Report: Job training rule for food stamps would trim rolls by half

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ^ | 5/20/12 | Jason Stein

[Jean S]

Madison — Requiring basic job training from able-bodied participants in the state's food stamp program would cause about half of them to drop out of the program — a total of tens of thousands of people statewide and 14,500 in just Milwaukee.

The new projections come from the Legislature's nonpartisan budget office, which last week released its analysis of Gov. Scott Walker's plan to require 62,700 able-bodied adults without children in Wisconsin FoodShare to attend bare-bones job training. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau puts the total cost for that at $35.8 million over two years, including $16.8 million for state payers.

The proposal is part of Walker's 2013-'15 budget bill and comes before the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee on Tuesday as part of a full day of deliberations on the state's spending and taxing plan for the next two years.

Under the budget bill, FoodShare participants would have to do at least 20 hours a week of job training or work searches to keep receiving benefits. State and federal taxpayers would likely provide them somewhere between $50 and $100 a month worth of training, depending on how many of the participants sign up for it and how many simply drop out of FoodShare.

[Buckeye McFrog]

The mass migration into Illinois will be something to behold.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Wisconsin job training ping

FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.

[Roccus]

I thought Rudy was a fine mayor - I didn’t live in New York but what he did was commendable - cut down crime and of course was a champion on 9-11 and after.

I did...from LaGuardia to Bloomberg...and Rudy was, by far, the best.

[Wurlitzer]

How right you are! I missed the subtlety of “a job” vs “the job”.

[JimRed]

You want food stamps? Actively seek and find a JOB.

Any job.

I'd object much less to subsidizing working poor than to feeding layabouts. But I'd prefer to see both go back to the old way- CHARITY.

[Nervous Tick]

Works for me.

[rdcbn]

There is massive fraud in the system. Having recipients show up for job training will screen out the non existent, phantom straw recipients, some of the illegal aliens, and a large percentage of well off recipients who are ineligible and who are scamming the system.

That is about half.

At least 40 percent of entitlement spending is fraud.

An LA County audit about 10 years ago documented a 60% fraud rate in LA county alone. The LA County entitlement budget is 18 billion dollars a year.

This I on top of an already publicly disclosed cost of 5 billion per year for court mandated free health care for illegal aliens

[Synthesist]

This requirement is only for able bodied people who are not working. It would not stop any employed low income person from getting food stamps.

[Synthesist]

“What’s the cost of the “job training” vs. the cost of their continuing to receive food stamps and do nothing?”

---

That is the most important fact that the “journalist” Jason Stein should have reported in the linked article. But, it would have required too much work apparently!

According to the WI Legislature’s nonpartisan budget office report linked in the article, for the year 2012 there were an average of 840,193 people enrolled at a cost of $1.1778 BILLION to the federal gubmint (FoodShare is a WI rename for fed food stamps and is not a state benefit). So, if half of the people drop out, that would save over $1 BILLION over the next two years in taxpayer money (in WI alone!) vs. an estimated job training cost of only $35.8 million. That is one hell of a deal!

Also, according to that report, this requirement for job search or training is ALREADY in the fed food stamp law as an option for states to enforce. So this is not a “new” proposal. IMO, all states should exercise this option.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

And Clinton based HIS welfare reforms on those Governor Thompson made in Wisconsin.

But that was in a whole ‘nother LIFETIME ago. *SIGH*

[svcw]

Oh I get that. These programs were designed for people needed temporary help, is there abuse - yes.
And the are. people on FR who lump everyone in the same pot.

[Tax-chick]

So, if half of the people drop out ...

As I understand it from the article, the job-training requirement would apply only to able-bodied, working-age adults with no children, and half THAT group would drop out, not half the total recipient population. That changes the cost/benefit calculation.

It might still come out ahead in terms of cost, but we don't know.

It's fascinating, though, that so many decide that even "job training," not getting a job or anything!, is too difficult.