A $60 MILLION FOOD STAMP REFORM PROGRAM IN WISCONSIN MARKED ITS FIRST YEAR THIS MONTH AND RESULTS ARE OUT. ACCORDING TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES, NEARLY 12,000 PEOPLE FOUND JOBS AS PART OF THE FOODSHARE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAM AND JUST OVER 41,000 RECIPIENTS LOST THEIR BENEFITS FOR FAILING TO LOOK FOR WORK. UNDER THE NEW PROGRAM, ABLE-BODIED ADULTS AGE 18-49 WITH NO MINOR CHILDREN MUST WORK AT LEAST 80 HOURS A MONTH TO RETAIN THEIR FOODSHARE BENEFITS. WORKER TRAINING OR VOLUNTEER HOURS ALSO COUNT. NOW THE PROGRAM IS HAILED AS A SUCCESS BY THE ADMINISTRATION AND AS A FAILURE BY CRITICS. WE HAVE BOTH SIDES TONIGHT. STARTING WITH THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR, KEVIN MOORE. KEVIN THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

KEVIN MOORE:

MY PLEASURE. THANK YOU.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

YOU ARE AMONG THOSE WHO HAILED THIS AS A SUCCESS. WHY?

KEVIN MOORE:

AT THE END OF THE DAY WE BELIEVE THIS REFORM THAT GOVERNOR WALKER INITIATED IS A SUCCESS BECAUSE WE GOT 12,000 PEOPLE THAT HAVE NOW ENTERED INTO THE WORKFORCE. IN ADDITION WISCONSIN HAS BUILT A NEW INFRASTRUCTURE TO HELP THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ABLE-BODIED ADULTS WITHOUT DEPENDENCE TO GET THE TRAINING AND REALLY TO DEVELOP THOSE SOFT SKILLS THAT THEY NEED TO JOIN THE WORKFORCE. SO AFTER OUR FIRST YEAR ROLL-OUT THE NUMBERS ARE PROMISING IN TERMS OF THE 12,000 INDIVIDUALS. THEY’RE PROMISING IN TERMS OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE’VE DEVELOPED. AND REALLY IT’S A STEP FORWARD IN REALLY MOVING THE REFORM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

OF 12,000 PEOPLE WHO FOUND WORK, DID THAT EMPLOYMENT MEAN THAT THEY DON’T RECEIVE THESE FOOD STAMP BENEFITS ANYMORE?

KEVIN MOORE:

SO WISCONSIN, EVERY STATE FOR THAT MATTER FROM A FOOD STAMP PERSPECTIVE, IT’S A PROGRESSIVE SYSTEM. AS PEOPLE’S INCOME INCREASES THE AMOUNT OF BENEFIT THEY RECEIVE WILL GO DOWN. THERE ARE SOME INDIVIDUALS THAT STILL MAY BE ON FOOD STAMPS BUT THE AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE THAT THEY’LL RECEIVE IS MUCH LESS. THE REAL IMPORTANT PART IS THEY’RE ENTERING INTO THE WORKFORCE. THEY’RE NOW IN A POSITION TO ACTUALLY MOVE UP WITHIN WHATEVER CAREER PATH THEY CHOOSE WHETHER IT BE HOUSEKEEPING, MECHANICS, ANY OF THOSE JOBS THAT THEY’RE TRAINING FOR AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THAT AND ULTIMATELY MOVE THEM OUT OF NEEDING FOOD STAMPS AND ASSISTANCE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

THE JOB SKILLS TRAINING AS YOU SAY QUALIFY FOR MAINTAINING FOODSHARE, WHAT KIND OF TRAINING IS BEING OFFERED AS PART OF THE PROGRAM?

KEVIN MOORE:

SO THIS IS REALLY WHERE THERE’S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS AN INDIVIDUAL CAN MEET THE WORK REQUIREMENT. OBVIOUSLY WE’RE TALKING A LOT ABOUT THE FOODSHARE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAM. IN ADDITION THEY CAN ACTUALLY JUST GO AND GET WORK OR THEY CAN USE ONE OF THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS OR W-2 WISCONSIN WORKS AS WELL. BUT AS THEY ENTER INTO AN F-SET AGENCY IT’S REALLY CUSTOMIZED TO MEET THE INDIVIDUAL’S NEEDS. WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES? WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS THAT INDIVIDUAL HAS TO GET EMPLOYMENT? IS IT SOFT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT? IS IT HARD SKILLS DEVELOPMENT? WHERE DO THEY WANT TO GO? WHAT ARE THEIR GOALS? FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE THAT TEAM WORKS AROUND AND USING RESOURCES FROM TECHNICAL COLLEGES THERE’S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THEY CAN USE. BUT EACH PERSON’S GOT THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL SKILL SET AND I THINK THAT’S WHAT MAKES THIS SO POWERFUL AND SUCH A POSITIVE REFORM FOR THE STATE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT ABOUT THE 41,000 PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR BENEFITS? IS THAT REGARDED AS A POSITIVE UNDER THIS REFORM?

