Good News Garage waiting on Executive Council

At its July meeting, the state Executive Council deferred action on a contract to provide cars to individuals receiving public assistance.

Good News Garage is a nonprofit that fixes donated cars and provides them to low income individuals referred by the state.  Those individuals must be enrolled in an approved work or training program.

On May 18 the Executive Council received a request to increase the contract with Good News Garage by $275,000.  That would cover 55 more cars.  At every meeting since then, the Council has delayed a vote.

Supporters argue that Good News Garage helps remove individuals from welfare rolls by enabling them to commute to work.

“When we take a single-parent household with two kids off TANF (Temporary Aid to Needy Families), we save $18,000 a year for the state,” said Gov. Maggie Hassan.  “Not to mention the difference it makes in the lives of the people we are talking about.” 

Opponents, including Councilor Dave Wheeler, are concerned that Good News Garage spends too much on administration.  He was particularly concerned with $125,000 budgeted for marketing to potential car donors.

Whether or not the Executive Council approves the increase this year, the entire contract with Good News Garage will come up for a vote again in 2017.

Do you have an opinion on the state contract with Good News Garage?  Let us know in the comments.