• East Coast’s Longest • Homeschoolers Pier Proposed for N.C. Gather in Numbers BRAC Mixed Bag for State C A R O L I N A Diversity Plans for ECU Statewide Edition A Monthly Journal of News, Analysis, and Opinion from July 2005 • Vol. 14, No. 7 the John Locke Foundation www.CarolinaJournal.com JOURNAL www.JohnLocke.org State to Counties: We Like School Consolidation Legislators send message that would be deconsolidated in Meck- lenburg County would have to share in many ways that they administration funding for a single district. prefer larger districts But the plan could also be seen by many as a message to residents of Mecklenburg County: Deconsolidation By SAM A. HIEB of the city-county school system won’t Contributing Editor be easy. CHARLOTTE But the budget plan wasn’t the onsolidate or deconsolidate? first message legislators have sent. In That’s the question. April, a bill was killed in committee Few would dispute that the that would pave the way toward the Ctrend in public education over the last 30 deconsolidation of the Charlotte-Meck- years has been toward the consolidation lenburg schools. of county and city school systems. And The bill was introduced by Reps. it’s clear a good many power brokers in John Rhodes and Jim Gulley, both Raleigh want that trend to continue. Republicans of Mecklenburg County. In early May, Senate leaders backed Many school districts are struggling with the puzzling problem of deconsolidation Entitled the Mecklenburg Education off a plan in their proposed state bud- Freedom Act, it’s described as an “act get to pay for only one school district date them into one district, which would city school districts with county districts, to provide for education freedom for administration per county. The funding save $12 million in the state budget. saying there was no indication such a students, parents, and teachers in Meck- restriction was aimed at encouraging the The plan was proposed two years move would save money. 11 remaining counties with separate city after the N.C. Board of Education said Under the funding limit that was and county school districts to consoli- it would not pursue the merger of the removed from the budget, districts Continued as “State to Counties,” Page 3 Think Tank Gives N.C. Mixed Reviews on Welfare Reforms Caseload has been cut, but In a policy report published last fall President Bill Clinton. benefits that rated all the states on the results of The policy report, “Implementing • implement “diversion” pro- state’s poverty rate their policies, the Cato Institute gave the Welfare Reform: A State Report Card,” grams such as requiring mandatory job Tar Heel state a “C” grade, along with 19 evaluated state programs based on two searches or seeking alternative resources reduction is among worst other states. Idaho, one of four states to overarching criteria: structural reforms before receiving benefits earn an “A,” received the highest marks, and quantitative results. Cato graded • implement time limits for re- while Vermont ranked the lowest among states on how effectively their reform ceiving benefits By PAUL CHESSER the nine states that received an “F.” measures: • enforce their own welfare poli- Associate Editor Cato reviewed the states’ policies • limit benefits for families that cies. RALEIGH and practices since the federal overhaul have additional children while on wel- Cato also measured states’ results Washington, D.C.-based liber- of the welfare system in 1996, through fare in five categories: tarian think tank gives North the Personal Responsibility and Work • require unmarried mothers • caseload reductions Carolina a mixed review in a 50- Opportunity Reconciliation Act. The law under age 18 to remain in school and Astate analysis on the implementation of was pushed by the Republican Congress live with an adult welfare reform. and signed into law by Democratic • require work as a condition for Continued as “N.C. Gets,” Page 2 Best State Child Care Policy? The John Locke Foundation NONPROFIT ORG. Contents 200 W. Morgan St., #200 U.S. POSTAGE Raleigh, NC 27601 PAID RALEIGH, NC State Government 3 PERMIT NO. 1766 Washington Watch 6 Education 8 Tax Credits for Parents 54% Higher Education 12 Gov’t Grants for Centers 33% Local Government 16 Not Sure 13% Books & the Arts 20 Opinion 24 Parting Shot 28 % of N.C. Respondents in Oct. 2002 JLF Poll CAROLINA C A R O L I N A North Carolina JOURNAL JOURNAL N.C. Gets Middling Grade on Welfare Reform Continued From Page 1 Richard Wagner Editor • poverty rate • child poverty rate Don Carrington • teen birthrate Executive Editor • work participation Paul Chesser, Michael Lowrey Work first, time limits working Donna Martinez, Jon Sanders Associate Editors The 1996 law allowed states flex- ibility for the implementation of their Chad Adams, Shannon Blosser, welfare reform programs. States were Andrew Cline, Roy Cordato, given federal dollars to distribute Bob Fliss, David