Monday, May 07, 2007
The TANF Earmark Train
All the Ohio House Human Services Subcommittee talk of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) budget sustainability didn’t stop the Ohio House of Representatives from adding new TANF spending earmarks to H.B. 119.
It brings back memories of the state fiscal year 2002-2003 budget when the state fiscal crisis was hitting and TANF represented one of the only games in town for earmark seekers. At the time Governor Bob Taft put out the word that he the administration wouldn’t accept TANF earmarks and would veto them (he did veto earmarks for a TANF housing program, the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, the Ohio Association of Boys and Girls Clubs, funding for child welfare activities, and for abstinence only programs – only to agree to sign a budget corrections bill shortly thereafter that restored the earmarks). Of course that was the year that the Governor and legislature orchestrated the biggest TANF raid ever when they used TANF funds to supplant $175 million of state general revenue funds that had previously been used to fund state Head Start programs and then moved $60 million from the TANF Title XX account into the general revenue fund for the “purpose of balancing the general revenue fund.”
So who are newest winners in the TANF earmark chase? Well the Children’s Hunger Alliance saw the size of their earmark double from the last budget and the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbank got a TANF earmark as well. New earmark winners were the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development, Providence House, American Red Cross/Berea Children’s Home and Family Services, and the Center for Families and Children – Rap Art Center. Project GRAD which had an earmark of $185,000 a year in the current budget wasn't in either the governor or house version of the 2008-2009 budget.
The Governor’s budget included some of these earmarks plus it earmarked funds for things like the Governor’s Office of Faith Based Initiatives, and the Closing the Achievement Gap program.
Of course there was one group that got left behind in the rush to earmark the TANF block grant; the Ohio House turned back efforts by some legislators (Rep. Jimmy Stewart) and advocates to provide a cost of living increase to families and children receiving the monthly cash assistance grant beginning on July 1, 2007. At this point TANF recipients will have to wait until January1, 2009 for their grant increase.
It brings back memories of the state fiscal year 2002-2003 budget when the state fiscal crisis was hitting and TANF represented one of the only games in town for earmark seekers. At the time Governor Bob Taft put out the word that he the administration wouldn’t accept TANF earmarks and would veto them (he did veto earmarks for a TANF housing program, the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, the Ohio Association of Boys and Girls Clubs, funding for child welfare activities, and for abstinence only programs – only to agree to sign a budget corrections bill shortly thereafter that restored the earmarks). Of course that was the year that the Governor and legislature orchestrated the biggest TANF raid ever when they used TANF funds to supplant $175 million of state general revenue funds that had previously been used to fund state Head Start programs and then moved $60 million from the TANF Title XX account into the general revenue fund for the “purpose of balancing the general revenue fund.”
So who are newest winners in the TANF earmark chase? Well the Children’s Hunger Alliance saw the size of their earmark double from the last budget and the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbank got a TANF earmark as well. New earmark winners were the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development, Providence House, American Red Cross/Berea Children’s Home and Family Services, and the Center for Families and Children – Rap Art Center. Project GRAD which had an earmark of $185,000 a year in the current budget wasn't in either the governor or house version of the 2008-2009 budget.
The Governor’s budget included some of these earmarks plus it earmarked funds for things like the Governor’s Office of Faith Based Initiatives, and the Closing the Achievement Gap program.
Of course there was one group that got left behind in the rush to earmark the TANF block grant; the Ohio House turned back efforts by some legislators (Rep. Jimmy Stewart) and advocates to provide a cost of living increase to families and children receiving the monthly cash assistance grant beginning on July 1, 2007. At this point TANF recipients will have to wait until January1, 2009 for their grant increase.
