withhold millions of dollars.

Congress is expected soon to approve legislation that requires states to place at least half of their welfare families in jobs or approved training programs.
(snip/...)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-01-21-welfare-states_x.htm

[salin]

1. "approved training programs"

coming from bushco that phrase makes me wary. A way to increase the "cheap" labor pool for corporate buddies - better yet add some kind of "kickback" from the govt for hiring/training the cheap laber as a way of decreasing its labor costs (that is subsidized lower cost labor.) Call me cynical but everything out of this administration seems to be a way to fatten corporate buddies pocketbooks and very little to do with impoving the life of citizens.

Or perhaps instead they want to push states to move more quickly on the "approved" programs and to do so will push newly formed "faith-based" programs?

[pop goes the weasel]

2. slave labor or starve

That's really what the Republicans are pushing.

Whenever there are ample jobs that pay living wages, people at the margins of employability will join the workforce. But if such jobs do not exist, it makes no economic sense to take on the additional expenses associated with work (clothes, transportation, child care, good hair cuts and hygiene) because you are then operating at a net loss.

[OKthatsIT]

3. Gawd, this is more Bush bullshit...they are such thieves

First of all...more and more people who need help are getting turned away because there isn't enough money coming from the Feds to cover it.

I have been watching each Admn Dept, Newspaper articles, GEO Reports and whistleblower stories and Bush & Co are stealing away the funds.