| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"Passerby @midnight.net" |
| Date: |
30 Jul 2005 08:01:03 PM |
| Object: |
Followup re: How come Clinton was hated so? |
Date: 30 Jul 2005 14:45:05 -0700
From: "Ryd" <ryda56p@yahoo.com>
Organization: http://groups.google.com
<Rudy Canoza wrote:
<Here's the answer. Conservatives hate Clinton with an irrational
passion because he embodies the 1960s to them: dope smoking, long hair,
draft dodging, rock music. They hate him because he was a constant
reminder that in the 1960s, the conservatives were utterly humiliated in
the culture wars.
<The thing that makes it really bizarre is that beginning in 1980, with
the election of Ronald Reagan, the conservatives began steadily
regaining <most of the ground they had lost in the 1960s and 1970s.
Their gains continue, but it isn't enough. Conservatives want baby
boomers, mostly <Bill and Hillary, to make an abject apology: "We're
sorry. We got it all wrong; every last bit of it."
<It's not going to happen, and as long as it doesn't happen, they'll
keep beating up on Clinton.
<That's the answer to your question. Don't bother looking elsewhere,
nor arguing. That's it.
<<You are a Liar.
<<Ryda
No. That is the absolute truth. Clinton represented and embodied...and
still does... everything most conservatives lack. (Not all. There are
some of those on the right who do think). They can't figure out how
someone could...horrors!, lie about having sexual relations with "that
woman" and still retain support and admiration. You see, some people
view moral behavior from different perspectives; e.g., what's worse?
Sins against the country and lies that have resulted in death and
destruction and economic ruin for the less fortunate amongst us have a
far greater negative effect on rational human beings, and elicit far
more distrust and hatred and resentment.
Regardless of whatever shortcomings, the man is an extraordinarily
intelligent, charismatic scamp and was, and still is, a wildly popular
figure. It irritates conservatives no end that despite some mistakes
and low points during his presidency (common to ALL presidents and
presidencies, in one form or another), his 8 years of stewardship are
fondly remembered and missed. Certainly, there are some things he did
that don't deserve accolades and do deserve criticism -- but, overall,
he literally was and is head and shoulders above the current crew of
misleaders...
Conversely, look what one stolen election, and one still being
investigated for provable irregularities, have wrought upon us. A hole
has been dug so deeply that we may never hoist ourselves up out of it.
That truly is unforgiveable. And criminal...and shameful...and becoming
more and more obvious even to the most rabid Bush&Co. Supporters.
Afterall, one begins to appear very foolish, trying to feebly defend the
indefensible and excuse the inexcusable in the face of the cumulative
record of catastrophe this administration represents.
Blaming Clinton for just about everything (thereby trying to absolve
themselves from responsibility for their...and consequently our...mess)
became the national bloodsport of conservatives/republicans who, for the
most part, have failed miserably on virtually all fronts...and can't
really come up with a winning strategy on anything. Except, of course,
elections -- because it's not all that difficult to "fix" them. And
certain legislation that has passed...barely, at that... and which is
blatantly slanted towards the wealthiest individuals and for the
protection and profitability of corporations.
To some extent, they've been enabled by stand-down democrats...which is
also a source of contention and dissension. This president received
unwavering support from both sides of the aisle, both politically and
country and worldwide, after the horrific attack on our citizens. How
quickly that all dissolved, when it became apparent an ill-conceived war
had been launched, committing troops and billions of dollars to a
quagmire of epic proportions. Adding insult to injury, the war hawks
and architects were forewarned and ignored the warnings. Obviously and
as evidenced by subsequent documents, the real rationale and intentions
had nothing to do with WMD or even spreading freedom and democracy.
True, several handled the gun, but...who pulled the trigger?
In all of this, there are two facts that are inescapable and
irrefutable: the buck stops at the top...and the fish stinks at the
head.
.
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| User: "" |
|
| Title: Re: Followup re: How come Clinton was hated so? |
31 Jul 2005 02:21:07 PM |
|
|
wrote:
Date: 30 Jul 2005 14:45:05 -0700
From: "Ryd" <ryda56p@yahoo.com>
Organization: http://groups.google.com
<Rudy Canoza wrote:
<Here's the answer. Conservatives hate Clinton with an irrational
passion because he embodies the 1960s to them: dope smoking, long hair,
draft dodging, rock music. They hate him because he was a constant
reminder that in the 1960s, the conservatives were utterly humiliated in
the culture wars.