KEVIN MOORE:

I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE CHALLENGE IS WE’VE MADE EVERY POSSIBLE EFFORT AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT AS ABLE-BODIED ADULTS WHO DON’T HAVE KIDS AT HOME ARE IDENTIFIED, THEY ARE REFERRED TO THESE STATE AGENCIES. THERE’S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE F-SET AGENCY TO DO THAT OUTREACH AND TO SAY LOOK, HERE’S THE PATHWAY FOR NOT ONLY GETTING INTO WORK BUT ULTIMATLEY TO MAINTAIN YOUR FOODSHARE BENEFITS. WE’VE CONTINUED TO MONITOR THAT. AGAIN FIRST YEAR ROLL-OUT WISCONSIN IS UNIQUE IN THAT WE ARE REALLY AHEAD OF EVERY OTHER STATE. SO WE’RE REALLY KIND OF TRAIL BLAZING IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA BUT WE’VE ALSO MADE A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN DEVELOPING THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SOME OTHER STATES MAY NOT HAVE DONE. FOR US I THINK IT’S REALLY–IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVEMENT TO REALLY IDENTIFY CAN WE CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO ENROLL. BUT THAT INDIVIDUAL CHOICE TO NOT ENROLL, THAT’S SOMETHING WE WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT BECAUSE WE WANT THEM INTO THE WORKFORCE. THERE ARE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF JOBS IN THE STATE THAT WE NEED TO GET WORKERS INTO THOSE POSITIONS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT CONCERNS DO YOU HAVE ABOUT PEOPLE WHO MIGHT ACTUALLY NEED THIS FOODSHARE BENEFIT TO EAT AND NOW THEY’RE OFF?

KEVIN MOORE:

AGAIN, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT EXEMPTIONS WITHIN THE PROGRAM TO REALLY DO THOSE SAFEGUARDS FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE NOT ABLE-BODIED ADULTS WITHOUT INDEPENDENTS AT HOME. INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH SUBSTANCE ABUSE SCREENING AND TREATMENT. THOSE PEOPLE ARE EXEMPT. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES EXEMPT. A NUMBER OF THINGS THE STATE HAS DONE IN ADDITION THAT HAS REALLY BEEN A REFLECTION OF FEDERAL POLICY TO REALLY INSURE THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE ABILITY TO WORK. AND THEN IDENTIFYING THEM, MAKING THAT REFERRAL INTO THESE F-SET AGENCIES BUT ALSO LETTING THEM KNOW IF YOU CAN GO OUT AND FIND A JOB, AND I THINK THAT’S THE IMPORTANT PART TO NOTE ALSO ABOUT THE 41,000 INDIVIDUALS. AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD, THERE WILL BE A SUBSET OF THOSE THAT JUST WENT OUT AND GOT JOBS THAT ARE NO LONGER ON FOODSHARE BECAUSE THEY DON’T NEED IT ANYMORE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

VERY BRIEFLY, IF THE REFORM PROBLEM COST $60 MILLION IN TAX DOLLARS, HOW MUCH OF THAT WAS OFFSET BY THE 41,000 PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN DROPPED?

KEVIN MOORE:

AND THIS BECAUSE WE’VE JUST GOTTEN THROUGH THE FIRST YEAR, WE’RE STILL GOING TO BE DOING THAT EVALUATION. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, BENEFITS ARE PROGRESSIVE. FOR A VERY LOW INCOME INDIVIDUAL THAT BENEFIT MAY BE LARGER. BUT AGAIN, WE’RE LOOKING AT THIS AS AN INVESTMENT IN THE WORKFORCE. WITH OVER 80,000 VACANT JOBS IN THE STATE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE TRAINING IS AVAILABLE FOR THOSE PEOPLE TO GET THE WORK TRAINING, THE SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT, REALLY REMOVE THOSE BARRIERS TO GET THEM IN. WE’LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT EVALUATION MOVING FORWARD. GOVERNOR WALKER, THE LEGISLATURE HAS MADE THAT INVESTMENT IN WORKFORCE TRAINING AND THAT’S IMPORTANT TO GET PEOPLE BACK TO WORK.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

KEVIN MOORE, THANKS VERY MUCH.

KEVIN MOORE:

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.