Smit Calls For Overhaul Of Welfare

State Kep. Raymond J. Smit.l R-Ann Arbor, called for "mas-1 ive overhaul of our welfare I concept," stating it is "longl overdue." Speaking to a group of citizens I at the home of Mrs. Dewightl DeRoo, 4449 Loch Alpine Dr.,1 Smit said he takes "strenuousl objection with those of my col-1 eagues in the legislature whol are trying to lay the blame forl the mess Michigan welfare is in I at the f eet of the county." He said the problems of thel past weeks in Washtenaw Coun-I ;y "are a direct result of thel iestering hodge-podge of federal I and state programs that overlap I and confuse even the informeel I officials, so it is little wonder I that individual citizens have! very little understanding of howl their dollars are doled out." ! "The program must havel dramatic revisión," he said, not-l ing that Aid to Dependent Chil-I dren caseloads statewide arel spiraling at a rate of 800 cases I per month. He called for a re-l vamping of the organizationall structure of welfare, a "cora-I plete reorientation on our think-l ing of how welfare dollars arel spent," and a change in the at-l titude of the welfare recipiënt! toward the efforts of society tol help him. Smit -said prompt action isl needed at both state and federal! levéis to roll back the cycle ofl poverty the welfare effort hasj perpetuated. "We must all rec-l ognize that welfare is not go-l ing to go away. We have a responsibility in our society to help those who need help. On the other hand we cannot afford continuation of the current tragic program." He also said many desirable programs have been thwarted in Lansing by the roadblocks imposed by federal law and controls on how the federal j money is spent. "I am prepar-j . ing legislation to be introducedl into the 1969 session of the leg-j islature to correct some of these difficulties. Gov. Romney is having recommendation prepared and I will make e very effort to coordinate with his program where possible." I