An Empire Center Policy Forum in Cooperation with The Donald and Paula Smith Family Foundation

A distinguished panel of national, state and local policy experts gathered Oct. 26 in Albany to discuss the impact of the landmark 1996 Welfare Reform Act. Featured topics included how well reform was implemented in the Empire State and what the next governor can do to further promote effective change. This page features links to slide presentations by forum speakers, and will also include streaming audio and video of the entire event.

haskins_10-12-06-1350580
Ron Haskins, who played a key role in shaping the federal 1996 Welfare Reform bill, addresses the Empire Center’s Albany forum (© Dave Feiden).

Agenda:

PANEL 1
Ending Welfare As We Knew It
A Look Back at the 1996 Reform law

KEYNOTE:
Ron Haskins
Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
   REAL AUDIO: [LISTEN]
   REAL VIDEO: [VIEW]
   AUDIO: [MP3 DOWNLOAD]
   SLIDE PRESENTATION: [DOWNLOAD]

PANELISTS:
E.J. McMahon
Director, Empire Center
   REAL AUDIO: [LISTEN]
   REAL VIDEO: [VIEW]
   AUDIO: [MP3 DOWNLOAD]
   SLIDE PRESENTATION: [DOWNLOAD]

Richard Nathan
Director, Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government
   REAL AUDIO: [LISTEN]
   REAL VIDEO: [VIEW]
   AUDIO: [MP3 DOWNLOAD]

Robert Doar
Commissioner, New York State Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance
   REAL AUDIO: [LISTEN]
   REAL VIDEO: [VIEW]
   AUDIO: [MP3 DOWNLOAD]
   SLIDE PRESENTATION: [DOWNLOAD]

Q&A PERIOD
   REAL AUDIO: [LISTEN]
   REAL VIDEO: [VIEW]
   AUDIO: [MP3 DOWNLOAD]

PANEL 2
What Next for Welfare in New York?
Prioritites for the Next Governor

KEYNOTE:
Lawrence Mead
Professor of Politics, New York University
   REAL AUDIO: [LISTEN]
   REAL VIDEO: [VIEW]
   AUDIO: [MP3 DOWNLOAD]
   SLIDE PRESENTATION: [DOWNLOAD]

PANELISTS:
Russell Sykes
Deputy Commissioner, New York State Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance
   REAL AUDIO: [LISTEN]
   REAL VIDEO: [VIEW]
   AUDIO: [MP3 DOWNLOAD]

Don Friedman (invited)
Senior Policy Analyst, Community Services Society
   REAL AUDIO: [LISTEN]
   REAL VIDEO: [VIEW]
   AUDIO: [MP3 DOWNLOAD]

Janet DeMarzo
Commissioner, Suffolk County Department of Social Services
   REAL AUDIO: [LISTEN]
   REAL VIDEO: [VIEW]
   AUDIO: [MP3 DOWNLOAD]

Beth Berlin
Commissioner, Albany County Department of Social Services
   REAL AUDIO: [LISTEN]
   REAL VIDEO: [VIEW]
   AUDIO: [MP3 DOWNLOAD]

Q&A PERIOD
   REAL AUDIO: [LISTEN]
   REAL VIDEO: [VIEW]
   AUDIO: [MP3 DOWNLOAD]

About the Author

Tim Hoefer

Tim Hoefer is president & CEO of the Empire Center for Public Policy.

Read more by Tim Hoefer

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