Agenda - Council - 02/22/1982 - Laserfiche WebLink

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oNATOR R U DY SCHWlTZ .I NNESOTA November 4, 1981 I I I I I I I I I I I I I Contact: Tom Mason Press Secretary 202/224-8448 BLOCK GRANTS: EFFICIENT USE OF FEDERAL MONEY BY RUDY BOSCHWITZ "the block proposals would repeal landmark legis- lation, eliminate essential programs and under- mine principles of fiscal accountability and lay the groundwork for confusion, neglect, and new bureaucracy at the state level ... many believe these proposals are the first steps in a strat- egy of abandonment of federal involvement in meeting human needs .... That is a statement from one of the many special interest coalitions so adamantly opposed to President Reagan's block grant program. It represents a widespread attitude among these organizations that block grants allow the federal government to shirk its responsibility of caring for the disadvantaged and that the states, which would be implementing these grants, are unable or unwilling to respond to the needs of their citizens. That attitude was, perhaps, justified in the 1960s and early 1970s, but is no longer defensible. Such accusations have whipped up hysteria in some quarters. Opponents of these grants have tried convincing the public that block grants wi{1 wipe out the social mandates of the past two decades and will disregard millions of low-income or disadvan- taged people. That is just not the case, Two misguided notions about block grants are largely respon- sible for the confusion. First, to assert that block grants radically alter the nature of social programs for the poor is incorrect. In fact, they provide for an orderly transfer of decision-making authority back to the states and localities with ample safeguards to assure the continuation of programs for the disadvantaged. Secondly, there have been significant changes in state and local governments over the past two decades that have substan- tially improved their ability to respond to the needs of their citizens. The federal government is no longer the only branch of government with the staff, resources and commitment to care for the disadvantaged. A close examination of the block grants as they have emerged should assuage 'the fears of those who have objected so strenuously to the move to replace the narrow categorical grants with the broader block grants. In fact, many proponents of the new feder- alism argue that the present block grant programs are little more than a minor consolidation of categorical programs. The block grants that were adopted in the human services area are rather narrow grants laden with ."maintenance of effort"