Well, the Bush clan would automatically hate him,
since he was a Rhodes Scholar, and these
people are Maine vactioners.
And the Texas and Wal-Mart investors would also automatically
hate him, since he had money making mucial selections other
than Boxcar Willie on the MTV.
And since conservatives hate anybody
who knows anything about medicine other
than Canadian Bacon, they would
automatically call him Australian renegade.
And since the only who ever complained
about long hair is the US Navy,
even the British navy doesn't a *****.
.
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| User: "Rudy Canoza" |
|
| Title: Re: Followup re: How come Clinton was hated so? |
30 Jul 2005 09:57:24 PM |
|
|
Passerby @midnight.net wrote:
Date: 30 Jul 2005 14:45:05 -0700
From: "Ryd" <ryda56p@yahoo.com>
Organization: http://groups.google.com
<Rudy Canoza wrote:
<Here's the answer. Conservatives hate Clinton with an irrational
passion because he embodies the 1960s to them: dope smoking, long hair,
draft dodging, rock music. They hate him because he was a constant
reminder that in the 1960s, the conservatives were utterly humiliated in
the culture wars.
<The thing that makes it really bizarre is that beginning in 1980, with
the election of Ronald Reagan, the conservatives began steadily
regaining <most of the ground they had lost in the 1960s and 1970s.
Their gains continue, but it isn't enough. Conservatives want baby
boomers, mostly <Bill and Hillary, to make an abject apology: "We're
sorry. We got it all wrong; every last bit of it."
<It's not going to happen, and as long as it doesn't happen, they'll
keep beating up on Clinton.
<That's the answer to your question. Don't bother looking elsewhere,
nor arguing. That's it.
<<You are a Liar.
<<Ryda
No. That is the absolute truth. Clinton represented and embodied...and
still does... everything most conservatives lack. (Not all. There are
some of those on the right who do think).
No, cut the *****. I wasn't trying to defend Clinton.
There's not much to defend: no accomplishments, no
character, no legacy.
All I was trying to do is give the basic reason
conservatives hate Clinton. One needn't choose between
"Clinton is the anti-Christ" and "Clinton is the second
coming" (or 16,729th for Monica). Conservatives hate
Clinton irrationally. But Clinton was not a good man,
and far from having been a great president.
.
|
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| User: "Miles Long" |
|
| Title: Re: Followup re: How come Clinton was hated so? |
31 Jul 2005 09:23:44 AM |
|
|
Rudy Canoza wrote:
Passerby @midnight.net wrote:
Date: 30 Jul 2005 14:45:05 -0700
From: "Ryd" <ryda56p@yahoo.com>
Organization: http://groups.google.com
<Rudy Canoza wrote:
<Here's the answer. Conservatives hate Clinton with an irrational
passion because he embodies the 1960s to them: dope smoking, long hair,
draft dodging, rock music. They hate him because he was a constant
reminder that in the 1960s, the conservatives were utterly humiliated in
the culture wars.
<The thing that makes it really bizarre is that beginning in 1980, with
the election of Ronald Reagan, the conservatives began steadily
regaining <most of the ground they had lost in the 1960s and 1970s.
Their gains continue, but it isn't enough. Conservatives want baby
boomers, mostly <Bill and Hillary, to make an abject apology: "We're
sorry. We got it all wrong; every last bit of it."
<It's not going to happen, and as long as it doesn't happen, they'll
keep beating up on Clinton.
<That's the answer to your question. Don't bother looking elsewhere,
nor arguing. That's it.
<<You are a Liar.
<<Ryda
No. That is the absolute truth. Clinton represented and embodied...and
still does... everything most conservatives lack. (Not all. There are
some of those on the right who do think).
No, cut the *****. I wasn't trying to defend Clinton. There's not much
to defend: no accomplishments, no character, no legacy.
Oh Rudy! You crack me up so. <laughing> It's statements like the above
that show just how silly and out of touch you really are.
