ing our common goal of providing meaningful training and job placement in the private sector.
I want to thank you for permitting me this opportunity to present the county's position and I would try to answer questions you might like to ask.
[Prepared statement of Harry Hufford follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF HARRY HUFFORD, CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, LOS
I AM HARRY HUFFORD, THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER OF LOS ANGELES
COUNTY. I AM VERY PLEASED THAT I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY
BEFORE THIS SUBCOMMITTEE BECAUSE THE COUNTY'S USE OF JTPA FUNDS IN
ITS EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING EFFORTS HAS BEEN MISUNDERSTOOD AT TIMES
AND ATTACKED AT OTHERS. THE COUNTY IS MAKING A VERY LARGE
INVESTMENT OF COUNTY FUNDS IN AN ATTEMPT TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY
TRAINING AND SUPPORT SERVICES TO WELFARE RECIPIENTS. THE COUNTY
IS USING ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF ITS JTPA ALLOCATION IN THIS
PROGRAM.
OUR OBJECTIVE IN TARGETING A PORTION OF THE JTPA FUNDS FOR FORMER
GENERAL KELIEF RECIPIENTS MUST BE PUT INTO PROPER CONTEXT.
THIS I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THREE POINTS:
-- FIRST, THE GROWTH IN THE GENERAL RELIEF CASELOAD
--SECOND, THE PUBLIC POLICY OF TRAINING GENERAL RELIEF EMPLOYABLES
-- THIRD, THE AMOUNT OF JTPA FUNDS USED FOR TRAINING GENERAL
RELIEF RECIPIENTS COMPARED TO NON-GENERAL RELIEF
GROWTH IN THE GENERAL RELIEF CASELOAD
FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON THE SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH IN THE
GENERAL RELIEF PROGRAM IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY OVER THE PAST
SEVERAL YEARS. ON ATTACHMENT I YOU WILL SEE THAT IN 1980-81 OUR
AVERAGE CASELOAD WAS 19,221 AND OUR ANNUAL NET COUNTY COST WAS
$41.3 MILLION. IN 1983-84 OUR AVERAGE CASELOAD WAS ESTIMATED AT
32,436 AT A PROJECTED COST OF $75.3 MILLION. THIS RECENT CASELOAD
GROWTH IS THE RESULT OF THE FOLLOWING FACTORS:
- FIRST, THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF
EMPLOYABLE GENERAL RELIEF RECIPIENTS. THIS IS DUE TO THE
LOSS OF CETA JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND A TREND OF RISING
UNEMPLOYMENT IN GENERAL. THIS TREND HAS ONLY RECENTLY
BEEN REVERSED AND WE ARE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THIS IMPROVEMENT.
--SECOND, THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF
UNEMPLOYABLE GENERAL RELIEF RECIPIENTS. THIS IS DUE TO A
DECLINE IN THE TRANSFER OF UNEMPLOYABLE PERSONS TO THE
FEDERALLY FUNDED SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME (SSI)
PROGRAM. THIS HAS RESULTED FROM PRIOR FEDERAL EFFORTS TO
RESTRICT SSI PROGRAM EXPENDITURES.
- THIRD, THERE IS THE CONVERSION OF REFUGEES TO THE GENERAL
RELIEF PROGRAM. CHANGES IN THE FEDERAL LAW ELIMINATED
ELIGIBILITY FOR REFUGEE ASSISTANCE ONCE THE REFUGEE HAS
BEEN IN THE UNITED STATES FOR 18 MONTHS. THE CONVERSION
OF THESE REFUGEES TO THE GENERAL RELIEF PROGRAM HAS
CONTINUED TO IMPACT COUNTY COSTS AS THE LIMITED FEDERAL
REIMBURSEMENT FOR REFUGEES EXPIRES.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE GROWTH IN THE COUNTY'S MANDATED PROGRAM OF
"LAST RESORT" IS REFLECTING NOT ONLY THE ECONOMY IN GENERAL BUT
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FEDERAL POLICIES THAT HAVE SHIFTED COSTS
FROM THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS TO THE COUNTIES.
THEREFORE, UTILIZING FEDERAL JTPA FUNDS TO DEFRAY A SMALL PORTION
OF THE COSTS OF TRAINING THE COUNTY'S GENERAL RELIEF EMPLOYABLES
IS ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE. IN FACT, IT SHOULD BE MAXIMIZED TO
OFFSET THE TREMENDOUS BURDEN TO LOCAL TAXPAYERS OF THE MANDATED
GENERAL RELIEF PROGRAM.
PUBLIC POLICY OF TRAINING GENERAL RELIEF RECIPIENTS
NEXT I WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND TO CRITICISMS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS' POLICY OF PROVIDING A TRAINING OPPORTUNITY FOR GENERAL RELIEF RECIPIENTS. I THINK WE ALL HAVE TO AGREE THAT THE GENERAL RELIEF RECIPIENTS ARE AMONG THOSE MOST IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE IN BECOMING EMPLOYABLE. BY CREATING A COUNTY EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAM AND TARGETING THE EMPLOYABLE PORTION OF THE GENERAL RELIEF CASELOAD WE EXPECT TO SEE SEVERAL BENEFITS.
FIRST, WE EXPECT TO SEE THE ACHIEVEMENT OF ECONOMIC
SELF-SUFFICIENCY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD OTHERWISE
BE DEPENDENT UPON WELFARE SUBSIDIES.
