It’s about what you’d expect.
The state agency that oversees Texas’ food stamp program is outdated and staffed by inexperienced workers, leading to long delays and inaccurate processing, said the state auditor in a report released Tuesday.
“To improve the timeliness and accuracy of (food stamp) eligibility determinations, the commission must modernize its eligibility determination processes and continue to improve its management,” said the report by the State Auditor’s Office in Austin.
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The auditor recommended that the commission immediately buy inexpensive scanning equipment to create electronic case files and that it take steps to help applicants understand what information they must provide, thereby reducing the number of trips they are forced to take to the eligibility offices.
The commission should also post basic eligibility information, train clerical staff to answer frequently asked questions and make sure it has the right number of experienced staffers, the auditor said.
I think the best solution would be to build a time machine, travel back to 2003, and somehow prevent the disastrous privatization scheme from ever taking place. Failing that, the auditor’s report, which you can read here, has some good ideas, too. The CPPP has more.