Clinton-Gore Administration Accomplishments: 1993 - 2000
For the past seven and a half years, President Clinton and Vice
President Gore have been guided by three core values: building a
community of all Americans; creating opportunity for all Americans; and
demanding responsibility from all Americans. Pursuing policies based on
these values has resulted in tremendous progress for our nation, and a
strong America at the dawn of the 21st Century. The President and Vice
President are committed to a "New Opportunity Agenda" to build on our
progress and expand our prosperity until it reaches every corner of the
nation.
Economy: the Strongest Economy in a Generation
Longest Economic Expansion in U.S. History. In February 2000, the United
States entered the 107th consecutive month of economic expansion -- the
longest economic expansion in history. [National Bureau of Economic
Research and Council of Economic Advisors]
Moving From Record Deficits to Record Surplus. In 1992, the Federal
budget deficit was $290 billion - the largest dollar deficit in American
history. In January 1993, the Congressional Budget Office projected that
the deficit would grow to $455 billion by 2000. The Office of Management
and Budget is now projecting a surplus of at least $230 billion for 2000
- the third consecutive surplus and the largest surplus ever, even after
adjusting for inflation. Compared with original projections, that is
over $685 billion less in government drain on the economy and over $685
billion more potentially available for private investment in this one
year alone. The 2000 surplus is projected to be 2.4 percent of GDP --
the largest surplus as a share of GDP since 1948. This is the first time
we have had three surpluses in a row in more than a half century, and it
is the second consecutive surplus excluding Social Security. [Office of
Management! and Budget; National Economic Council, 9/27/00]
Paying Off the National Debt. In July 2000, the Treasury Department
announced that the United States will pay off $221 billion of debt this
year -- the largest one-year debt pay down in American history. This
will be the third consecutive year of debt reduction, bringing the
three-year total to $360 billion. Public debt is on track to be $2.4
trillion lower in 2000 than was projected in 1993. Debt reduction brings
real benefits for the American people -- a family with a home mortgage
of $100,000 might expect to save roughly $2,000 per year in mortgage
payments. Reduced debt also means lower interest rates and reduced
payments on car loans and student loans. With the President's plan, we
are now on track to eliminate the nation's publicly held debt by at
least 2012. [Treasury Department, Office of Economic Policy, From
Widening Deficits to Paying Down the Debt: Benefits for the American
People, 8/4/99]
More Than 22 Million New Jobs. 22.2 million new jobs have been created
since 1993, the most jobs ever created under a single Administration --
and more new jobs than Presidents Reagan and Bush created during their
three terms. 92 percent (20 million) of the new jobs have been created
in the private sector, the highest percentage in 50 years. Under
President Clinton and Vice President Gore, the economy has added an
average of 248,000 jobs per month, the highest under any President. This
compares to 52,000 per month under President Bush and 167,000 per month
under President Reagan. [Bureau of Labor Statistics]
Fastest and Longest Real Wage Growth in Over Three Decades. In the last
12 months, average hourly earnings have increased 3.8 percent -- faster
than the rate of inflation. The United States has had five consecutive
years of real wage growth -- the longest consecutive increase since the
1960s. Since 1993, real wages are up 6.5 percent, after declining 4.3
percent during the Reagan and Bush years. [National Economic Council, 6/00]
Household Income Breaks $40,000 for First Time in History. Income for
median households rose $1,072, or 2.7 percent, from $39,744 in 1998 to
$40,816, marking an unprecedented fifth year of significant growth in
income. In 1999, the median income of African American households
increased from $25,911 in 1998 to $27,910 -- an increase of $1,999, or
7.7 percent, which is the largest one-year increase ever recorded. The
income of the median Hispanic household, adjusted for inflation,
increased from $28,956 in 1998 to $30,735 in 1999 -- an increase of
$1,779, or 6.1 percent, which is the largest one-year increase ever
recorded. [Census Bureau, Money Income in the United States: 1999, 9/26/00]
Unemployment is the Lowest in Over Three Decades. Unemployment is down
from 7.5 percent in 1992 to 3.9 percent in September, the lowest in more
than three decades. The unemployment rate has fallen for seven years in
a row, and has remained below 5 percent for 37 months in a row -- over
three full years. Unemployment for African-Americans fell to the lowest
level ever recorded, and for Hispanics it remains at historic lows.
