Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos: Paterson Welfare Giveaway Plan: Taxpayers get Shafted Again

(Long Island, N.Y.) Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos today called Governor Paterson’s nearly $200 million welfare giveaway plan another hit on hard working taxpayers and seniors living on fixed incomes who got socked with $2400 in new taxes this year, and will now will pay for a new welfare program at a time when the state is facing massive new deficits.

Instead of reducing taxes or restoring property tax rebates, the Governor’s so-called “back to school” public assistance plan would give $200 per child to all welfare and food stamp recipients with no oversight or accountability.

“This is a totally irresponsible use of federal stimulus money, especially when the state is facing a $2.1 billion budget deficit and when taxpayers are struggling with higher taxes imposed by the state budget,” Senator Skelos said.  “These funds should be used to create jobs, roll back the $8.5 billion in new taxes and fees included in the budget, or restore the property tax rebate checks that the Democrats took away.”

Senator Skelos and every member of the Senate Republican Conference voted against the increased taxes and spending in the 2009-10 state budget and every Senate Democrat voted for them.

“If the Governor believes he has to use federal monies for welfare, why not expand what works, such as job training programs, and give people a way out of welfare instead of incentives to stay on it,” Senator Skelos said.  “Counties, which are also struggling to pay increased welfare expenses, don’t need any more programs that will perpetuate more public assistance costs and raise local property taxes.”

Senator Skelos pointed out that the budget increased the basic public assistance grant 10 percent as of last month and grants will rise 30 percent by July 2011.  He said that county taxpayers will have to shoulder parts of those costs, and he questioned why no Senate Democrat, especially those representing suburban and upstate counties, has spoken out against the Governor’s new plan.

“The Governor’s new plan, which he developed in secret with no legislative input, is little more than free money available at ATMs,” Senator Skelos said.  “It is a plan that is ripe for fraud and abuse that could be continued for years, saddling taxpayers with a questionable public assistance program at a time when they have already had enough of increasing spending and taxes.”

Senator Skelos, who has fought for programs to fight fraud and abuse in Medicaid and other public assistance programs, said the budget also rolled back accountability measures that were put in place to ensure that tax dollars truly went to families that need public assistance.

“We enacted new laws a decade ago to ensure accountability in our social services programs through workfare and learnfare to encourage personal and parental responsibility and cut back fraud and abuse,” Senator Skelos said.  “After those changes, welfare rolls decreased, as did child poverty. However, this plan would be a big step backwards and I urge the Governor not to go through with it.”

The grants announced today by Governor Paterson would be given out regardless of whether a welfare recipient complied with work and other requirements or whether a child was enrolled in school, attending school or even dropped out. The grants would be available at ATMs – with no requirements, no accountability, and no legislative oversight.

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