Among the items on his chopping block is the General Assistance(GA) program, established in 1937, during the Great Depression. GA provides a maximum of $205 per month to more than 68,000 people in the state. Recipients of this program are disabled adults, domestic-violence survivors, people caring for a sick or disabled person, and those in drug and alcohol recovery program. More than 35,000 of those recipients live in Philadelphia.
The governor says he wants to "right-size" welfare, and he suggests that the system has been abused by people who should be steered from public coffers. But there is no evidence of the GA program's being misused. Even with most people out of work due to the economy, less than 0.5 percent Pennsylvanians receive General Assistance dollars. Eliminating the safety net will save an estimated $150 million annually. But the cuts will likely send the poor to already overwhelmed community agencies struggling to meet growing demands.
Eliminating this welfare program is morally and economically wrong.
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