Cultural values
Some
of
the
territories,
particularly
in
the
Pacific
region, identified programs which have not been appropriate.
For example, Guam officials said the territory has participated
in programs that have disrupted the local culture, such as those
sponsored
under
the Older American Act of
1965,
which has
altered the traditional responsibilities of the extended family
by shifting care for the elderly from the family to the qovern-
ment.
local
American Samoan officials said that they recognize that the
culture is sometimes threatened by well-intentioned fed-
eral programs.
As a result, Samoa selectively applies for programs; for example, although eligible to do so, it has chosen
not to participate in the federal Food Stamp Program, and Aid to
Families With Dependent Children because they have a “welfare"
connotation that is unacceptable in the Samoan culture.
Burdensome rules
and regulations
Several
territorial
officials
said
that
application,
reporting, and monitoring procedures for some federal programs
are difficult to comply with because of limited local resources.
Program officials
in Guam said
that the medicaid reporting
requirements were burdensome for the local agency staff.
A
Virgin Islands official said that environmental compliance standards tied to grant funding were inappropriate because the local
agency did not have the resources or personnel to perform con-
tinuous testing.
regulations should
Puerto Rico officials said that reporting
be relaxed for those programs in which the
Commonwealth does not fully
nutritional assistance.
Exclusions and
from programs
participate,
such
as
medicaid
and
limitations
Federal assistance programs are often extended to the ter-
ritories by defining them as states, but funding allocation formulas often differ from those of the states.
Usually, appropriation language states that the territories will share in a
specified percent of the amount appropriated for the program or
it specifies a set amount for each territory.
For example,
the
nutritional assistance program which replaced the food stamp
program, established an annual ceiling of $825 million in Puerto
Rico.
No ceiling applies to states under the food stamp pro-
gram.
they
Many
territorial
consider
uneven
officials
funding
expressed
treatment
concern
relative
to
about
the
what
states.
For example, all the territories are subject to a dollar ceiling
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