Last week I had the opportunity to
meet Clarence Carter, Director of the Arizona Department of Economic Security
(DES), in an intimate setting with about eight other ASU students. Our focus
for the night was to delve into the issues of human services, dependency vs.
increasing human capacity, and question the responsibility of government to build
“safety net’s” for its citizens. For those unfamiliar with DES or what a safety
net system is, DES is the government agency responsible for promoting the
safety, well being, and self-sufficiency of Arizona residents. Safety net’s are
economic assistance programs of DES that provide safeguards against possible
hardships or adversity that would otherwise jeopardize the safety, well being,
and/or self-sufficiency of Arizona residents.
Mr. Carter’s impressive resume includes
a federal tenure under the administration of President George W. Bush where Mr.
Carter managed the $30 billion federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP). His interest in moving to Arizona was to implement what he believes
will be the next model safety net system which encompasses a stronger focus on
growing the capacity of Arizonians, reducing their dependency, while also
maintaining a “person centric” emphasis on the delivery of benefits, goods and
services. Mr. Carter calls this initiative “the Demonstration Project” and is
incredibly proud, passionate, and optimistic about its implementation.
My reflections on his vision and proposal
are generally positive. My only concern involves how Mr. Carter plans to
implement this massive reconstruction and how much it will cost taxpayers. When asked Mr. Carter added that he will not
require any additional funds to prove the effectiveness of this project.
Instead what Mr. Carter suggests is that he will find the funds within his
organization by cutting expendables and changing the criteria of some services.
He also is actively targeting and recruiting meaningful
stakeholders and partners invested in the effectiveness of this program in the sectors
of government, nonprofit, business, and academia.
I enjoyed reading about Carter's revised model for the SNAP system. I think his people-centric approach is one that should be echoed throughout other human service programs. Human Services are a vital aspect of government; however, when working in a conservative community, you will often find yourself defending the position that providing human services is an essential role of government.
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