THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 14, 1995 TAG: 9505120248
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CAROLE O'KEEFFE, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
It came as no surprise Wednesday that the state's secretary of Health and Human Resources' discussion of welfare reform found a friendly audience in the Virginia Beach Republican Women's Club.
What was unusual, though, was that the state official is Republican and African-American.
Of the almost 100 luncheon guests assembled at the Princess Anne Country Club, Kay Coles James and her aide were the only African-Americans present.
``I wasn't born a Republican,'' James said. ``I'm a converted Republican. I had to think about it. I decided on the basis of issues, values and principles. . . .''
James also was born in Portsmouth and about five years later moved to Richmond to live with her aunt and uncle in a ``very middle class family.''
It was because of her background, James said, that she became a Republican, not in spite of it. A graduate of Hampton University, James has served conservative causes in the private sector, as well as in the Reagan and Bush administrations.
When limited to two words, she describes herself as ``compassionate'' and ``conservative,'' both politically and in her personal life. ``The two are not mutually exclusive,'' she said.
She is married and the mother of three children. She uses this story to illustrate how she believes the welfare system has encouraged unemployment and millions of babies to be born into fatherless homes.
``Suppose I said to my daughter, `Mommy and Daddy love you, so go ahead and quit school and have lots of babies without getting married. Because we love you, we will pay for your food and lodging, your transportation and everything you need. And each time you have another out-of-wedlock baby, we will give you more money.'
``Or suppose I said to my sons, `We love you so much that we don't want you to have to work like we do. We work four jobs each so you can stay home and channel surf and have a good time. We will take care of your every need, we love you so much. Mom and Dad have deep pockets. And suppose you father babies. It's not your responsibility, we'll take care of them.' ''
She says the welfare reform plan passed earlier this year in the General Assembly is both compassionate and conservative. ``We gave them two years,'' she said. ``I gave my son two weeks to find a JOB.
Only those with age and health exemptions will get benefits without working.
Implementation of the plan is mandated to begin July 1, said Martin D. Brown, special assistant to James.
The plan passed in the House, 90-9, and in the Senate, 33-6.
``Virginia is leading the way in the nation when it comes to welfare reform,'' Brown said. ``It is the most comprehensive and the toughest and the most pro-family.''
One pro-family provision he cited will, in effect, lead to more families staying together. In the past, a single parent could not get AFDC if married. With the new rules, even a couple with children can get aid based on needs and disabilities.
``There are those who would love to see a failure,'' James acknowledged. ``Those who are working actively to make us fail,'' she said, referring to state Sen. Joseph V. Gartlan Jr., who had told the Virginia League of Social Services Executives at a meeting at the Cavalier Hotel earlier in the day that they would not have to implement the plan because it would be thrown out.
``These people say we want to cut people off, throw them out in the streets, that Republicans are mean-spirited.
``There's a substantial difference between mean and tough,'' she said. ``This is the time for tough. It is time to require AFDC recipients to be personally responsible.''
James said out-of-wedlock births have increased some 400 percent in the past 30 years. Kids on welfare have increased 530 percent during the same time.
`` `What about the children?' people ask. I say, `What about the children?'
``To subsidize out-of-wedlock births and treat people as if they can't work, that is not real compassion. That's misguided compassion,'' James said. ``What helps kids is seeing people work for what they get.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by CAROL O'KEEFE
Speaking to the Virginia Beach Republican Women's Club, Kay Coles
James, state Secretary of Health and Human Resources, describes
herself as ``compassionate'' and ``conservative.'' ``The two are not
mutually exclusive.''
by CNB