Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 23, 1994 TAG: 9411230145
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
And that has some legislators worried.
Members of the House Appropriations Committee questioned Kay Coles James, the state's health and human resources secretary, about welfare reform plans Monday. Some lawmakers indicated the administration might be moving too quickly to implement unproven welfare reform programs statewide.
James told the committee that Gov. George Allen's Empowerment Commission is drafting a reform plan that builds on two pilot programs. However, one of the trial programs has had limited success and the other has not yet been implemented.
``We really haven't even completed the pilots,'' said Del. Kenneth Plum, D-Reston. He questioned the wisdom of moving ahead with statewide reform based on untested concepts.
``There is enough information that exists to do genuine welfare reform,'' James said.
The Welfare Reform Demonstration Project, enacted by the 1993 General Assembly, provided employer incentives and job training for 600 welfare families. But only 250 participants eventually applied for jobs and only eight were hired.
The other pilot program, the Virginia Independence Program, targets 9,000 welfare families and also is intended to move people from welfare to work. However, the state has not yet requested the federal waivers required to implement the program.
James said the Empowerment Commission has not completed its final recommendations. However, she said one component of the program will be a two-year limit on benefits to any recipient.
Del. William Robinson Jr., D-Norfolk, said he was concerned about what will happen to recipients who are cut off. ``How do they eat if they don't have a job?'' he asked.
James said long-term assistance likely will be available for the unemployable. The fate of those who can work but don't is less certain.
Del. Clarence Phillips, D-St. Paul, questioned whether the program would have much value in the high-unemployment coalfield counties he represents.
``This is just window dressing to us in Southwest Virginia,'' he said.
by CNB