Group Says Oklahoma Not Helping Needy Enough

Monday, January 17th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

A private group says Oklahoma is failing to do all it can to reach out to needy families. The Washington-based group Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said at the end of the last fiscal year, Oklahoma had $61.4 million in unspent temporary aid to needy families.

While the center concedes that welfare caseloads have dropped sharply since the early 1990s, it says former welfare recipients still need help.

"State and national level studies have found that families leaving welfare for work typically have very low earnings andremain in poverty," the center said. The state Department of Human Services has a different view about the unspent funds. "That shows Oklahoma is being very creative," said agency spokesman George Earl Johnson Jr.

Johnson said taxpayers should be happy the state is lowering welfare costs while still providing assistance. Figures from the Department of Human Services show the state had 48,622 families receiving $14.4 million in cash assistance in October 1992. By October 1999, the figure was down to 15,759 families receiving just $3.6 million. Johnson said he is proud of such reductions. He denied that his agency has ignored the opportunities the temporary aid provides the state.

He said child care, transportation, literacy and substance abuse help are among the services the state's neediest families can receive as they attempt to move from welfare to work.

Steven Dow of the Community Action Project -- a private,anti-poverty program in Tulsa -- agrees with the center.

"Unfortunately, what we haven't seen in Oklahoma is asubstantial drop in the number of poor people," Dow said.

Those who used to qualify for welfare assistance under the oldsystem are working now, he said. But low wages aren't lifting the mout of poverty, Dow said. Dow said he commends officials for ensuring the state does not overspend its temporary aid. But he said he believes Oklahoma should be more concerned with helping the poor than saving themoney for the next "rainy day."