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Apr. 18, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Activists for the needy appeal to state agency

By LYNNETTE CURTIS
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Leroy Pelton, a UNLV professor and advocate for the homeless, speaks in opposition to possible cuts in welfare benefits being considered by the state.
Photo by Gary Thompson.

Compassion butted heads with budgets on Thursday as dozens of advocates for the homeless and poor confronted a list of possible cuts in welfare benefits and food stamps being considered by the state.

"This is morally reprehensible," Leroy Pelton, a UNLV professor and activist for the homeless, said during a three-hour public workshop. "You'll be denying food stamps to a child who is innocent."

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    • Division of Welfare and Supportive Services staff had the workshop to discuss ways to curb costs. Such cuts are necessary, they said, because growth and difficult economic times have increased demand for public assistance while federal funding is set to decrease and state funding has remained stagnant.

    "We have a certain amount of money to spend, and our spending currently exceeds what the available revenue is," said Gary Stagliano, deputy administrator of program services for the division. He added that the division's reserve funds are rapidly depleting.

    Options for saving money included putting a cap on the number of household members eligible for assistance, including children, and disqualifying entire households from receiving food stamps if the head of household doesn't meet requirements such as looking for jobs.

    Other ideas included evaluating welfare cases once a year instead of every six months and requiring a three-month assistance "sit-out" for families who don't meet requirements.

    The division also is discussing whether to deny public assistance to entire households in which adult family members are not U.S. citizens or are living illegally in the country, regardless of whether their children are citizens.

    "We're discriminating against children of citizens and qualified aliens by serving these other citizen children of illegal or non-qualified non-citizens," said Jeff Brenn, chief of eligibility and payments for the division.

    He said a five-year limit on public assistance applies to children of citizens, while other children can receive it until they are 18 years old.

    But the state is still researching the legality of such a disqualification, Brenn said.

    Stagliano said the division was allocated $75 million to spend on its Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program in 2008. Because of changes in federal funding, that budget will shrink to $72 million next year, he said.

    Meanwhile, the division is on track to spend $81 million on the program this year and $87 million in 2009 if changes aren't made.

    The division has been using reserve funds to make up the difference.

    "We are spending beyond what our allocation is," Stagliano said.

    How much money would be saved by adopting the proposals has not been determined, and Stagliano repeatedly emphasized that such ideas were merely at the "conversation" stage. A public hearing would precede adoption of any such changes.

    "None of these changes are immediately going forward," he said.

    But worried social workers and advocates for the homeless expressed unequivocal disdain for all of the possibilities with the exception of extending time between welfare case evaluations.

    "Do you wonder what happens to those children?" asked Linda Lera-Randle El, director of the Straight from the Street homeless outreach program. "We are talking about kids. We want personal responsibility, but are we going to penalize the child?"

    Terry Lindemann, executive director of Family Promise, a nonprofit that helps homeless families, said she was deeply concerned about the proposals.

    "Cutting services to the poor will only deepen the crisis of homeless families, and it will trickle down to every level of our community," she said. "Our schools, shelters and food banks will be flooded with more people than can receive adequate services."

    But Stagliano said such changes could motivate those receiving assistance to become more independent.

    "Our mission in this program is really to transition individuals from public assistance dependency to a high level of self-sufficiency," he said.

    Stagliano recognized that some of the proposals, particularly the "family cap," might not go over well.

    "It's not everybody's favorite alternative," he said of the cap. But "how are you going to become self-sufficient if you continue to have more children?"

    At least 25 states have adopted family caps, Stagliano said.

    Pelton continued to question the wisdom of punishing entire families for parents who don't follow the rules.

    "Why kick a child off of (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) in order to get at the parent?" he said.

    "What we're really trying to do is change the lifestyle of the family," Stagliano said. "The parents' lack of effort to try to change their status may be part of the problem here."

    Contact reporter Lynnette Curtis at lcurtis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0285.

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    public servant wrote on April 25, 2008 02:44 PM: I can believe how down some of these comments are on illegals and them taking away from poor americans. if american weren't so lazy, the illegals wouldn't have illegal jobs! children born here to illegal parents? off course they need help, they arent allowed to work and how are they supposed to take care of their american childen? But the issue is Stagliano making choices for people. Who is he to dictate who should have children and who shouldn't? Who is he to say go get a better job? not every person is as fortunate to be a buddy of the Director and score a deputy director post with a high school diploma! Wake up Gary and keep your racist comments under your hat. We know you hate minorities. That is why you wont allow your father to visit you with his asian wife? If you also planned better and didnt waste so much money on your own projects, perhaps there would be more funds around?? Do the missing computers ring a bell?


    Peter wrote on April 21, 2008 08:53 AM: There should be a very limited time that people can receive government assistance. It's not that hard to find a job. I'm tired of my tax money going to ungratful minorities and to Iraq to make sure Muslims don't kill earchother.
    www.goodoleboybumperstickers.com


    Herb wrote on April 18, 2008 02:56 PM: Food stamps are one of the main reason the traditional family is in decline. They reward women for having illegitimate children with thugs and slackers. The children aren't so innocent. The fatherless boys grow up to be criminal predators and gang bangers. Do we really want to make them stronger and well nourished criminals? The girls grow up to have illegitimate children with thugs or crystal meth tweakers and the cycle continues.

