Welfare Directors

* Re “Directors of State Welfare Programs Assail GOP Plan,” Feb. 28:

State welfare administrators met in Washington to successfully forge a bipartisan position on the initiatives currently moving at a rapid pace through Congress. This historic meeting was most noteworthy for what was constructed, not for what was attacked. The Times’ portrayal of state welfare administrators issuing a harsh critique of the Republican plan is both inaccurate and misleading. In fact, the administrators closely analyzed the block grant proposals as the professionals who best understand what is needed to replace welfare with work.

We encourage any proposal, such as the one under consideration in the House Ways and Means Committee, that acknowledges the key role of the states. We do have some concerns. Among other things, we would prefer that states have broad flexibility to design welfare programs and we would prefer that the block grant plan, if enacted, include mechanisms for emergency funding. The Times piece does report that the administrators “showed impressive unanimity.” This bipartisan spirit is best illustrated through our association leaders: Gerald Miller, director of the Michigan Department of Social Services, who works for a Republican governor, and Gary Stangler, director of the Missouri Department of Social Services, who works for a Democratic governor. We all agree that change is necessary.

A. SIDNEY JOHNSON III

Executive Director

American Public Welfare Assn.

Washington