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Article published Aug 22, 2003
Task force wants Department of Social Services
reorganized
The Associated Press
A
proposal to restructure the Department of Social Services will be made soon by a
panel appointed by Gov. Mark Sanford to reduce state government waste, the panel
chairman says.
"We're looking at a huge restructuring of the way the
department carries out its work," Ken Wingate, chairman of the Gov.'s Commission
on Management, Accountability and Performance said in a meeting with editors and
reporters of The Greenville News.
Wingate would not provide details but
said the recommendations would be made public just after Labor Day.
He
was here for a public hearing at Greenville Technical College.
The
commission is reviewing all agencies in state government and will submit a
report to Sanford by Sept. 30. The panel singled out DSS for a full study
because of the agency's size.
DSS has 5,000 employees and has offices in
every county. Its divisions handle welfare, children's programs and health
programs, including Medicaid.
The recommendations can be ordered by
Sanford without legislative approval because DSS is a Cabinet agency under his
control.
About 60 people attended Thursday's hearing, including
Sanford.
Craig Stoxen asked for improved services for those with
autism.
Tim Gunter, a Greenville truck driver, urged the panel to prevent
law enforcement officers from using patrol cars, weapons and uniforms when off
duty. "Firefighters don't drive their fire trucks home," he said.
Norman
Goerlick, who moved here three years ago after retiring in Pennsylvania, called
for a streamlined sentencing system, greater discretion for judges, early
release of nonviolent criminals and more services for the homeless.
Dick
Jensen, who said he is a professional educator, suggested ending school bus
service for grade nine through 12 in urban areas and switching to private bus
companies in rural areas.
Suzanne Culp, a Department of Health and Human
Services employee, said her section's new computer system consistently
malfunctions. She also complained about the lack of raises for state employees
and their declining take-home pay in the face of escalating health insurance
premiums.
"We're going to lose people," she said.
Information
from: The Greenville News