Hartgen, through the Temporary Assistance to Summer Hood, Lindalyn Kakadelis, Needy Families program, with work George Leef, Marc Rotterman, requirements and time limits attached as Karen Palasek, R.E. Smith Jr., Jack Sommer, John Staddon, a condition for receiving the funds. George Stephens, Jeff Taylor, The results have been largely im- Michael Walden, Karen Welsh pressive. In data culled from the U.S. Contributing Editors Department of Health and Human Services and from the National Center White House photo Jenna Ashley Robinson, for Policy Analysis, Cato reported a 58 President George W. Bush addresses the audience during a program honoring graduates Paul Messino, Brian McGraw percent reduction in welfare caseloads of welfare-to-work programs in the East Room on Jan. 14, 2003. Editorial Interns between 1996 and 2002. “The employment rate for never- individual welfare reform policies. and transportation, the state encourages married single mothers rose from 46 to “The states with the highest grades work and saving while keeping people 68 percent during roughly the same time ranked in the top third of the states in off welfare.” period,” wrote Cato’s welfare policy both structural reforms and quantitative Perhaps the greatest incentive that Published by analyst, Jenifer Zeigler, citing NCPA measures,” Zeigler wrote. drives the caseload reduction in the state The John Locke Foundation findings. North Carolina received a perfect is its time limit. The federal law only al- 200 W. Morgan St., # 200 But from state to state, reform score for its “family cap” policy, which lows for lifetime payments of up to five Raleigh, N.C. 27601 (919) 828-3876 • Fax: 821-5117 strategies and quantitative results vary means families that bear children while years, so the state must pay if it wishes to www.JohnLocke.org greatly, Zeigler wrote. Differences exist on welfare do not receive higher pay- grant benefits beyond that time period, not only because of types of programs, ments because of the new child. with some exemptions. North Carolina Jon Ham but also because of the states’ popula- However, the state rated a “zero” received extra credit from Cato for its Vice President & Publisher tion makeup due to factors such as sizes for the way it handles the requirement added limit of ineligibility for three years of urban areas, number of immigrants, for unwed teen mothers to remain in after providing benefits for two years. John Hood and economic changes. Degrees of suc- their parents’ home. While other states North Carolina also ranked in the Chairman & President cess in welfare programs, measured have stringent policies, Cato said North middle among the states for its sanc- quantitatively, must take those factors Carolina offered too many exemptions, tions policies. The most stringent of Bruce Babcock, Herb Berkowitz, into account. which makes it less effective. such policies bear serious consequences John Carrington, Sandra Fearrington, “Some programs also take time to But Cato offered praise for the for welfare recipients who do not meet Jim Fulghum, William Graham, produce results,” Zeigler said, “espe- state’s employment requirements as a requirements or are still on the program Lee Kindberg, Robert Luddy, cially programs designed to discourage condition for benefits. Recipients, who when their time limit is up. Such conse- William Maready, J. Arthur Pope, self-defeating behav- can receive benefits quences usually bring a reduced welfare Assad Meymandi, Tula Robbins, ior such as teenage for up to 24 months check. Cato categorized North Carolina’s David Stover, Jess Ward, pregnancy.” after moving from Andy Wells “The state has cut its sanctions policy as moderate. Board of Directors She said that welfare to work, are welfare programs caseload by nearly 69 ineligible afterwards North Carolina’s outcomes should not be judged percent since welfare for three years. solely on their re- “That approach Among all the states, North Caro- Carolina Journal is a monthly journal sults. reform was instituted.” may anger critics who lina ranked eighth in percent of reduc- of news, analysis, and commentary on state “It is difficult to — The Cato Institute’s call such strict lim- tions in its welfare caseloads. and local government and public policy issues place a numeric value its unfair to families But in other measured outcomes, in North Carolina. on structural reforms Jenifer Zeigler facing major set- the state did not fare as well. It ranked that encourage self- backs, but it certainly near the bottom (48th) in overall poverty ©2005 by The John Locke Foundation sufficiency and per- works,” Zeigler said. rate reduction, although it finished a Inc. All opinions expressed in bylined articles sonal responsibility,” “The state has cut more respectable 12th when only child are those of the authors and do not necessarily Zeigler wrote. its caseload by nearly 69 percent since poverty rate reduction was measured.