The status of welfare in America faces change in the immediate future. And the results could be dramatic.
At the Fedele F. and Iris M. Memorial Lecture on Child Welfare yesterday University alumnus A. Sydney Johnson, executive director of the American Public Welfare Association, stressed that ordinary citizens can and should go to policy makers and state their views.
"Policy makers are just people sitting around a table, drinking coffee out of plastic cups - they're no different from the rest of us," Johnson said.
Johnson addressed the welfare legislation passed by Congress last year, gave predictions on their various results and listed ways in which individuals can voice their concerns on public issues.
The effects of welfare legislation recently passed by Congress are uncertain, Johnson said.
"It is obviously too soon to see if those effects will be positive, negative, or mixed," Johnson said. "It's the first major change in social welfare since its conception."
One negative scenario would have families facing a decrease in their coverage, Johnson said. On the other hand, welfare changes could help make families more self-sufficient and make parents better role models for their children.
Johnson also noted that the effects of the bill will vary from state to state.
"States' results will be uneven," Johnson said. "The biggest determiner of success will be the status of the economy."
Some University students reacted enthusiastically to the lecture and said they were excited about its message.
"He brings political figures down to our level," said Debby Brown, Public Health second-year student. "They're human beings just like ourselves."
Johnson also noted that University students have a great opportunity to influence changes in welfare policy in the current transitional period.
"More students should consider careers in public government," Johnson said. "In all my years of public service, I have never experienced a period of greater cynicism of government. I think that if you look at government programs in comparison to private sector programs, they stack up pretty well in terms of efficiency and waste."
The lecture series is presented annually in recognition of former University dean and vice president Fedele Fauri, whose leadership in the field of child welfare spanned nearly five decades.
Fauri's achievements include serving as social security adviser for President Kennedy and as research director on social security for the U.S. Senate.
JENNIFER BRADLEY-SWIFT/Daily
A. Sydney Johnson, executive director of the American Public Welfare Association, spoke yesterday about the future of child welfare.