Political Quotes

“throughout the welfare debate it has often been stated that people closest to the problem know how to best deal with it. In fact, many States assign administration of Federal welfare programs to counties. As a former mayor, and a former county supervisor, that certainly is the case in California. Many of the innovations and successes currently under discussion have been initiated at the local level. In my earlier remarks on welfare reform, I mentioned several of them--initiatives made by counties to put people to work, to devise programs to really run their programs with efficiency, and appropriate for their local communities. This amendment affirms that there will be no limitation on the ability of a State to conduct innovative and effective demonstration projects in one or more of its political subdivisions. It empowers the Secretary of Health and Human Services to jointly negotiate with any county or group of counties having a population greater than 500,000 to conduct a demonstration project where the county would have the authority and duty to administer the operation of the welfare program covered by this bill.”