Issue: Welfare

Voters in San Francisco recently approved a ballot measure that calls for fingerprinting welfare recipients to cut down on fraud, and also requires them to work at least 18 hours a week for the city. Should such requirements be implemented here?

* Eke Ochuru, attorney; Inglewood “That is a good idea if you can avoid fraud and if they won’t use it for some type of witch hunt. If people know why they are being fingerprinted maybe they’ll think (twice) about (applying for welfare), but you don’t want to create a situation where you humiliate applicants. I guess I’m worried about people who might get discouraged because they are afraid.”

* Joe Cobarrubias, engineer for the , City of Los Angeles “I personally think it’s a great idea. . . . People who really need to have welfare will get it, and people who are taking from the system and taking away from those who really do need it and aren’t deserving of it won’t get it. Basically, short of complete welfare reform, this is great. And as far as making them work 18 hours, that sounds interesting if they provide job training and it doesn’t cost more to administer it.”

* Marina Echeverie, food worker; Los Angeles “I think it’s a good idea. Some people work and then try and apply for welfare. For me, if they really need welfare they will apply. They won’t get discouraged from applying, and if they don’t really need it maybe this will keep them from doing it. I think it’s marvelous that they must work (the 18 hours.) I work and I know that it’s hard, but you can do it.”

* Saundra Turner-Settle, project director, Alternative Services for county Department of Children’s Services “It will impact us because we have a large caseload of welfare-recipient families and thus, one of the things we have to look out for is the care and supervision of these minor children while the parents are working. And in terms of being proactive, we need to consider a child care option while the parent is meeting the 18-hour requirement. Now for people to meet the welfare eligibility requirement they have to provide very detailed documentation of who they are. The fingerprinting will be very absolute, but I don’t know that it will impact the fraud because with fraud, many times it has to do with people who get welfare for additional children that are not their birth children. And I think another frequent occurrence is misuse of the welfare money. So I’m not sure how much the fingerprinting will deter people from applying.”

--Compiled by Sandra Hernandez , Times community correspondent