Passing the Buck

PRESIDENT REAGAN'S "New Federalism," unveiled in his State of the Union message last week, contains little that is new or encouraging. It is merely a new Providential packaging of repressive economic policies in fancy language, the latest in a series of smokescreen to defer responsibility for the devastating impact of his policies on this nation's poor. We urge Congress to stand up to the Administration by rejecting its latest initiative. If it does not, the President's string of deceptive attacks on America's needy will only grow longer and cause more suffering.

The President's latest initiative would put under national jurisdiction the handful of social programs, like Social Security, that it contends are best administered by the federal government, while gradually returning some 43 programs to states or localities. Undertaken in the name of federalism. These steps would deal the needy a double blow. while divert attention from the suffering and unemployment induced by last year's social cuts.

The few programs that the federal government would still run would face renewed budget reduction: President has already announced some $31 billion in cuts . including deep ones in medical and health that would remain under national supervision. Reagan's that the complete federal takeover of Medicaid in some sense assist the sickly is cruelly misleading. the sweeping cuts he has targeted for that program.

The President's second --against those who now derive benefits from programs that would become entirely local--is even its deception. In his address. Reagan pledged to give the takes federal money to pay for the 43 programs slated to come local, but the transfers he projected are at least 20 percent less than the current costs of the programs they .

In responsibility for dying social programs. then, the president ironically would present states with a political person's Choice. Either they would have to assume responsibility, for eliminating beneficiaries from less generous programs, or boost property and other local taxes dramatically. The New Federalism appears a political masterpiece of indirection designed to protect the President from flak. while dumping responsibility for his cuts on the states. Congress must not let him get away with that scheme.

There is a place for local administration for social programs, the inadequacy of many Great Society measures of the 1960s stemmed in part from their failure to allow for local implementation. But given the inability and unwillingness of many states to hike taxes to pay for support services. federal subsidies are necessary to avoid inequities between states and in adequate social aid in most. The aid disparities among states that the President's peculiar brand of federalism would promote would only entice the nation's needy to congregate where welfare benefits are highest. And his decentralization of environmental Regulations would only weaken the national government's potency where it is needed most.

As governor of California. Ronald Reagan tried to dump statewide programs onto localities, which responded by raising taxes dramatically. The result, several years later, was a massive property tax revolt that swept dozens of incumbents from office. Reagan, however, escaped blame; by then, he had left office and was off and running for the White House. This time, we hope he is not so lucky. Congress should reject his New Federalism and expose it for what it really is: the President's latest ploy to escape responsibility for the virtual war he has declared on America's needy.

The President's second --against those who now derive benefits from programs that would become entirely local--is even its deception. In his address. Reagan pledged to give the takes federal money to pay for the 43 programs slated to come local, but the transfers he projected are at least 20 percent less than the current costs of the programs they .

In responsibility for dying social programs. then, the president ironically would present states with a political person's Choice. Either they would have to assume responsibility, for eliminating beneficiaries from less generous programs, or boost property and other local taxes dramatically. The New Federalism appears a political masterpiece of indirection designed to protect the President from flak. while dumping responsibility for his cuts on the states. Congress must not let him get away with that scheme.

There is a place for local administration for social programs, the inadequacy of many Great Society measures of the 1960s stemmed in part from their failure to allow for local implementation. But given the inability and unwillingness of many states to hike taxes to pay for support services. federal subsidies are necessary to avoid inequities between states and in adequate social aid in most. The aid disparities among states that the President's peculiar brand of federalism would promote would only entice the nation's needy to congregate where welfare benefits are highest. And his decentralization of environmental Regulations would only weaken the national government's potency where it is needed most.

As governor of California. Ronald Reagan tried to dump statewide programs onto localities, which responded by raising taxes dramatically. The result, several years later, was a massive property tax revolt that swept dozens of incumbents from office. Reagan, however, escaped blame; by then, he had left office and was off and running for the White House. This time, we hope he is not so lucky. Congress should reject his New Federalism and expose it for what it really is: the President's latest ploy to escape responsibility for the virtual war he has declared on America's needy.

In responsibility for dying social programs. then, the president ironically would present states with a political person's Choice. Either they would have to assume responsibility, for eliminating beneficiaries from less generous programs, or boost property and other local taxes dramatically. The New Federalism appears a political masterpiece of indirection designed to protect the President from flak. while dumping responsibility for his cuts on the states. Congress must not let him get away with that scheme.

There is a place for local administration for social programs, the inadequacy of many Great Society measures of the 1960s stemmed in part from their failure to allow for local implementation. But given the inability and unwillingness of many states to hike taxes to pay for support services. federal subsidies are necessary to avoid inequities between states and in adequate social aid in most. The aid disparities among states that the President's peculiar brand of federalism would promote would only entice the nation's needy to congregate where welfare benefits are highest. And his decentralization of environmental Regulations would only weaken the national government's potency where it is needed most.

As governor of California. Ronald Reagan tried to dump statewide programs onto localities, which responded by raising taxes dramatically. The result, several years later, was a massive property tax revolt that swept dozens of incumbents from office. Reagan, however, escaped blame; by then, he had left office and was off and running for the White House. This time, we hope he is not so lucky. Congress should reject his New Federalism and expose it for what it really is: the President's latest ploy to escape responsibility for the virtual war he has declared on America's needy.

There is a place for local administration for social programs, the inadequacy of many Great Society measures of the 1960s stemmed in part from their failure to allow for local implementation. But given the inability and unwillingness of many states to hike taxes to pay for support services. federal subsidies are necessary to avoid inequities between states and in adequate social aid in most. The aid disparities among states that the President's peculiar brand of federalism would promote would only entice the nation's needy to congregate where welfare benefits are highest. And his decentralization of environmental Regulations would only weaken the national government's potency where it is needed most.

As governor of California. Ronald Reagan tried to dump statewide programs onto localities, which responded by raising taxes dramatically. The result, several years later, was a massive property tax revolt that swept dozens of incumbents from office. Reagan, however, escaped blame; by then, he had left office and was off and running for the White House. This time, we hope he is not so lucky. Congress should reject his New Federalism and expose it for what it really is: the President's latest ploy to escape responsibility for the virtual war he has declared on America's needy.