Our friend Karen Testerman at Cornerstone Policy Research sends the following sad news about opportunity lost here in the Granite State:
New state-by-state survey ranks, grades states by the success
of their anti-poverty efforts and by the reform policies they adopted
When President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, he gave the states unprecedented flexibility in implementing welfare reform.
Elected officials and human services professionals in California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, and Virginia most successfully seized the opportunities provided by the new law, developing thoughtful reform policies and integrating services needed to help millions of former welfare recipients move into the workplace.
But New Hampshire was less ambitious, failing to take advantage of opportunities available to improve effectiveness at the state level.
Welfare Reform After Ten Years: A State-by-State Analysis, released by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Heartland Institute, ranks the 50 states and the District of Columbia, grading them by the success of their anti-poverty efforts and by the reform policies they adopted.
New Hampshire earned a grade of F, as did Colorado, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
The state trimmed its welfare rolls between 1996 and 2006 by just 43 percent, while the national average of all states fell by 68 percent, to 4.1 million recipients from 12.2 million.
Overall, New Hampshire posted the fourth-worst effort at reform in the nation. It ranked near the bottom for results (49th) and for its reform policies (39th).
The research project was directed by Gary MacDougal, author of Make a Difference: A Spectacular Breakthrough in the Fight Against Poverty. The former chairman of the Illinois governor’s Task Force for Human Services Reform, MacDougal has consulted with governors and public administrators in several states on how to reform welfare programs and improve human services.
"This Report Card provides policymakers with a roadmap to successful anti-poverty efforts," MacDougal said.
"While the federal government gave great flexibility to the states, it is up to state officials to take advantage of that," he continued. "There is no good reason why states performing poorly can’t learn from the policies and practices of more successful states to help people move from dependence to self-sufficiency. Work is a life-changing and life-affirming experience, and too few states are doing all they can to help their less-fortunate citizens find meaningful work."
With 100 being the highest possible score on the Report Card, the top six states achieved scores between 72.7 (California) and 83.0 (Maryland). The scores of the five lowest-ranking states ranged from 31 (Rhode Island) to 25.2 (Missouri).
The states’ overall ranking is an average of two separate analyses. The first measured five variables that reflect states’ success in fighting poverty, while the second reviewed seven welfare reform policies states ought to adopt to improve their performances.
"The Heartland Institute and I stand ready to help state and local elected officials who are interested in learning more about the best practices and policies of the states that have performed the best on this report card," MacDougal said.
Welfare Reform After Ten Years is available for free online at http://www.heartland.org/article.cfm?artId=23500. The printed report is available for $39.99 by calling The Heartland Institute at 312/377-4000.