SAVE Commission's findings - La Follette School of Public Affairs ...

socialization, stewardship and entrepreneurship
in youth—might have an even greater positive
impact if they are more closely tied to other
activities.
Youth apprenticeship
programs and the
conservation corps are
two programs that operate
in relative isolation
from each other and yet
have similar objectives,
exposing youth to the
rhythm of work. However,
there are questions
about the ability of the WCC to attract workers.
All of the programs represent a considerable
investment of time, money and effort, yet
they are generally uncoordinated and fail to reinforce
each other and serve youth as a whole.
For youth to connect, they need to be involved
in the public system. Volunteer efforts
like Badger Boys and Girls State and the Strive
Foundation provide lessons and questions for
elected officials, business owners and all concerned
about how long we can go with youth
believing more and more they have no stake in
the system.
OLDER ADULTS
Many of the state’s programs and relationships
with older adults are driven by federal
programs and rules. The aging of society will
result in major fiscal challenges to the federal
government, state government and, of course,
all taxpayers. (Wisconsin will see a sharp increase
in older adults after the year 2000.)
“With the breakdown of the
family and educational system
we are guaranteeing the
continued recycling of poverty.”
Martin Schreiber, former governor
Under the Commission’s theme of selfreliance
and shared responsibility, questions
must be asked at all levels of government and
in all sectors about
what barriers exist to
older adult self-reliance.
In a bureaucratic
sense, barriers have
been erected unwittingly
in the Department
of Health and
Social services through
different and competing
cultures and purposes in different divisions.
This leads to counter-productive competition,
duplication and poor coordination.
In a larger sense, the issue of how to cope
with an aging society reaches from Green Lake
to Milwaukee County. It is important for the
entire state to address the challenge. However,
the assumption that “government can do it all”
is no longer operative. Now families, including
extended families (as was the case years ago),
have primary responsibility for elder care. Thus,
a review of the barriers to families caring for
older adults is needed.
Equally important is tapping the capacity
of seniors for continued service in household,
community and school. Many seniors now serve
as mentors, storytellers, classroom aides and
volunteers. The system could be in place where
many more would volunteer if legal, scheduling,
transportation and structural barriers were
removed.
Actions
6.1
Consolidate youth
functions.
6.2
Plan for aging of society.
Tom Frazier, Madison
“We need a culture of
self-reliance when it
comes to older adults.”
John A. Huebscher,
Madison
“State government has
a vital role as a buffer to
protect those in
Wisconsin who are
disadvantaged by birth.”
Gerald Whitburn,
DHSS Secretary
“The aging population
represents a significant
fiscal challenge to the
state in the long term.”
Judge Moria Krueger
“The entire juvenile
justice system should
be focused on how to
go out of business, how
to develop prevention
and intervention
strategies that reduce
the number of clients in
the system.”
R E S U L T S
Generations that
connect will:
1 Focus government programs
dealing with the young and the
elderly on efficient delivery, not
program boundaries or agency
authority.
2 Change the focus of programs
for youth and elderly to include
using the population as
participants and problem
solvers, not just service
recipients.
3 Enable state government
employees to ask not what their
program can do for youth and
the elderly, but what should be
done across problems in
cooperation with these
populations.
4 Bring youth and elderly into
programs as fellow citizens, not
as clients, and treat them with
dignity and respect.
5 Allow the family, linking across
all generations, to be viewed as
the focus entity instead of four
social workers for each person
in the family.
6 Reduce the cost of services
through program consolidation
and coordination.
CITIZEN • COMMUNITY • GOVERNMENT — WISCONSIN: THE 21 ST CENTURY 23