More Maryland Families Than Ever Require Government Aid to Stay Afloat
More than 700,000 people receive food assistance, the most in state history, while a record 70,000 people depend on emergency cash assistance.
By Caitlin Johnston, Carl Straumsheim, and Kate McGonigle
Special to Capital News Service
The number of Maryland families who need government help to make ends meet has reached record levels.
More than 700,000 people receive food assistance, the most in state history. A record 70,000 people depend on emergency cash assistance. And the demand for the state's child care subsidy program has caused officials to impose an indefinite freeze on new applicants.
Yet state and federal officials are budgeting less money for the safety net in the coming fiscal year. The move reflects the government's confidence in the economic recovery, based in part on the fact that demand appears to have plateaued for most state-administered assistance programs.
Others question whether it is overly optimistic to cut back at a time when the state's assistance programs are still swollen with unprecedented numbers.
"It took from January 2008 to February 2012 to double the number of people enrolled in the Food Supplement Program," said Neil Bergsman, director of the Maryland Budget & Tax Policy Institute, a nonpartisan budget analysis organization. "It's not going to go down all that way in one year."
Bergsman questioned whether the department is projecting positive estimates to balance the state budget--a constitutional requirement in Maryland. The state faces a $1.1 billion deficit that legislators hope to eliminate over the next two years.
Pat Hines, the director of communication for the Maryland Department of Human Resources, said the budget is "our best projection of what the citizens of Maryland need in the next fiscal year."
"We think that our budget is accurate," Hines said. "And we're optimistic about the direction of the economy and of our numbers."
However, a report by the Department of Legislative Services Office of Policy Analysis suggested that services to families could be affected, since funding meant for struggling families would have to be spent on paying down the shortfall. If not, "the negative balance will just move from year to year," the report said.
Demand has been so high that the Department of Human Resources, which helps Maryland families with child care, cash and food assistance and medical services, was forced to request an additional $30 million in state funding in fiscal 2012. The shortfall occurred even though federal funding for the department has doubled from about $1 billion to nearly $2 billion each year since before the recession. An emergency fund created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to help states with rising demand also ran out by December 2010.
Should need rise again and exceed the budget, Hine said, the Department of Human Resources will again seek supplemental funds from the legislature.
While the numbers of needy families are higher than at any other point in history, the figures do not include the thousands of households who depend on food banks and charities because their income is too high for public assistance. To qualify, a family usually has to make no more than twice the Federal Poverty Level, or $40,000 for a family of three.
Jan
7:50 am on Thursday, May 24, 2012
A change that we can belive in.Where did I hear that ? Why we vote blindly Democratic and these guys do nothing for us.Our county council and county ex. are the worst.
JH
8:12 am on Thursday, May 24, 2012
Obama's failed policies and Maryland's santuary state practices produce this result. Impoverished people around the world flow into Maryland. The change that liberal Dems push.
Kennis Termini
8:54 am on Thursday, May 24, 2012
You are so correct. Are the Dems out to bankrupt America with their leaders socialist agenda?
Michael B. Cron
8:42 am on Thursday, May 24, 2012
Entitlements need to go away! It is too easy in this state for undeserving people to get something for nothing. Hard working citizens always get screwed. Our government representatives need to get paid by what they produce. "Hot air" doen't cut it!
Jeff Hawkins
8:55 am on Thursday, May 24, 2012
It's a sad story indeed. It's a long story with many characters, too long to hash it out here, but in short "you reap what you sow" and "elections have consequences".
Pachacutec
10:20 am on Thursday, May 24, 2012
I know the economy isn't in great shape and I have no problem with people who've been laid off or are otherwise truly down on their luck receiving assistance. However - I think the government needs to go after the "career" welfare recipients, the ones who aren't even trying to improve their lives. If someone is receiving assistance for a long time I feel they should have to periodically show that they are TRYING to find work or otherwise get out of the welfare cycle. Failing that, how about putting some of these people to work doing public service jobs,such as picking up trash by the highway, raking leaves, etc? Public assistance is just that - ASSISTANCE, not an entitlement.
jag
11:01 am on Thursday, May 24, 2012
Pachacutec, I've never been on unemployment, but I believe (theoretically) you have to prove you're actively searching for work. Granted, there have been ppl (even on this site) who have said they work cash jobs so that they can still collect unemployment even though they have at least part time work. Obviously those ppl are awful and lack basic self respect, which I find to be the root cause of our entitlement society. Too many ppl think they're god's gift to the country and they should be able to get handouts or services for free. That goes for rich people thinking they deserve tax deductions on their beach home mortgages and that goes for lower class folks who think they're entitled to live next to the metro in subsidized housing.
Sharon
10:08 am on Friday, June 1, 2012
Right on, Pachacutec!
Pachacutec
2:25 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012
Thanks for the comment; I was talking about public assistance such as welfare housing, food stamps, and that sort of thing, not unemployment. I also agree that far too many people feel they're somehow "owed" handouts. Again, I'm not talking about people who are really in need and trying to better themselves, but the ones who are, for all intents and purposes, parasites. Makes me mad when I hear that Social Security might not be around for those who've worked their whole lives and put money into THAT system, while others, rich or poor, can seemingly just hold out their hands and say "gimmee."
JustABill
5:15 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012
I am sorry Patch you must have this story all wrong. How can we have all these poor people on government assistance when according to the great and wise Governor O'Malley our state economy is strong and thriving? Clearly the US Census must also have this all wrong, because I am sure Governor O'Malley would never distort the truth to further his own personal agenda. Things to make you go Hmmmmm?
Bob
7:46 am on Friday, May 25, 2012
Why are my and others tax dollars paying for this. Too many hand outs and people taking advantage of a broken welfare system.lady in front of me bought crabs and paid for it with food stamp credit card then proceed out the door and gets into her brand new lexus. Stop these programs. Or puts 1 Year limit on welfare programs. McDonald's and Burger king are hiring all the time.no real shortage of work if people wanted to work.
jj
8:18 am on Friday, May 25, 2012
Yes, we see this so often. The Obama's food stamp culture ---- why work when welfare programs will meet your basic needs and criminal activity can handle the rest. A sorry state of affairs. Time for new leadership.
Saul Parker
8:57 am on Friday, May 25, 2012
Vote the bums out.
Reiflame
11:13 am on Friday, May 25, 2012
With the exception of Baltimore, the highest concentrations of Marylanders needing assistance is in the parts of the state that consistently vote Republican.
When will they learn not to vote against their best interests?
B Allen
8:44 am on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Maryland can start with getting rid of the illegals. We (yeah and I am including all the dems) are footing the bil for illegals to the tune of Billions of dollars a year. Even if it was $1B (which it is not) that would go a LONG way for the REAL citizens of MD. Why do you think OWEmalley had Gustavo Torres of CAsa of MD on his transition team and the scumbag Tom Perez (who was on the board of directors of Casa whem he was on MoCo council, as is others on the council) working as head of Labor in MD, until the nobama admin got him to the DOJ...they (the dems) are ALL wanting to make MD a socialist utopia, NOT ON MY WATCH THEY WON'T. Torres says there is a revolution going on and this article proves it, where he was part of the socialist coooommmm byeee ahhhh meeting in Venezuala http://themilitant.com/2007/7145/714503.html
Brian
9:24 am on Friday, June 1, 2012
Let's keep encouraging illegals to come to MD by doing things like offering them in-state tuition rates. It makes the Dems feel good about themselves, taxpayer be damned.