It is possible to have too much of a good thing, even when it's a cash reserve.

The state Department of Human Services federal welfare reserve amounted to $111.8 million at the start of the year. It's the unspent Temporary Assistance for Needy Families money that accumulated over the years.

Of course, this money can be spent on direct aid to needy families, but federal rules also allow it to fund programs for job training, encouraging two-parent families and preventing out-of-wedlock pregnancy. However, leftover funds in reserve can only be used for direct aid.

DHS Director Lillian Koller argues that the stated goals can be fulfilled creatively: Preventing teen pregnancy, for example, can take the form of youth enrichment programs. Assuming that DHS is held accountable for its choices, this approach makes sense and deserves lawmakers' support.

However, rocky economic developments of recent weeks have left legislators feeling nervous about the future. Key committee members want to curb spending so that the reserve can be built up for leaner times ahead.

Koller has said she'd like to spend the reserve down to zero. That shouldn't be the goal. What matters more is that every expenditure produces results.

But being too tight with tax dollars can be counterproductive, too. The Legislature's plan to limit spending to $20 million next year is a premature reaction anticipating a long-term unemployment increase that may not happen. Some economists believe the state's job market can absorb a lot of the tremors from the closure of ATA and Aloha airlines and Molokai Ranch.

If anything, the TANF money could be wisely spent on job-training initiatives. There's more than enough of a cushion to allow lawmakers to monitor trends and revisit spending caps next year.

In a climate of dwindling funds for social programs, there is enough community need to justify using welfare money to bring people wider options in life. That will go further toward ending the cycle of poverty than letting dollars for cash handouts pile up.