[Bureau of Labor Statistics]
Highest Homeownership Rate in History. The homeownership rate reached
67.2 percent in the second quarter of 2000 -- the highest ever recorded.
Minority homeownership rates were also the highest ever recorded. In
contrast, the homeownership rate fell from 65.6 percent in the first
quarter of 1981 to 63.7 percent in the first quarter of 1993. There are
almost 9 million more homeowners than in 1993. [Bureau of the Census,
7/26/00]
Lowest Poverty Rate Since 1979. In 1999, the poverty rate dropped from
12.7 percent to 11.8 percent, the lowest rate in two decades. Since
President Clinton and Vice President Gore passed their Economic Plan in
1993, the poverty rate has declined from 15.1 percent in 1993 to 11.8
percent in 1999 - the largest six-year drop in poverty in nearly 30
years (1964-1970). There are now 7 million fewer people in poverty than
in 1993, and over 2.2 million, or over 30 percent, of this decline
occurred during the past year. [Census Bureau, Poverty in the United
States: 1999, 9/26/00]
Largest One-Year Drop in Child Poverty in More than Three Decades. Under
President Clinton and Vice President Gore child poverty has dropped by
25.6 percent -- from 22.7 percent in 1993 to 16.9 percent in 1999. While
this is still too high, it is the lowest child poverty rate since 1979
and includes the largest one-year decline since 1966, which occurred
from 1998 to 1999. The African American child poverty rate has fallen
28.2 percent since 1993, and dropped from 36.7 percent in 1998 to 33.1
percent in 1999 -- the largest one-year drop in history and the lowest
level on record (data collected since 1959). The Hispanic child poverty
rate has fallen by 26 percent since 1993, and dropped from 25.6 percent
in 1998 to 22.8 percent in 1999 -- the lowest level since 1979. [Census
Bureau, Poverty in the United States: 1999, 9/26/00]
Families and Communities: Strengthening America's Working Families
Tax Cuts for Working Families. 15 million additional working families
received additional tax relief because of the President's expansion of
the Earned Income Tax Credit. In 1999, the EITC lifted 4.1 million
people out of poverty - nearly double the number lifted out of poverty
by the EITC in 1993. This year, the President proposed expanding the
EITC to provide tax relief to an additional 6.8 million hard-pressed
working families. [Good News for Low Income Families: Expansions in the
EITC and Minimum Wage, CEA, 12/98; Census Bureau]
Helping Parents Balance Work and Family. The Family and Medical Leave
Act allows workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for
seriously ill family members, new born or adoptive children, or their
own serious health problems without fear of losing their jobs. Nearly 91
million workers (71% of the labor force) are covered by the Family and
Medical Leave Act and millions of workers have benefited from FMLA since
its enactment. President Clinton has proposed expanding FMLA to allow
workers to take up to 24 unpaid hours off each year for school and early
childhood education activities, routine family medical care, and caring
for an elderly relative. [Five Years of Success: Report on FMLA,
Department of Labor, 8/98 (updated number provided 7/99)]
Improved Access to Affordable, Quality Child Care and Early Childhood
Programs. Under the Clinton-Gore Administration, federal funding for
child care has more than doubled, helping parents pay for the care of
about 1.5 million children in 1998, and the1996 welfare reform law
increased child care funding by $4 billion over six years to provide
child care assistance to families moving from welfare to work. Since
1993, the Clinton-Gore Administration has increased funding for the Head
Start program by 90 percent, and in FY 2000, the program will serve
approximately 880,000 children - over 160,000 more children than in 1993.
