If it’s broke, fix it. And Milwaukee County’s beleaguered Income Maintenance program needs fixing. The state’s solution? The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) wants to take over management of Income Maintenance.

    Under the plan, DHS would assume control of the Milwaukee County Call Center July 1, and assume responsibility for the remainder of the Income Maintenance programs on Jan. 1, 2010.

    “Everyone agrees the current system is broken,” wrote DHS Secretary Karen Timberlake in an op/ed piece (“Why The State’s Takeover is Necessary”) posted Feb. 10 on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Web site (www.jsonline). “This system needs to be fixed not only for residents but also for the department and the county to avoid penalties from federal courts and the federal government.”

    Notably, Timberlake also made a point of acknowledging that Milwaukee County employees weren’t the problem.

    “By taking over the management of the public benefit functions, we will create a culture of accountability that is focused on customer service and ensures that people do not lose their benefits,” Timberlake wrote. “Many county employees are caring, hard workers, but they are working in a broken system.”

    Initially, the idea was for the state to take over the whole program, and the 300 AFSCME jobs that go along with it, a la Child Welfare. But this time, the management arrangement would be a little different.

    “The hybrid model enables the County to get it back one day, unlike Child Welfare,” says AFSCME District Council 48 Executive Director Rich Abelson. “We were very much involved in discussions with the state to develop this model.”

    As of press time, DHS planned to hold community forums as a means to gather input from interested and/or affected parties. And the DHS plan certainly wasn’t a done deal; it’ll require backing from the Legislature.

    In the meantime, members of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors have expressed considerable concern about the proposal. As Board Chairman Lee Holloway put it in a Feb. 4 press release: “The plan presented by the state does not demonstrate or guarantee that citizens in need would be better served. … Locally, the County Executive and the County Board could consider instituting a different management model if the state requests it. … We at the County Board have done what we can with the inadequate financial resources provided by the state of Wisconsin. As Chairman of the Board, I’ve asked the state to bring more Income Maintenance resources into Milwaukee County …”

    State officials don’t appear to agree – and that includes at least one key member of the Milwaukee legislative delegation.

    “When it comes to the Milwaukee County Call Center, it is clear that the business-as-usual approach has failed,” said State Rep. Tamara Grigsby, who represents the 18th Assembly District and chairs the Assembly Committee on Children and Families, in a Feb. 3 prepared statement.

    “Under county supervision, nearly one in five FoodShare recipients has their benefits mistakenly removed due to administrative error. This lack of support is unacceptable and families in Milwaukee County deserve better.

    “The administration of these public assistance programs requires leadership and reform – County Executive [Scott] Walker has displayed an interest in neither,” Grigsby continued.

    “ ... The success of the Milwaukee County Call Center will require serious commitment and difficult choices. If Milwaukee County cannot perform the services required to improve the lives of the working families we represent, then I fully support Gov. Doyle’s decision to take over those administrative functions.”