- To
replace WA State Migrant
Council?
- It's
called "Washington State
Works"
- SUNNYSIDE (Monday
3-12-99)---Time was when Washington State Migrant
Council "replaced" Northwest Rural Opportunities as
provider of migrant education, manpower, and daycare
services in the state.
-
- Now, some state
officials believe "Washington State Works" may replace
WSMC as a major state provider of those
programs.
-
- WSW
reportedly is being organized with the help of Robert
Ozuna, a well known and talented WSMC worker who on
Friday left WSMC,
a multi-million-per-year statewide agency. WSW was
incorporated in January,
1997.
-
- If WSW wins the
major grants WSMC has administered since the 80s, it
would receive them from the federal Dept. of Labor and
Dept. of Health and Human Services, plus some smaller
state agencies.
-
- It would mark the
first time in years that two local, private, nonprofit
agencies have competed for millions in grant
funds.
-
- Ozuna, of
Grandview, wasn't immediately available for comment
today. WSMC director Carlos Diaz was "in a meeting"
according to his staff.
-
- Staff at WSMC
confirmed for YVN that WSMC is "still in business" and
that Robert Ozuna is "no longer here." The staffer
assured YVN that WSMC "is still going for the grants."
Asked about Ozuna and WSW's going after the same grant
funds, the staffer said "I guess that's his
plan."
-
- WSMC came under
fire recently after state and federal audits indicated
the agency was misspending public funds. The agency
reportedly has lost some grants and retained others.
Bottom line, in any case, is that WSMC appears far
from down and out.
-
- WSMC has, over
the past 16 years, developed a large infrastructure of
service outlets and staff in many Washington cities.
It would be a hard act to
follow.
-
- Shortly after the
demise of NRO in 1983, when that agency lost major
federal manpower and daycare grants for migrant
farmworkers, WSMC obtained NRO's daycare funding.
Manpower grants then went to Washington Human
Development.
-
- After WHD lost
the manpower funding in the early 90s, WSME
appropriated the migrant manpower funds as well.
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