Welfare Reform Bill Excludes Proposal

Two Ventura County supervisors’ hopes were dashed Friday when they learned that Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole’s welfare reform bill excludes their proposal to continue giving welfare funds directly to counties, rather than to send them to states to be distributed.

Supervisors John K. Flynn and Frank Schillo held a morning news conference to announce that Dole had included their proposal in his bill.

Later in the day, however, it was learned that their provision calling for counties with populations of more than 500,000 to negotiate directly with the federal government over welfare spending was not part of Dole’s bill.

But Schillo said the supervisors would not give up lobbying efforts.

“We can’t drop this whole thing,” Schillo said.

“We can find some other method to get this accomplished.”

Officials have already taken some steps to alter the county’s welfare system. Last month, the Board of Supervisors took control of a local job-training agency, which will eventually be used to help employ welfare recipients.

Meanwhile, the Democratic alternative bill, introduced Thursday by Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S. D.), includes a section that allows large counties to propose welfare reform projects without the constraints of state rules and regulations.

California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Friday she supports the provision to give welfare spending power to counties and plans to pursue such legislation.