DEMOCRATS' RETREAT ON WELFARE REFORM NOT WHAT STATE NEEDS.

Byline: Sandra R. Smoley

DEMOCRATS in the state Legislature have fumbled the first big play in the effort to reform welfare. Over the last two weeks the Democrats, operating with a small majority, absolutely gutted major portions of the governor's comprehensive proposal on welfare reform.

Their action took almost no time. It is completely unjustified and can be viewed only as partisan muscle-flexing - just what California doesn't need now.

The Democrats seem unable to realize that the federal government changed welfare, fundamentally and forever, last summer. Apparently, they also forgot that previous state legislative sessions already had passed laws reforming various sub-areas of welfare, because they eliminated two of Gov. Pete Wilson's proposals which are already part of state law.

Wilson's welfare package vested a great deal of responsibility for the administration of welfare in the hands of the counties. It has always been the governor's view that local solutions are the best way to handle local problems.

Philosophy aside, the governor was responding to the requests of county officials (supervisors, welfare directors and others) to be allowed to fashion the best approaches to welfare for their respective counties. They said, and I agree, that the notion of devising a single program to deal with counties as diverse as Los Angeles and Modoc makes no sense at all.

We have lived with such a program for generations. We know it doesn't work.

In virtually no time the Democrats eliminated other key provisions from the governor's proposal. Among the items cut were the one-strike fraud provision, the authority of counties to contract with public and private agencies for operation of the California Temporary Assistance Program, authority for counties to operate diversion activities, all work participation provisions, provisions for counties to receive 25 percent of net savings, the truancy and immunization provisions, the paternity, child support and teen pregnancy requirements and many, many others.

What is truly disturbing is that the Democrats have offered next to nothing to replace all that they have dropped from the Wilson plan. The governor's proposal was the only comprehensive treatment of welfare reform that was on the table.

Now, it appears that the Democrats have retreated behind caucus doors to develop some sort of welfare reform proposals of their own. This is exactly the approach we don't need.

Welfare reform is a fact - the federal government and President Clinton took care of that eight months ago with the enactment of HR 3734. The Democrats in the Legislature seem to be in denial about the fact that welfare has changed forever. Their approach seems to be more of the same piecemeal methodology that built the disastrous welfare system over the last 60 years.

Months ago I called for an open, bipartisan discussion of the issue. I repeat that message today. Welfare reform is simply too big an issue - for all Californians - to be consigned to a closed-door, partisan process.

We have within our grasp the means to transform a system that has had tragic and debilitating effects on our society, especially upon welfare recipients, for generations. Politics as usual won't do.

If we fail to deal with this issue with the best talents and ideas of both parties it will be an unforgivable breach of trust with the people of our state, and a denial to welfare recipients of having the dignity that comes with holding a job.