I wrote a story, which appeared in Saturday's paper, about Gov. Chris Gregoire's proposal to cut about 22,000 people off state assistance by eliminating the GAU and ADATSA programs. (See story below to have acronyms spelled out.)

There should have been a comment from House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, inserted into that story. I interviewed him after I turned in my story, but apparently his remarks never caught up with my story.

So, here they are: "I care about those folks," Chopp told reporters last Thursday. "We're looking to make some changes (to GAU) in a logical way . . . otherwise some people could die."

Chopp has spent a big chunk of his life working for the poor. He used to be executive director of the Fremont Public Association in Seattle. The group changed its name to Solid Ground, but still lists Frank as a "senior advisor.".

Anyway, it's one of those non-profits that gets state and other social service contracts to help the poor. So Frank has come in contact with a lot of GAU folks, and continues to in his role as Speaker. He said a group came in to see him last week.

Safety net could be snipped
LAST RESORT OF STATE'S POOREST THREATENED. State aid of $339 a month to unemployable people would be cut under the governor's budget. Advocates question eliminating a lifeline to 22,000 of our neediest residents.

By Joseph Turner; Joe.turner@thenewstribune.com

Cameron Hartwell, a former mill worker who lives in Lacey, is one of 36,000 people in Washington who get a government check and free medical coverage because they have a physical, mental or drug-related condition that makes them unfit for work.

The check is for $339 a month.

It isn't much. Certainly not enough to live on. But the state program that serves Hartwell is pretty much the last rung on the ladder. General Assistance Unemployable, commonly known by its acronym, GAU, is mostly for single people with no children.

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It's one of the programs that Gov. Chris Gregoire has targeted for elimination as she tries to plug an anticipated $6 billion hole in a $32 billion two-year state budget. Social service advocates are fighting the proposal, saying that cutting the safety net would put more people on the street.

GAU is where one ends up after exhausting all other forms of state assistance: unemployment benefits and worker's compensation. Most GAU clients never were eligible for conventional welfare. That's for moms or dads with kids. Half of the people on GAU were never married. Another 30 percent are divorced.

"This is the last bastion of aid to single people," said Robin Zukowski, a lawyer for Columbia Legal Services, which represents some GAU clients.

For many, the state GAU program is where they wait while they try to get onto more generous and more permanent federal assistance programs, such as Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income.

That's where Hartwell finds himself.

"I have severe problems with my spine," he said this month. "My neck is messed up. I have a degenerative disc. I worked as a mill worker all my life and apparently it was doing all that heavy lifting."

Hartwell, 47, said he was a mill worker for 26 years, most recently building windows and doors for a company in Thurston County. He said he first filed for Social Security Disability benefits in February 2006 after his worker's compensation benefits ran out. His initial claim was denied. He appealed. He said he's been waiting 15 months for a hearing on that appeal.

"It's frustrating," he said. "The government is stalling while people are waiting to get the Social Security they were promised when they started working."

Zukowski said a wait of 24 to 36 months to gain approval for federal benefits isn't uncommon, nor are two or three appeals.

Gregoire is recommending that the Legislature stop giving benefits to 22,000 of 36,000 people who now receive general assistance. That includes 16,000 people on GAU and 6,000 on a similar program, the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment Support Act. ADATSA was spun off in 1987 because lawmakers were criticized for giving "drunk checks" to people living on the streets. Now they're supposed to get treatment and limited financial assistance.

She would keep programs that helped 14,000 people who were blind, aged or likely to move eventually onto a federal support program.

'ADDITIONAL NEED FOR SERVICES'

The governor's budget office says the state can save nearly $415 million over the next two years by making such a move, although Gregoire would boost spending on homeless shelters by $20 million and for community health clinics by $40 million to offset some of the impacts of ending the two assistance programs.

"She knew there would be additional need for services to counties and local communities," said Leslie Goldstein, Gregoire's human services policy adviser. "The governor said this is one of the cuts that she really hates. (But) when you look at what kinds of cuts to make in human services, there are very few places to go. Many other states have made this decision, not to have a GAU program."

The main reason: Nearly all the money comes from the state, whereas many other programs are funded 50-50 by the federal government.

The primary savings would come from forgone health care costs. The state would spend $255 million providing medical coverage to GAU and ADATSA clients in 2009-11. The remaining $160 million would come from eliminating the benefits checks.

Gregoire plans to keep 14,000 people on state assistance largely because the federal government will reimburse most of the money the state paid up front while applications for federal benefits were pending. That retroactive check also is bigger because the SSI monthly payment is $674.

