Funds Welcome, Strings Aren’t

California is home to more impoverished people and more welfare recipients than any other state, so the newly announced fact that it will get $189 million in federal welfare-to-work funds, the largest such award, is only fair. California needs that amount and more. But there are problems. Too many strings are attached to these dollars meant to help hard-core, long-term aid recipients get and keep jobs.

Before a dime can be spent, Washington requires a local match of $1 for every $2 allocated. It’s hard to see where that $94 million will come from. It’s not in the state budget. The counties don’t have it either. To ease this unexpected fiscal burden, the U.S. Labor Department should allow maximum flexibility in how and when the local matching funds will be paid.

The state is required to file a plan on how the money will be spent, though Washington restricts the bulk of it to local public/private nonprofit groups created under the Job Training Partnership Act. Sacramento needs greater spending flexibility to integrate the federal welfare-to-work funds and the state’s recently enacted welfare reform. Some of the funds could be spent, for example, on community service jobs for welfare recipients as they reach the deadline of two consecutive years of aid or the five-year lifetime maximum.

The grant targets people who would not be the first choice of employers. They have never worked or have a poor work history. They do not have high school diplomas and have trouble with reading and math. They may need drug treatment and may have been on welfare for years. The grant money will be well spent if they reach employability.

Although a newly robust California economy is creating 350,000 jobs a year, the competition for them is keen. More than 1 million people, including immigrants, newcomers from other states and recent graduates, vie for those paychecks.

The most successful job applicants offer a decent education, experience and a solid work history. That is not the case with the majority among the state’s adult welfare population. A Times analysis, reported in June and based on census records, found that most have no work experience and half lack a high school diploma. The best among them may find jobs; the worst won’t stand much of a chance on their own.

California counts 787,830 adult welfare recipients. Most must find jobs in the next five years. Washington could help by relaxing or waiving the onerous matching provision and then getting out of the way of progress.