An "Administrative Rule Change" with bad effects

An administrative rule change to a recent Utah law will have a negative impact on the children of a household receiving TANF or “welfare” funds. This rule change, in plain English, allows the Department of Workforce Services to deny funds to the entire household if one or more members of the household fails to comply with the mandatory drug testing/rehabilitation requirements of Utah law. The intent of the rule change is, perhaps, admirable; it requires all the adults in the household to be clean from illegal substances in order to receive TANF assistance. The effect of the law is not so honorable; in fact, it goes against the oft-stated “family values” of Utah.

In brief, the law requires all adults who file for TANF assistance to complete a questionnaire that will determine if the individual is potentially using illegal substances. If the answers indicate a potential drug abuse issue, the person must then submit to a drug screening; failure to pass the screening results in one of two outcomes: the individual must enter rehab and successfully pass subsequent drug screenings, or the funds are denied to the entire household. “Individuals in the household who have been disqualified from the receipt of assistance because of an IPV are also required to complete a substance abuse questionnaire and otherwise comply with this section.” (R986-200-221. Drug Testing Requirements, Section 1)
The rule, as stated, does not specify the ages of those “required to complete…” etc. one can only (naively) hope that the questionnaire would not be administrated to minors unable to comprehend the implications of the questionnaire; however, that is not germane to my opposition of this rule.

This unforeseen (?) “rule change” to the law that was passed by the legislature would deny ALL benefits to a household if ANY member of the household is not in compliance with the illegal substance issues. To deny children food, medical care, etc. based upon one or more adult’s addiction is inhumane, if not cruel; and it will have long-reaching, negative social-economic effects. To wit: when Johnny goes to school, and the teacher observes unusual behavior; upon discussion she finds the family cannot feed the children and, as required by Utah law, she informs the Division of Family Services. The children are subsequently removed from the home and become wards of the court. Thereafter, they may or may not be placed in foster homes, or adopted (together or separately); they may stay “in the system” until adulthood. The “state” -you and I- will be paying for the cost associated with this “care” including but not limited to the attorneys, court costs, DFS workers, medical care, etc.

Alternatively, the parents may decide to take other negative directions, perhaps to crime to support the children (and, yes their own habits); they may decide to abuse or abandon the children and/or each other. Again, there are negative social-economic results.

I support the intent of the law passed by our governing body; an adult that uses illegal drugs should not receive the benefit of our society’s generosity to the deserving unemployed/underemployed. However, I do not support, nor will I stand by idle, while an agency changes the rules to have a negative impact on children who have no voice.

To Kristen Cox, Executive Director Division of Workforce Services, do NOT implement this “rule change!”

To the citizens of Utah, please contact your legislative representatives, and let them know you do not approve of the agency’s changes to the law.

To those of you outside of Utah who may read this article: be very aware of what is happening in your own state.

Thank you for reading, please feel free to respond.

An American Tragedy

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Emma Lazarus, 1883

This sonnet, which most schoolchildren in the United States of American are aware of, was written as part of an arts and literary works auction raising funds for the building of the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty. In 1886, when the auction opened, this was the only entry read to the audience. However, it was not until 1903 when a bronze plaque bearing the poem was affixed to a wall on the inner wall of the pedestal.

Sadly, however, the lamp is now extinguished; the golden door and bronze plaque are tarnished, and the words difficult to read.

In this, the “Greatest Country on Earth”, a tragedy unfolded this December that should have shocked and repulsed every citizen of America. In less than 72 hours, this event passed through the news cycle and remains an unacceptable and yet forgotten blemish on our fair land.

A 38 year old mother of two, distraught and without hope, committed murder/suicide, and took herself, daughter and son out of this earthly existence. They were living on $500 a month child support and her meager earnings as a maker of decorative pillows. Her attempts to receive food stamps and welfare had been denied, and she had been reduced to begging food from restaurants in the area as they approached closing hour. Rachelle walked to these restaurants. Previously, she had sold her truck for $400 to buy food for the family. The children showered outside (there being no running water inside) of the ramshackle camp trailer where they lived, for which she was paying $400 per month rent.

On December 5, 2011, Rachelle Grimmer, her 12 year old daughter Ramie and 10 year old son Timothy walked to the Food Stamp Office, where she asked her case be assigned to a new caseworker. They were taken to a small office, where she took about 2 dozen people hostage. A supervisor in the office convinced Rachelle to release all the hostages. At 11:42 P.M, Rachelle fatally shot her two children, and then took her own life.

This happened in the year 2011, in The United States of America, and this is WRONG. How have we become so calloused, so rigid, that America cannot offer aid and assistance to children and adults in severe cases of need? What has happened to our sense of decency and compassion, of caring for those unable to care for themselves? In our rush to dethrone the “welfare queens” and remove the “leeches on society”, can we not look past them and see the children?

I fear our great country has lost its moral compass.

Ask yourself, “Is this what America means to me?” Inquire of your local, state, and Federal Government, “Is this the best you can do?” In the New Year as we approach the election cycle, with its sound-bites and press releases, question the candidates “What are you going to do about poverty? How can you make America better for all Americans, not just the rich and favored few who give large campaign donations?”