Privatization of Assistance Programs – Wisconsin

Walker wants private sector to run assistance programs, By Jessica VanEgeren, May 11, 2011, Capital Times: “Vivian Colon is often the first point of contact for Dane County’s most vulnerable residents when they find themselves in desperate situations. From parents seeking emergency medical care for a sick child to those who live paycheck to paycheck and have little money left for food, Colon treats everyone the same when they walk through the doors of the Dane County Job Center on Aberg Avenue. She greets them with a smile. ‘A lot of people need help when they first come in,’ says Colon, who has worked for the county for nearly four years. ‘For some people, it’s their first time applying for benefits. Other people aren’t computer-friendly. They don’t know how to use a mouse or they can’t type. It’s my job to help them if they get stuck during any part of the process – beginning, middle or end.’ Every county across the state has a center like the one where Colon works. The centers function as one-stop shops where people can apply for food and medical assistance at the same time. Applications can be filled out online, over the phone or on paper. Whichever way applicants choose to go, county and state workers are there to help them through any stumbling blocks. But a provision in Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed budget would change all that by creating an ‘income maintenance administrative unit’ to centralize and largely privatize the operation of the food assistance, or FoodShare program, and Medicaid programs in Wisconsin…”