SECOND, WE ANTICIPATE AN IMPROVEMENT OF THE GENERAL
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK OF THE COUNTY AS FORMER WELFARE
RECIPIENTS BECOME TAXPAYERS, CONSUMERS AND CONTRIBUTERS
IN FACT, THE FORMER GENERAL RELIEF RECIPIENTS, AND THOSE PARTICIPANTS
WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN ELIGIBLE FOR GENERAL RELIEF WITHOUT THIS
TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT RESOURCE, REPRESENT E TRY SIGNIFICANT
SEGMENT GROUP TARGETED FOR SERVICES UNDER JTPA. THESE INCLUDE
WOMEN, VETERANS, THE HANDICAPPED, AND EACH OF THE AGE AND ETHNIC
THE COUNTY'S EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAM IS NOT A NEW IDEA.
THE CONCEPT IS BASED ON A SUCCESSFUL PILOT PROGRAM INSTITUTED
DURING 1982-83 IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY. THIS INNOVATIVE PILOT
PROGRAM OFFERED EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
UNDER THE COMPREHENSIVE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ACT TO
APPROXIMATELY 1,800 GENERAL RELIEF AND STATE AFDC-U WELFARE
RECIPIENTS. THIS DEMONSTRATION EFFORT ACHIEVED POSITIVE RESULTS,
BOTH IN TERMS OF IMPROVING THE EMPLOYABILITY OF THE PARTICIPANTS
AND IN ACHIEVING A FINANCIAL B VEFIT TO THE COUNTY.
BY PROVIDING APPROPRIATE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING SERVICES TO THE
TARGET CLIENT POPULATION, THE COUNTY IS ENHANCING THEIR EMPLOY-
ABILITY, THEIR MARKETABLE SKILLS, AND THEREFORE, THEIR POTENTIAL
FOR HIGHER WAGES. IN ADDITION, PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE EMPLOYMENT
SERVICES WHICH INCLUDE JOB DEVELOPMENT, JOB PLACEMENT AND JOB
RETENTION SKILLS.
PROVIDING THESE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GENERAL RELIEF EMPLOYABLES IS
GOOD PUBLIC POLICY AND SHOULD NOT BE ABANDONED.
USE OF JTPA FUNDS FOR TRAINING GENERAL RELIEF RECIPIENTS
LASTLY, I WANT TO COMMENT ON THE EXTENT TO WHICH LOS ANGELES COUNTY
IS USING JTPA FUNDS FOR TRAINING GENERAL RELIEF RECIPIENTS. As I
HAVE SAID BEFORE, ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF THE $35.4 MILLION
IN TITLE IIA JTPA FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR RESIDENTS IN ALL OF THE SERVICE
DELIVERY AREAS OF LOS ANGELES AREAS COUNTY IS BEING USED TO SUPPORT
THE COUNTY EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAM. IF WE LOOK AT THE
ATTACHED CHART ON JTPA FUNDING FOR COUNTY-WIDE TITLE IIA PROGRAMS, WE
SEE THAT ONLY 12.7% OR $4.5 MILLION IS BEING USED FOR TRAINING FORMER
GENERAL RELIEF RECIPIENTS. THE REMAINING 87.3% IS DIRECTED TOWARD
NON-GENERAL RELIEF PARTICIPANTS.
OF THE TITLE IIA JTPA FUNDS ADMINISTERED BY THE COUNTY, ONLY
35.4% IS BEING USED FOR TRAINING AND STIPEND COSTS FOR THE
GENERAL RELIEF PARTICIPANTS. THE REMAINDER OF OUR ALLOCATION IS
BEING USED FOR SERVICES TO NON-GENERAL RELIEF ADULTS, YOUTH, AND
ALLOWABLE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS. IF THE GOAL IS TO ALLOCATE MORE
JTPA SLOTS TO NON-GR'S, THIS SHOULD BE ACCOMPLISHED BY INCREASING
THE COUNTY'S OVERALL JTPA FUNDS. IT SHOULD NOT BE ACCOMPLISHED
BY REDUCING THE SLOTS WE ARE CURRENTLY USING FOR TRAINING FORMER
GENERAL RELIEF RECIPIENTS.
IN ADDITION TO THE JTPA TITLE IIA FUNDS, THE COUNTY ADMINISTERS
$11.9 MILLION IN JTPA FUNDS FOR DISPLACED WORKERS, OLDER WORKERS
AND FOR THE SUMMER EMPLOYMENT OF YOUTH. ATTACHMENT III IS A
SEPARATE REPORT DESCRIBING THE COUNTY JTPA PROGRAM AND THE COUNTY
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAM.
WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE INITIAL OBJECTIVES OF THE COUNTY EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAM REMAIN VALID. AT THE SAME TIME,
WE REALIZE THAT THE PROGRAM DESIGN WAS FLAWED IN THAT IT WAS BASED ON PROJECTIONS OF SMALLER CASELOADS. WE ARE CURRENTLY WRESTLING WITH WAYS IN WHICH TO HANDLE THE PROBLEMS CREATED BY LARGE CASELOADS AND DELAYS WE ENCOUNTERED IN IMPLEMENTING PROPER ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES. WE ARE CURRENTLY TAKING ACTION TO RESOLVE THESE OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS. You CAN BE ASSURED THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO REFINE OUR USE OF JTPA TRAINING SLOTS TO MAXIMIZE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN MEETING OUR COMMON GOAL OF PROVIDING MEANINGFUL TRAINING AND JOB PLACEMENT IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
ONCE AGAIN I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CLARIFY THE COUNTY'S POSITION AND I AM ANXIOUS TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
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