It's been five years since Congress passed controversial welfare reform legislation. The program that former President Clinton promised would "end welfare as we know it" has removed tens of thousands of welfare recipients from the rolls, but failed to address the problem of poverty. There are wide variations in state welfare requirements, time limits and available support services, but all states must abide by strict federal regulations limiting welfare benefits to a lifetime cap of five years.

Many media reports celebrate welfare reform as a major success, but often limit their examination solely to the decrease in numbers of welfare recipients, ignoring the dire conditions of poverty in which many former recipients are now forced to live. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, as welfare reform is formally known, will be subject to Congressional reauthorization next year.

Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Ann Withorn, professor of social policy at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and author of "For Crying Out Loud: Women's Poverty in the U.S." She talks about the down side of welfare reform, what poor families are doing to survive, and humane welfare policy alternatives.

"For Crying Out Loud: Women's Poverty in the U.S., is published by South End Press. For more information, visit the Women's Committee of One Hundred Web site: www.welfare2002.org

Related links:

• Federal Welfare Publications of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities www.cbpp.org
• "Average Incomes of Very Poor Families Fell During Early Years of Welfare Reform" Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Aug. 22, 1999.
• "Welfare Reform: War on the Poor?" Between The Lines Q&A/transcript of interview with Wendell Primus of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, for week ending Aug. 22, 1999
• "Percentage of the US Population on Welfare Since 1960" Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/January 1999. At its highest point in 1993-94, welfare recipients made up no more than 5.5 percent of the population.
• "On 5th Anniversary of Welfare Reform, Poverty Rates Unchanged," Between The Lines Q&A, transcript of interview with Ann Withorn, released Sept. 3, 2001
  NOW Campaigning to Dissuade CNN from Hiring Rush Limbaugh
  Interview by Scott Harris.

  Progressive activists, already angry about their virtual exclusion from news coverage and commentary in U.S. corporate media were horrified to learn that the AOL/Time-Warner owned Cable News Network was talking with Rush Limbaugh in hopes of hiring the right wing radio talk show host as a commentator.

  CNN, losing ground in the cable ratings war to Rupert Murdoch's unabashedly conservative Fox News Channel, presumably hopes to boost viewership by giving Limbaugh a new platform from which to spew what many label as sensational and hateful rhetoric. Although conservatives criticize CNN as a "liberal mouth piece," studies have revealed that the network offers little opportunity for labor, environmental or human rights activists to speak to the nation.

  In response to the CNN-Limbaugh negotiations, the National Organization for Women has launched a campaign to persuade the news network's management to look elsewhere on the political spectrum for new program hosts.

  Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with NOW president Kim Gandy, who explains why her group is working to stop CNN from giving Limbaugh a larger audience.

  Contact NOW by calling (202) 628-8669 or visit their Web site at www.now.org

  Related links:

  • "The Most Biased Name in News: Fox News Channel's extraordinary right-wing tilt" Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting's overview and special reports, www.fair.org.
  • "CNN Rushes Rush" by Al Franken, The Nation magazine, Sept. 3, 2001. This week's summary of under-reported news
    Compiled by Bob Nixon
    • Palestinian youths in Israel's Tel Mond prison go on hunger strike to protest conditions and beatings by guards. (World Press Review, September 2001)
    • Overwhelming medical bills forcing more patients to file for personal bankruptcy, but new legislation makes it harder to file. (The Progressive, July 2001)
    • Living wage movement success now target of corporate effort to limit workers' pay increases. (The Nation, July 23-30, 2001)

    Credits:
    Senior news editor/writer: Bob Nixon
    Program narration: Arch Currie
    News reader: Zelphia Hunter
    Segment Producers: Melinda Tuhus, Denise Manzari
    Distribution: Anna Manzo, Harry Minot, Jeff Yates
    Web editor/producer: Anna Manzo
    Executive producer: Scott Harris