Increased the Minimum Wage. The minimum wage has risen from $4.25 to
$5.15 per hour, increasing wages for 10 million workers. The President
and Vice President have called for an additional increase to $6.15 over
two years. [Good News for Low Income Families: Expansions in the EITC
and Minimum Wage, CEA, 12/98]
Enacted the Workforce Investment Act. The Workforce Investment Act
reformed the nation's employment and training system so that it works
better for today's workers. The WIA empowered individuals by giving
adults more control and choice over their training or retraining and
providing universal access to core labor market services; streamlined
job training services by consolidating a tangle of individual programs
into a simple system and creating a nationwide network of One-Stop
Career Centers; enhanced accountability through tough performance
standards for states, localities, and training providers; and increased
flexibility so that states can innovate and experiment with new ways to
train America's workers better. All 50 states are now up and running and
the number of One-Stops has reached 1,200 nationwide. [PL 105-220, 8/7/98]
Signed the Adoption and Safe Families Act. The Adoption and Safe
Families Act, which was based in large part on the recommendations of
the Clinton-Gore Administration's Adoption 2002 report, made sweeping
changes in adoption law so that thousands of children in foster care
move more quickly into safe and permanent homes. In 1999, 46,000 foster
care children were adopted - more than a 64 percent increase since 1996
and well on the way to meeting the President's goal of doubling the
number of adoptions from 28,000 in 1996 to 56,000 by 2002. [PL 105-89,
11/19/97; HHS Press Release, 9/20/00]
Putting Families First. The President and Vice President developed and
implemented first-ever plan to protect our children from tobacco and end
tobacco marketing targeted to young people. They also required the
installation of V-chips in all new televisions, and encouraged schools
to adopt school uniform policies to deter school violence and promote
discipline. [Presidential Statement, 8/23/96; FCC Report No. GN 98-3,
3/12/98; Presidential Memorandum, 2/23/96]
Supporting Community Service. In just five years, AmeriCorps has allowed
150,000 young people to serve in their communities while earning money
for college or skills training. [Corporation for National Service Press
Release, 10/16/99]
President's One America Initiative. President Clinton has led the nation
in an effort to become One America: a place where we respect others'
differences and embrace the common values that unite us. The President
has been actively involved in public outreach efforts to engage
Americans in this historic effort, and followed up on the work of the
Initiative on Race by appointing Robert B. (Ben) Johnson as Assistant to
the President and Director of the new White House Office on the
President's Initiative for One America. The office is working to ensure
that we have a coordinated strategy to close the opportunity gaps that
exist for minorities and the underserved in this country, and build the
One America we want for all of our nation's children. The President's FY
2001 budget includes $5 million for One America dialogues to promote and
facilitate discussions on racial diversity and understanding. President
Clinton has also appointed the most diver! se Cabinet and White House
staff in history, presiding over an Administration that looks like
America. [FY 2001 Budget, p. 136]
Welcoming New Americans. Since 1993, the United States has welcomed 4.4
million new American citizens. Faced with this unprecedented number of
applications, the Administration undertook an initiative that has
significantly reduced the backlog of citizenship applications and is
restoring timely processing. Furthermore, the Administration's English
as a Second Language/Civics Education Initiative will provide limited
English speaking adults with instruction in both English literacy and
critical life skills necessary for effective citizenship and civic
participation.
Providing Fairness for Legal Immigrants. The President believes that
legal immigrants should have the same economic opportunity and bear the
same responsibility as other members of society. In 1997 and 1998, the
President fought for and succeeded in restoring disability, health and
nutritional benefits for certain legal immigrants, and he will continue
to press for additional restorations. The President and Vice President
have also taken executive actions to ensure that immigrants who are
eligible for benefits are not deterred by language or other access barriers.
Education: Largest Investment in Education in 30 Years
Opening the Doors of College to All Americans. President Clinton
proposed and enacted the HOPE Scholarships and Lifetime Learning tax
credits, which in 1999 were claimed by an estimated 10 million American
families struggling to pay for college. The HOPE Scholarship helps make
the first two years of college universally available by providing a tax
credit of up to $1,500 for tuition and fees for the first two years of
college. The Lifetime Learning Tax Credit provides a 20 percent tax
credit on the first $5,000 of tuition and fees for students beyond the
first two years of college, or taking classes part-time (in 2003, this
increases to $10,000 of tuition and fees). In his FY 2001 budget, the
President has proposed expanding the Lifetime Learning tax credit with a
College Opportunity tax cut, which will give families the option of
taking a tax deduction or claiming a 28 percent credit for the first
$5,000 of college tuition and fees until 2002, and $10,000 thereaft! er.
