(Chico, CA) More than 200 community members filled the Chico City Council chambers Friday, Feb. 22 to hear families on welfare give emotional testimony about their experiences under welfare reform. In attendance were Congressman Wally Herger, chair of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources, which is overseeing the reauthorization of the 1996 welfare law. The event drew participants from as far away as Los Angeles and Connecticut. According to Laurel Blankenship of Legal Aid of Northern California, who co-moderated the event, "This was the biggest turnout for any event ever held in the City Council Chambers."

Also participating in the town hall were Chico City Council member Coleen Jarvis, who earned her college degree while raising her children on welfare; county supervisors from Shasta, Yuba, and Tahama counties; welfare administrators from Butte, Nevada, Siskiyou, and Yuba counties; Butte County Sheriff Scott Mackenzie of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, a statewide campaign made up of over 250 sheriffs, police chiefs, district attorneys, and crime victims working to increase childcare funding; and field representatives from California Assemblyman Dick Dickerson's and Sam Aanestad's offices.

The town hall began with moving, first-hand testimony by Melissa Garcia of Paradise, CA, who shared her story of overcoming domestic abuse, homelessness and the objections of her caseworker to attend college. "Marriage didn't ultimately solve poverty for me, and it won't for thousands of other women; training and education will." Cathy LeBlanc, a former welfare mother, said parents in rural areas face bigger obstacles. After her husband was shot she found herself a young widow with a drug problem. Her town had one licensed child care provider with no openings, no public transportation, and the nearest welfare department 50 miles away. Consequently, TANF parents in her community have been exempted from welfare-to-work requirements, but during this time, the clock has been ticking on their welfare benefits. "The regulations made me feel panicked," she said, pointing to the five-year lifetime limit. "What will happen to families like mine when their benefits run out in 2003?"

The mothers' testimony moved Yuba County Board of Supervisor Bill Simmons to remark, "The stories I have heard today have brought tears to my eyes…. I get emotional about this because I work with this every day. I trust that Congressman Herger will do what is right."

After hearing the mothers' testimonies, Insu Hyams made a heartfelt plea to Congressman Herger during the public comment period. "As a public health nurse I can testify that every word that I have heard in this room is true. As a taxpayer, I don't think there is any better investment than in our children and in parents who want to better themselves…. I beg you to do away with the five-year limit. I am afraid there will be babies and women without food and shelter. I am afraid that women in domestic violence relationships will never be able to escape…. I don't think that we, as middle class, taxpayers, citizens, and voters, can talk about family values and not be willing to help other families that are working their hardest."

After hearing the testimony of his constituents, Congressman Herger said, "I want you to know I've listened very carefully to each and every one of you…. I can't think of anything that is more important than what we are dealing with and in trying to find the best way to assist those in sharing the American dream."

Released at the town hall was a report entitled, "The State of Welfare in Butte County," which was created by LIFETIME in partnership with Californians for Family Economic Self-Sufficiency, DataCenter, Grass Roots Organizing for Welfare Leadership, the National Campaign for Jobs and Income Support, the National Economic Development and Law Center and Wider Opportunities for Women. The report detailed the impact of welfare reform on families in Butte County and throughout the state of California, in particular the dramatic decline in caseloads, most due to punitive sanctions rather than parents leaving welfare for gainful employment. The report also offered concrete proposals for TANF reauthorization echoed by nearly all the participants at the town hall, from the mothers who testified to the county welfare directors who were part of the listening panel. Proposed policy changes included setting poverty reduction as the goal of reauthorization, investing in parents' education and training, and eliminating time limits. In addition, nearly all the participants who testified urged both Herger and State Assemblyperson Sam Aanestad to increase childcare funding for low-income families. To view a PDF copy of the report, please click here.

The following links are to newspaper coverage of the event, and LIFETIME's ongoing efforts in Representative Herger's district:

Living with Welfare Reform: Chico takes center stage in national debate
http://www.newsreview.com/issues/chico/2002-02-28/news.asp

Herger Hears about how Welfare System is Flawed
http://www.chicoer.com/archives/index.inn?loc=detail&doc=/2002/February/23-174-news3.txt

The Cold Truth of Welfare Reform
http://www.newsreview.com/issues/chico/2002-02-21/guest.asp?Print=1

Up from Poverty: Welfare activists in Butte County could play a major role in upcoming welfare reform by speaking out
http://www.newsreview.com/issues/chico/2001-10-18/cover.asp

For further information, please contact Anita Rees at LIFETIME at amrees@geds-to-phds.org.

The town hall meeting on TANF Reauthorization was sponsored by LIFETIME, Low-Income Families' Empowerment Through Education, in partnership with 31 community, state and national groups including CFESS, Californians for Family Economic Self-Sufficiency; CalWORKs students from Shasta College, Butte College, and California State University Chico; CanWORK in Camptonville; DataCenter; Esplanade House; GROWL (Grass Roots Organizing for Welfare Leadership), KZFR Community Radio 90.1 FM; Legal Services of Northern California; the National Economic Development and Law Center; Touchstone; Valley Oak Children's Services; the Yuba Community Collaborative for Healthy Children in Camptonville; Wider Opportunities for Women; Butte College New Horizons Re-Entry Program; Butte County WIC Program; C.A.R.E. (California Advocates for Re-Entry Education), The California Campaign for Jobs and Income Support; CSU Chico Associated Students' Re-entry Program and Women's Center; CSU Chico School of Social Work; Center for Community Change; Child Care Planning Council of Yuba & Sutter Counties; Dress for Success of Yuba-Sutter; The National Campaign for Jobs and Income Support; The National Organization of Legal Services Workers, Local 2320, UAW; Northern Valley Catholic Social Services; PEN (Parent Education Network), and SEIU, Service Employees International Union Local 535.