    We should also bring back the stigma of food stamps by making them stamps again instead of a debit card. Then the people in the supermarket line can question them and ask them why are they getting to eat for free on the backs of hardworking tax payers.


    rICHARD d. hERNANDEZ wrote on April 18, 2008 11:51 AM: THERE IS ALWAYS ENOUGH MONEY FOR WARS BUT NEVER ENOUGH FOR SOCIAL PROGRAMS.

    OUR MAJOR HIGH RANKING POLITICIANS DO NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT LACK OF PTROPER FUNDING FOR MANY SOCIAL PROGRAMS IS ACTUALLY A NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE.
    wE WILL BECOME A SECOND RATE POWER IF WE CONTINUE TO ILL FUND EDUCATION AND POVERTY PROGRAMS.


    Mr. Pink wrote on April 18, 2008 11:20 AM: We should make a reality show out of people competing for handouts.

    "There's only so much to go around. Who will be worthy? Are YOU ready for the freebee? Come on down, you're the next contestant on 'Gimme Mah Free Sh*t!'"

    We could make it all dramatic like a real live reality show, with councils and commissions and judges and whatnot. It'll be fun! That's what's important, right?

    OR...if you're physically unable to work, you're eligible. If you're NOT disabled, get off your a$$ and work for it like the rest of us. Here's a one-time handout, now get to work! We're not responsible for your pi$$-poor planning!


    HoochieBird wrote on April 18, 2008 11:15 AM: Outrageous! I had no idea that these benefits are freely given to (and expected by) illegals & their families with no limits or accountability, while benefits to citizens, legal aliens & their families are subject to time limits & restrictions or are outright denied! ENOUGH!

    The ONLY way to stop the abuse of our welfare system by illegals is to STOP providing benefits to ALL of them. NO EXCEPTIONS! Illegals have choices: Assume responsibility for self and family, get legal, learn English, get a job and be productive; or LEAVE! Take your family and go back to where you came from if you don't like our rules.

    If I wanted to feed, clothe, medicate and teach more kids, I would have had more of my own!!

    Until people wise up and realize that by continuing to provide benefits and services to illegal freeloaders with no strings attached, the number of freeloading illegals exploiting our system will exponentially increase generation by generation.

    It's kind of like feeding the pigeons-one day, it's just a few. The next day, a few more, then a hundred more, and on and on. Or like feeding that cute stray cat, who brings back 3 friends the next time. Then they start to reproduce...ALOT...but the kittens are SO cute...and so on...

    It's time to stop feeding the pigeons and opportunistic stray cats in our family services and welfare system.


    Economist wrote on April 18, 2008 10:21 AM: Strange concepts if you think about it. The FS program is for the farmers. It's an Agriculture program.

    Also, it's a way to redistribute the wealth. FS money affects everyone from the farmer to the truck driver to the cahier to the guy sweeping floors in the back room. Then watch where they spend money ... hopefully at your business, right?

    There's a pot of money just sitting there. The Feds will tell you, "Nevada, it's your money, you don't have to apply for it, policy is already written. You just need to make more people eligible for benefits."

    It's Federal money, your taxes. The State pays 1/2 of Admin fees to get the FS money out there.


    Heck, I wish I qualified for FS. I'd get the moeny and spend it, spread the wealth.

    Oh ya, I am getting a $600 rebate out of the $4500 I spent on income taxes last year. That'll help make up for the huge increase in gas money I've spent so that I can get to work and pay more taxes to be spent in Iraq. Thanks Bush!!!


    Jack wrote on April 18, 2008 10:14 AM: You people need to wake up and see that the city's in the Valley don't give a care. With all the police shootings and law suits we have to pay for some young out of control cop who just had to shoot, we pay a lot in settled cases and judgements. Wake up. Food stamps are the least of your worry. You need to worry, that the cops are controlling your American Freedoms, killing at will with out remorse and the system is justifying it. Now take away your food and create a situation of survivorability, having to steal to survive and then the cops shoot some more and then lawsuits fly and then we pay again and again and again. See the circle? Your city government doesn't care except to get as mush money as they can, keep you down and restrict any support. This is Nevada the police Terrorist State. The state that denies the homeless and poor of basic needs.

    Good luck everybody and fight the system any way you can. Fight for your Liberty and Freedoms or the cops and city will take them away as you are reading in this article.


    Jack wrote on April 18, 2008 10:14 AM: You people need to wake up and see that the city's in the Valley don't give a care. With all the police shootings and law suits we have to pay for some young out of control cop who just had to shoot, we pay a lot in settled cases and judgements. Wake up. Food stamps are the least of your worry. You need to worry, that the cops are controlling your American Freedoms, killing at will with out remorse and the system is justifying it. Now take away your food and create a situation of survivorability, having to steal to survive and then the cops shoot some more and then lawsuits fly and then we pay again and again and again. See the circle? Your city government doesn't care except to get as mush money as they can, keep you down and restrict any support. This is Nevada the police Terrorist State. The state that denies the homeless and poor of basic needs.
    Good luck everybody and fight the system any way you can. Fight for your Liberty and Freedoms or the cops and city will take them away as you are reading in this article.


    Angry Citizen wrote on April 18, 2008 09:55 AM: No food stamps for Mexican illegals and their families. Period! They come here illegally, take our jobs, clog our emergency rooms, grab every free service they can get their hands on, hire their friends, loiter outside legitimate businesses, refuse to learn English, refuse to respect our culture, blare their music, flaunt their disdain for the flag. Enough is enough! Taxpayers should not have to pay for these brazen criminals.


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