In business, government, and basically any other arena, extremes generally have negative, unintended consequences.
Take the case of Indiana’s welfare system. In late 2006, after concluding that inconsistencies and fraud riddled the Family and Social Services Administration, Gov. Daniels awarded IBM a $1.16 billion, 10-year contract to automate welfare applications and services.
IBM and the state then dismantled a model that was based on individual caseworkers working with welfare applicants at community sites. They replaced it with a centralized, privatized system that relied heavily upon automated call centers and online registration.
The Daniels administration touted the new system for efficiency, fairness and consistency. But those in 12 test counties — Madison County included — found it to be arbitrary, inaccessible, slow and downright frustrating. The new system eventually served 59 counties and about a third of the state’s 1.2 million person welfare case load. But applicants complained that, in addition to ferreting out abuses of the welfare system, the new model penalized people who legitimately qualified by punishing wrong turns in a perplexing application process.
This month, the administration, pressured by class-action lawsuits, announced that it would discontinue the contract with IBM to manage state welfare. Instead, the state will manage the welfare system by turning to a combination of the old caseworker-based model and some features of the call-center and online-registration model.
After all of these missteps, the state finally appears headed in the right direction. The old system offered face-to-face interaction for those who were seeking food stamps, Medicaid or other benefits but didn’t fit neatly into a particular eligible or non-eligible category. It also provided an important combination of counseling and registration direction. Its weakness was the uneven disbursement of aid, sometimes at the whim of local frontline FSSA employees.
The recently debunked system did offer the opportunity for do-it-yourself form filing, which some folks prefer. It also offered a greater measure, theoretically, of policy consistency across the state.
The new system, currently under development by the state and due for public disclosure Dec. 14, could provide better accessibility and better solutions — if it’s formatted and managed correctly.
When it comes to the state’s handling of welfare, that’s always a big “if.”
Editorials
Editorial: This time, let's make the welfare system work
In business or government, extremes generally have negative or unintended consequences
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Editorial: AHS grad rates moving up, must be pushed ever higher
A diploma is a must, but it has to mean something. Anderson High School must do this the right way, not cutting corners and passing students through classes, but making them accountable for learning the subject matter.
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Editorial: With changes to program, why not begin recycling?
The public has to understand the importance of recycling aluminum and steel cans, cardboard, glass, newspapers and certain plastics. Besides minimizing a community’s waste, recycling saves energy, natural resources and the environment.
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Editorial: Reality returns after Super Bowl mania
While we loved what the Super Bowl did for our reputation, it’s time to get back to the real world. Let’s recap the lost week.
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You Said It: About contract, 'Teen Mom,' State of the City
Each Monday, The Herald Bulletin publishes “You Said It,” a compilation of reader comments from www.theheraldbulletin.com, coupled with responses by the newspaper’s editorial board.
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Editorial: Smith speech shows mayor aiming high
The bottom line in Mayor Kevin Smith’s State of the City address Tuesday during the Anderson Rotary Club’s luncheon at Anderson Country Club was simple: To attract investment, you have to make investments.
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Editorial: Bill offered by state Senate honors Fourth Amendment
No law is ever going to rid domestic situations of their subjectivity, but people have a right to be secure in their homes, and the police need to keep this in mind when they come knocking.
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Editorial: Burton's retirement was overdue
Dan Burton has been a fixture in Indiana politics for nearly a half century. A staunch Republican, Burton made waves in the Statehouse and in Congress, but now it’s over. Burton recently announced his retirement and will not seek re-election in Indiana’s District 5.
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Editorial: Tempered excitement for call-center jobs is prudent
Immediately after city officials announced the location of a new call center in Anderson on Jan. 25, the “Yeah, buts ...” started.
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Editorial: Trigger law would give parents too much power
If the state is going to push for charter schools, it has to be a measured action with plenty of debate. There is a reason why the term trigger-happy has negative connotations. It means a knee-jerk reaction with little thought.
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You Said It: About Grandview, new Colts coach and the APA incident
The Anderson Parks board has created a committee to study options for Grandview Golf Course and its restaurant. (Article published Jan. 17.)
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