The New Welfare Paradigm

[Max Sawicky]

I don't know if this is transgressive
discourse, but EPI hosted a meeting yesterday
with a group
of folks who work in this field, and their
focus is on preparing for the reauthorization
of TANF next year.  Their theme, with which
I enthusiastically concur, is "wage-based
jobs" as the principal component of the
program.  In contrast to workfare, WBJ
means a status that entitles workers to
all the protections of the Fair Labor
Standards Act, minimum wage, and EITC
benefits, among other things. The jobs
could be public or private.  The key
is that they be real and not in some
twilight of 'work experience' and the
like.

The alternative formulation is for
"care-giver benefits."  This reckons
that work in the home, caring for
children or the infirm, should be
rewarded the way employed work is
with refundable tax credits.  This is
obviously a much harder row to hoe.
I'll be doing what I can for them,
but that campaign is going to take
much more time to get traction.

mbs


>>> crdbronx at erols.com 05/01/01 09:42AM >>>
The key is universality of services and benefits. That's what Charles
means by the comparison with the public schools. Family allowances such
as exist in many advanced countries are a model. So too
is universal day care.