"People can't live on $339 a month while they're waiting to get approved for Social Security," Hartwell said. "If it wasn't for the graciousness of the person that loves me, I would be in the back of my truck sleeping at night."

Hartwell thinks his Social Security Disability check would be more than $1,000. That, he could live on, just barely, he said.

"Many folks that are on GAU are homeless or near homeless," said Mary Wood, office chief for eligibility and policy at the Health and Recovery Services Administration. That's a branch of the state Department of Social and Health Services, the one that determines whether applicants qualify for medical coverage.

"It would be difficult to rent a home" for $339, she said. "People oftentimes are sharing a place or renting a room."

That $339 monthly check hasn't changed in 18 years.

"You can't survive on that amount per month," said Mia Navarro, executive director of the Washington State Coalition for the Homeless. "They're either living in a shelter for part of the month, or have enough money to get a hotel room or motel room. Otherwise, they're homeless."

If those programs are cut, many of those people would end up on the streets, in hospital emergency rooms or in jail, Navarro said. She said Gregoire's proposal to spend more on shelter and food banks would help, but it wouldn't be nearly enough.

'it's far from a complete fix

"We're very happy to see the $20 million for emergency shelter, but that will just barely meet the unsheltered needs out there right now," Navarro said. "But it won't cover GAU. And that will be nowhere near enough to help the people who will become homeless because of the current economic crisis."

"Homeless shelters have a 90-day limit per year, so it's far from a complete fix," she said.

Navarro said this could just be part of the budget process, like the one in 1995 when the GAU program also was targeted.

"Governors have threatened to cut it, and the Legislature always puts it back in," she said. "I've heard from various legislators that they will do what they can to make sure GAU remains intact."

Zukowski said she, too, has seen governors threaten to cut GAU and the Legislature restore funding in the final budget.

"But we've never looked at a deficit of this size before, so I'm more scared than I was before," she said.

Joseph Turner: 253-597-8436

blogs.thenewstribune.com/politics

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What do GAU clients get?

Cash benefits of $339 per month for individuals, $428 per month for a couple if both are incapacitated, or $173 per month if living with family. They also get medical coverage.

Who gets GAU?

People between 18 and 64 years of age who cannot work for more than 90 days but less than one year because of a qualifying physical or mental disability. Physical ailments would include a broken arm, uncontrolled diabetes and arthritis. Mental disabilities would include bipolar disorder or depression. Most recipients, 53 percent, have a physical disability; 44 percent have mental health problems.

How many people would lose benefits under the governor's proposal?

The program has three components. The governor would eliminate General Assistance Unemployable, which had an average monthly enrollment of 16,042 last year. She would keep the General Assistance Expedited program, which has average monthly enrollment of 11,842 in 2008. She also would keep General Assistance for the Aged, Blind, Disabled, which had 3,288 on its rolls.

What's the difference between GAU and GAX?

GAX is mainly for people with permanent, or at least longer-term, disabilities whom the state believes eventually will be approved for assistance from federal programs such as Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income.

How much money does the governor hope to save?

Overall, the state would save $415 million between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2011. That includes about $255 million in medical costs for those enrolled in the GAU and Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment and Support Act programs combined.

The balance, $160 million in savings, would come from eliminating benefit checks and living stipends for both groups.

However, the net savings would be $355 million because the governor wants to spend $20 million more on homeless shelters and $40 million more on community health clinics.

What is ADATSA?

ADATSA is an offshoot of the General Assistance programs. It's for people whose primary disability or reason for not working is their addiction to alcohol or drugs. They are sent to drug treatment. They get medical coverage while they're waiting for treatment, but no cash benefit. Their living stipend after treatment can rise to $339 a month, which generally is paid directly to landlords of "clean and sober" housing.

How many people would lose benefits?

According to the state Department of Social and Health Services, the total is 22,000 - 16,000 on GAU and 6,000 on ADATSA.

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Joseph Turner, The News Tribune

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QUESTIONS, ANSWERS ON GENERAL ASSISTANCE

Here are facts and figures for Washington's General Assistance Unemployable and related programs. Gov. Chris Gregoire has targeted the GAU program for elimination in the 2009-11 budget cycle. That would drop about 16,000 from its rolls. Here's where those people lived in 2008, on a monthly average.

County Number Percent of total

King 5,106 31.8

Pierce 1,894 11.8

Snohomish 1,396 8.7

Thurston 480 3

Kitsap 444 2.8

Spokane 1,398 8.7

Yakima 614 3.8

Whatcom 519 3.2

Clark 492 3.1

Benton 378 2.4