February 7, 2007
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Controlling Spending While Protecting The Needy
By State Senator Mike "Citizen Mike" Folmer

Since taking office last month, my top legislative priority has been enactment of the "Taxpayer Protection Act", which would limit state spending to the concurrent rates of inflation and population growth.  Opponents have said that such a measure would hurt state programs – especially those aimed at helping our poorest citizens.  I disagree and offer an example of why we need to take a harder look at how we spend your tax dollars. 

In the 1990s, Pennsylvania became a leader among the 50 states in moving people from hopelessness of welfare to the dignity of work.  Governor Ridge led the way in bringing these changes to our Commonwealth by emphasizing that the key to breaking the cycle of dependence is through gainful employment. 

These welfare reforms took effect in March of 1997.  Afterwards, welfare recipients were required to conduct an eight-week job search and sign an Agreement of Mutual Responsibility, or AMR, spelling out the steps they intended to take to support their families.  Upon signing the AMR, welfare recipients were given two years to find work.  After that, welfare recipients were asked to work a minimum of 20 hours a week in return for receiving cash assistance from the state.  Welfare recipients were also asked to dedicate 20 hours a week to community service. 

Those reforms had an immediate positive impact as, within two years, the number of people on welfare dropped to its lowest point in three decades, with more than 130,000 families permanently leaving cash assistance. 

Unfortunately, Governor Rendell's tenure has seen 360,000 new faces added to the Medical Assistance rolls.  More than 50,000 additional people are now collecting cash assistance.  Logic would dictate that during a period of prosperity, with unemployment at a meager 5 percent, the number of people on welfare should be going down – or at worst, holding steady – not going up. 

We need to look closely at the reasons why the welfare rolls are increasing despite our low unemployment.  That's why I recently asked the Welfare Secretary to look at welfare fraud; we need to tenaciously weed out bogus claims.  I am also pleased to be working closely with my House and Senate colleagues on this important issue.  Representative Mauree Gingrich and the House Policy Committee have already identified a number of key concerns that warrant additional review. 

Our safety net should always hang firmly above the abyss of poverty.  But, never should we allow our fellow Pennsylvanians to game the system and use the safety net as a hammock.  The greatest disservice we can do to our neighbor is to strip them of their dignity by providing for them things that they are capable of providing for themselves. 

To this end, I will continue to press for aggressive prosecution of welfare fraud.  We need to squeeze out every penny of each tax dollar.