Democrat Hillary Clinton offers plan to cut child poverty in half in a dozen years
By MIKE GLOVER , Associated Press
Last update: February 28, 2008 - 2:54 AM
HANGING ROCK, Ohio - Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton is offering a plan to improve childhood nutrition and setting a goal to reduce by half the 12 million youngsters living in poverty over the next dozen years.
A package of proposals, to be unveiled Thursday, includes a "comprehensive" early education initiative that starts with nurse's visits for pregnant women, lets children begin the Head Start program earlier and calls for universal pre-kindergarten programs.
The New York senator also says she would deal with childhood hunger by putting in place a food safety net, and give children "greater access to healthy, fresh food."
She was to spell out her proposals in a speech at the child care development center on Ohio University's southern campus.
Clinton aides said the new programs would carry and annual pricetag of $5 billion to $6 billion. A significant portion of her plan comes by expanding existing programs. She would cover the cost by toughening enforcement to collect taxes currently owed but not paid.
Clinton said she would direct her agriculture secretary to develop a plan to end childhood hunger. The nutrition effort would come largely through signing up more people for the food stamp program and expanding its benefits.
School breakfast programs would be universal in low-income neighborhoods under her proposal. She also would double the size of a summer nutrition program aimed at feeding low-income children when they aren't in school.
Clinton also says she would launch an effort to get junk food out of schools. She would require schools that get federal funding through the school lunch or breakfast programs to offer only food that meets or surpasses USDA standards.
Background documents outlining her proposal were provided to The Associated Press and include some proposals that Clinton has offered in the past such as calling for an increase in the minimum wage to aid the working poor, as well as expanding the earned income tax credit, a move that helps the same group.
In addition, Clinton was calling for stronger programs aimed at cutting teen pregnancy as well as toughening child support enforcement programs to "support responsible fatherhood."
Clinton argues that roughly 12.9 million children live in poverty, with about 5 million living in extreme poverty. That means their families have incomes of less than half the federal poverty level.
The effort would bolster minority children, Clinton says, with roughly one-third of black children living in poverty and 28 percent of Hispanic youngsters living in poor households. That compares with the roughly 10 percent of white children in poverty, she says. Despite that, 35 percent of all children living in poverty are white, making them the largest group of youngsters in poverty.
"While we celebrate America as a place where an individual's circumstances at birth should not determine his or her life chances, the fact is that economic mobility is now in decline in America," Clinton's background documents say. "Children born in poverty are likely to live in poverty their whole lives."
The effort to provide nursing care for pregnant women builds on a program she shaped as first lady of Arkansas, a program she said has been a dramatic success. There she goes, spending other people's money again.
And where is she going to get the money from?
Also, the effort is already being made to take junk food out of schools, she just wants to take credit for it.
More laws are not the answer, better enforcement of the existing laws is. too little, too late, in her campaign.
Its a nice thought though, Hillary. we have heard all this big government garbage before, a chicken in every pot, yeah right. I am doing just fine, if the poor need a job maybe they should sneak into Mexico, I hear there are plenty of openings. sounds good to me
don't know about the other ppl on here and what their problem is with feeding kids better meals. again, another socialst boondoggle. spending other peoples money to solve this problem is a clinton inneffective mess. thank you for demonstrating the critical need to vote conservative this election. mccain supporters everywhere appreciate it. And where does Obama plan to get all the money to pay for all the changes he is suppose to make?
There is no one more important than our children, they are our future and they should be taken care of. If going after people that owes taxes helps do it I say go for it.
And as for tougher laws on child support, I am all for that too.I know to many people that are owed child support and gets very little help from the state in getting it, and if they do it takes years for them to act on it. Please these children need help now, not 2 years down the road or longer.And if there were tougher laws on people to pay their child support, there would be less need for the tax payers to carry the burden of these children as the parent would be able to feed, cloth, and give their children the medical care they need, therefore keeping them out of the welfare system, and cutting the cost to the tax payer.If anyone out there can not see this they are totally blind and probably does not have children that are owed child support or they owe it themselves. [My] background may lack the polish of Washington. Then again, I don't have a lot of things that come with Washington. I don't have enemies to fight. I have no stake in the bitter arguments of the last few years. I want to change the tone of Washington to one of civility and respect. --BUSH
I know I haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways of Washington. But I've been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington must change.
There's no shortage of anger and bluster and bitter partisanship out there. We don't need more heat. We need more light. I've learned in my life that you can stand firm in your principles while still reaching out to those who might not always agree with you. 鈥揙BAMA |
