Show Representative Says Home Lien Not New DISCUSSES DIFFERENT PHASES OF WELFARE ARE PROGRAM The requiring of a lien on the homes of old age benefit recipients is not a anew anew anew new new law but rather a restoration of ofa a part of the former welfare law says State Representative Reuel E. E Christensen Christensen Christensen Chris- Chris of Ephraim When the old age assistance program was first started in the depression days not only the homes but insurance policies bonds and stocks bank accounts and other real and personal property were taken taken taken tak tak- en into account before assistance was given Mr Christensen said Most of f these restrictions were re removed removed removed re- re moved by the 1937 legislature a new philosophy of the state owes me a living has developed and those seeking the old age assistance or p pensions have multiplied rapidly Mr Christensen Christen Christen- sen points out outBack Back in 1933 when the sales tax was first instituted the fund for all welfare work was in round numbers Soon it was increased to to a m million then three m million dollars the legislator stated The last legislature passed a law lawt t J tak 61 th d f t if U o kU e 1661 e iture t o Ul we are funds from control of the governor and placed it under direction of the legislature To meet the demands of the program the legislature set up a budget of and then the special special special cial session gave another to the program to meet a an incurred de de- de All this money is matched by federal funds Mr Christensen states making a total of about a year for all classes of r relief lief with by far the greatest portion going to old age assistance With such a huge amount required to meet the growing program in the most boom times we have experienced just what would be the requirements should a slump occur Mr Christensen wonders The last legislature felt that the welfare program is a good undertaking ing which should be saved from de destruction destruction destruction de- de by and by an increase in the numbers of recipients until it would break the tn me state Slate financial system And so the legislature re-enacted re in substance the home lien requirement requirement requirement require require- ment of the original welfare act B But t they also made it possible for welfare recipients to receive additional aid from church agencies and relatives an ant and to accept employment to help themselves without having such money money money mon mon- ey deducted from their welfare grants Mr ir Christensen explains All this is in the new law passed by the present legislature he says Ian l Many Are Arc Past 65 He said there are some people people people peo peo- in Utah of the age where they are entitled to welfare ass assistance stance or orold orold orold old age pensions as the assistance is usually called At the rate these were coming onto the assistance rolls it would have been only a matter of three years until funds available would have been sufficient to provide but buta a mere pittance for each recipient say nothing of a decent living The Continued on page 5 Representative Says Home Lien Not New Continued from Page 1 only way to save the situation was to increase the sales tax or to requite require a lien on homes so as to eliminate The people generally including in including including in- in many age benefit recipients are very much opposed to an increased sales tax and so the legislature chose the lien on homes The legislators are as interested as anybody else in providing needed aid for the aged crippled and blind Mr Christensen points out but they do donot donot donot not want to see a program that will become so burdensome that state re resources resources resources re- re sources will be unable to carry it Points Out Misunderstandings Mr Christensen points points' out a number number number num num- ber of misunderstandings in connection connection connection tion with the welfare law lawOne lawOne lawOne One of these is that the sales tax money was designed solely for welfare welfare wel- wel fare rare purposes whereas the original law stated that tall all receipts over and above a given amount should go to the Jie school districts to relieve property taxes Each legislature has authorized authorized author- author zed use of part of the funds for other than welfare purposes and it never was the law and never the intent of the legislature that the sales tax money should be used solely for welfare pur pur- poses But a has grown up is and-is being widely disseminated that tha the he welfare recipients have full claim claimon on ALL sales tax money Mr Chrisensen Christensen Christensen Chris- Chris ensen states Another matter which Mr Chrisensen Christensen Christensen Chris- Chris ensen said aid to put it mildly is a misstatement misstatement mis- mis statement of fact is that the old people people people peo peo- are being told that if the state does oes foreclose on their homes the money received from such foreclosures ures will go into the general fund to relieve the property taxes of the mines banks big business etc This Representative Christensen brands as a abare abare bare jare faced untruth as the law expressly express- express ly y states that funds from foreclosures on on n homes of old age benefit recipients who vho have died will go into the welfare fund und Another growing philosophy noted by Mr Christensen is one that leads old age ge benefit recipients to believe and argue that they have paid taxes into the lie welfare fund and now they are arc entitled to get it back If that is true then ien certainly those who have paid the ie most sales taxes should be entitled to o the greatest benefits from the fund That hat would mean that the big spenders spend- spend ers rs the wealthy would be entitled to far ar greater grants from the fund than would could those who have been in need or r have been moderate spenders The welfare program was set up primarily to help the needy Mr Christensen points out As such it isa is isa a splendid program and should be kept for or that purpose and not allowed tobe to tobe toe be e destroyed by or by untruths untruths un- un truths ruths and false philosophies the legislator states To Discuss Matter at Public Meeting Meeting- Senator Ray P. P Lund of Manti and Mr Christensen are scheduled to discuss discuss dis- dis cuss the legislatures legislature's point of view of ofle the le Welfare at a public meeting meeting meeting meet meet- ing sponsored by the Ladies Republican Study Club of Ephraim to be held inthe in inthe the lie Ephraim City auditorium at o'clock clock Thursday June 17 Everyone is is invited to attend and an open discussion discussion dis- dis will follow the talks by the legislators o o o. o |