Turner, welfare innovator, addresses BHI luncheon

Jason Turner, newly appointed Commissioner of New York City's Human Resources Administration and Director of the Center for Self-Sufficiency in Milwaukee, spoke at a February 12 luncheon hosted by the Beacon Hill Institute and the David R. Macdonald Foundation. Turner's remarks, presented at the luncheon held in the Capitol in Washington, DC, were entitled, The Wisconsin Welfare Revolution: Has the Need for Federal Intervention in Welfare at Last Been Obviated?

Turner is a leading advocate of work as a means of reducing dependency. In 1993, he joined Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson's administration where he managed the statewide JOBS program, emphasizing early work as the most effective approach to self-sufficiency. The welfare rolls in Wisconsin have dropped more than 75% below their peak a decade ago.In his remarks, Turner described the Wisconsin program and offered his views on the future of welfare reform, particularly how his experiences in Wisconsin could be applicable to New York City.

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