Mayor Bloomberg convincingly complains that Washington takes billions of dollars more from city residents than we get back in federal aid. So why is he turning down free food stamps for poor New Yorkers?

Washington seems willing to exempt New York City from the three-month limit on food stamps for healthy adults under 50 who don’t have children. But Mr. Bloomberg nixed the idea – arguing that the free money is counterproductive. By denying food stamps to people capable of working, Mr. Bloomberg figures they’ll be forced to find jobs and become self-sufficient.

He has a point. To a point.

This line of thinking dates back a decade to Mayor Giuliani’s crackdown on welfare. That effort worked, with public assistance rolls declining dramatically. Under Mr. Bloomberg, welfare remains an option of last resort – rather than an easy entitlement that creates welfare queens.

Now Mr. Bloomberg is taking this tough approach to an unnecessary extreme. If Washington bureaucrats want to help several thousand poor New Yorkers, Mr. Bloomberg should let them. Even the mayor’s top aides responsible for social services know that. Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs and Human Resources Commissioner Verna Eggleston were about to let this free money flow. But when their plan landed on Page One of Monday’s Times, Mr. Bloomberg pulled the plug.

On most matters, Mr. Bloomberg defers to his appointees on matters where they have expertise. There has been remarkably little turnover among Mr. Bloomberg’s senior staff in large part because he picks specialists and provides them with actual authority to do their jobs. Of all the opportunities to micromanage, this occasion makes very little sense.

Last year’s campaign would have been the perfect time for Democrats to point out the mixed messages of asking Washington for money while turning down free money. But the Democrats for the most part didn’t want to sound soft on welfare.

In a perfect world, federal funding would be a choose-your-own-adventure – Washington would set aside a big pot of money, and city officials would then spread those dollars around as they see fit. Our Federal government, unfortunately, isn’t so flexible – and Mr. Bloomberg often fails to win money for worthy programs. That doesn’t mean he shouldn’t take money for programs Washington deems worthy. Especially when there is zero cost to the city treasury, New York should just take the help.

Mr. Bloomberg’s team displayed remarkable consistency during his first term. There were surely plenty of disagreements in the bullpen where Mr. Bloomberg and his top aides work – we just hardly ever heard about them. The flap over welfare money provides a rare peek at tension in Mr. Bloomberg’s administration.

Late last week, Ms. Gibbs ran her plans by Mr. Bloomberg and apparently felt confident he’s give the thumbs-up. Given her success rate within City Hall, Ms. Gibbs’s confidence is easy to understand. She’d previously been the Commissioner of Homeless Services, and frequently won the mayor’s praise for her innovative solutions to overcrowding and safety in shelters. She conducted a census of the city’s homeless population.

These accomplishments won Ms. Gibbs a rare promotion into City Hall’s inner circle. This welfare flap was an unwelcome unforced error. Ms. Gibbs inadvertently provided ammunition to those who want to position her billionaire boss as unsympathetic to the poor – although Mr. Bloomberg’s tremendous popularity will insulate him from any meaningful immediate fallout. Even so, local officials rarely land on the front page of the Times for policies they’re actually pursuing. Mr. Bloomberg can’t have enjoyed being there for a policy he doesn’t even like.

By moving swiftly to end further debate about the food stamps plan, Mr. Bloomberg will surely deter other aides from following Ms. Gibbs and Ms. Eggleston off the reservation. From a management perspective, this will help him run a tight ship by reminding appointees who has the last word. That doesn’t necessarily mean he made the right decision.

Mr. Goldin’s column appears regularly.