Gov. Wilson’s Welfare Plan

The April 19 editorial “ ‘Welfare Magnet’ Idea Now Draws Skepticism” suggests that the Wilson Administration’s welfare proposal is primarily aimed at limiting aid to newcomers. In fact, that is just one element of a sweeping reform package designed to reduce welfare costs by encouraging self-sufficiency.

Gov. Wilson’s welfare reform proposal is based on the fundamental principle of mutual obligation. That is, the government has an obligation to provide assistance to people in temporary trouble, but able-bodied AFDC recipients have an obligation to participate in employment and training programs in order to return to the work force as soon as possible. In order to create a welfare system that promotes individual responsibility and development, the governor’s proposal places greater emphasis on job preparation, schooling, family planning, and employment.

Gov. Wilson’s proposal is multifaceted. It establishes a transitional grant, a $50 cash incentive for teen mothers to stay in school, a maximum family grant, encourages pregnant teens to stay at home, and limits the aid level of a new resident to the level of the state from which he or she emigrated for the first 12 months in California.

We do not suggest that newcomers to this state are the only driving force behind our soaring caseloads. But we do believe that this population is one factor of our ever-increasing welfare expenditures.

In times of financial hardship, organizations--whether that be a family, a business, or government--are forced to set priorities. Gov. Wilson believes that California’s priorities must be in education and programs for children, not unlimited welfare programs that promote dependency and rob individuals of their self-esteem.

RUSSELL S. GOULD

Secretary, Health and Welfare Agency

Sacramento