ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, July 5, 1996 TAG: 9607050072
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 VIRGINIA EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CULPEPER
SOURCE: Associated Press
Gov. George Allen said Wednesday that Virginia's first year of overhauling welfare has been successful and that celebrating it is appropriate on the eve of the Fourth of July.
``Today we celebrate the success people have had in breaking the cycle of welfare and the one-year anniversary of breaking free of dependence on government,'' Allen said on a visit to Culpeper Memorial Hospital, part of his ``Listening Tour'' of the state.
The state's welfare-to-work initiative took effect July 1, 1995. Able-bodied recipients in certain programs must now work for benefits, either as volunteers or in paid positions.
``It is truly a monumental stride forward,'' Allen said.
He said taxpayers and welfare recipients alike complained about the old welfare system and believe the changes are constructive.
``By working together with businesses, we developed a more comprehensive initiative in place of a failed system,'' the governor said. ``It is based on the principle of the work ethic, because welfare was not intended to be a way of life. We are now promoting the work ethic instead of rewarding idle behavior.''
In the Culpeper area, where the new system was first implemented, 274 of 389 Aid to Families with Dependent Children recipients, or 70 percent, are working either full time or part time, Allen said.
In the Lynchburg and Bristol regions where the changes started during the past year, 59 percent of AFDC recipients are working, Allen said.
Welfare rolls have decreased by 12 percent statewide in the past year, he said.
``Over 1,200 families who last year did not have anyone working are now gaining experience that will one day make them self-sufficient,'' Allen said. ``It's not just about dollars and cents or facts and figures. It's about individuals.''
Clarence Carter, commissioner of the state Department of Social Services, said the first year has exceeded his expectations.
``The only thing that I can predict is that the way in which we think about entitlements has been fundamentally altered to the point that we can never go back to where we were,'' he said.
Secretary of Health and Human Resources Robert Metcalf said other parts of Virginia where the changes will be implemented later have nothing to fear.
``The enthusiasm here has helped catapult the success of the initiative across the state,'' he said.
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Robert Metcalf, secretary of health and humanby CNBresources (right), listens as Clarence Carter, commissioner of
Virginia's Department of Social Services, describes the first year
of progress in the state's welfare initiative.