[Education Department, 4/2/99; Treasury Department; FY 2001 Budget, p. 49]
Expanding Work Study and Pell Grants. One million students can now work
their way through college because of the President's expansion of the
Work Study Program, and nearly four million students will receive a Pell
Grant of up to $3,300, the largest maximum award ever. The maximum award
has increased 43 percent under the Clinton-Gore Administration. This
year President Clinton proposed a $77 million increase in Work Study to
continue to support one million awards, and a $200 increase in the Pell
Grant maximum award, to raise it to $3,500. [Education Department,
Office of Student Financial Assistance, Interim Performance Objectives,
Final Report FY99; FY 2001 Budget, p. 50]
Making College More Affordable. The Clinton-Gore Administration has cut
student fees and interest rates on all loans, expanded repayment options
including income contingent repayment, and improved service through the
Direct Loan Program. Students have saved $8.7 billion since 1993 through
the reduction in loan fees and interest rates. [Department of Education,
Statement by Secretary Riley, 10/5/99]
More High-Quality Teachers with Smaller Class Sizes. The Clinton-Gore
Administration won a second installment of $1.3 billion for the
President's plan to hire an additional 100,000 well-prepared teachers to
reduce class size in the early grades, when children learn to read and
master the basic skills. Already, 29,000 teachers have been hired
through this initiative. This year's budget provides $1.75 billion, a
$450 million increase -- enough to fund nearly 49,000 teachers.
[Education Department, Local Success Stories - Reducing Class Size,
11/99; FY 2001 Budget, p. 44]
Turning Around Failing Schools. 11 million low-income students in 13,000
school districts now benefit from higher expectations and a challenging
curriculum geared to higher standards through Title I-Aid to
Disadvantaged Students. The FY 2000 budget provides a $134 million
accountability fund to help turn around the worst performing schools
through such measures as overhauling curriculum, improving staffing, or
even closing schools and reopening them as charter schools. This year,
the President is proposing to nearly double investment in this fund to
$250 million to help ensure all children receive a quality education.
[Education Department, Challenging the Status Quo: The Education Record,
1993-2000, 4/00; FY 2001 budget, p. 42]
Providing Safe After-School Opportunities for 850,000 Students Each
Year. The 21st Century Community Learning Centers program will provide
enriching after-school and summer school opportunities for 850,000
school-age children in rural and urban communities in FY 2000. Extended
learning time has not only been shown to increase achievement in reading
and math, but to decrease youth violence and drug use. Funding for this
program more than doubled from FY 1999 to FY 2000. For FY 2001, the
President's budget calls on Congress to invest $1 billion in 21st
Century Community Learning Centers and to ensure that all children in
failing schools have access to quality after-school and summer school
opportunities. This proposal will double funding and triple the number
of students served to 2.5 million. [FY 2001 Budget, p.44]
Expanding Choice and Accountability in Public Schools. The Clinton-Gore
Administration has worked to expand public school choice and support the
growth of public charter schools, which have increased from one public
charter school in the nation when the President was first elected to
2,000 today. More than 250,000 students nationwide are now enrolled in
charter schools in 30 states and the District of Columbia. The President
won $145 million in FY 2000 -- and has proposed $175 million in his FY
2001 budget -- to continue working toward his goal of establishing 3,000
quality charter schools by 2002. [Education Department Press Release,
8/28/99; FY 2001 Budget, p. 47]
Teaching Every Child to Read. The President challenged Americans to
commit to the effort to ensure that every child can read well and
independently by the third grade -- 1,400 colleges and universities took
up his challenge, and 26,700 college work-study students now serve as
reading tutors to help every child learn to read. [Education Department,
Challenging the Status Quo: The Education Record, 1993-2000, 4/00]
Expanding Access to Technology. With the Vice President's leadership,
the Clinton-Gore Administration has made increasing access to technology
a top priority. The President and Vice President created the Technology
Literacy Challenge Fund to help connect every school to the Internet,
increase the number of multimedia computers in the classroom and provide
technology training for teachers. They increased overall investments in
educational technology from $23 million in 1993 to $769 million in FY
2000, and tripled funding for Community Technology Centers to reach at
least 120 low-income communities. Through the E-rate program, they
secured low-cost connections to the Internet for schools, libraries,
rural health clinics and hospitals, benefiting more than 80 percent of
America's public schools. They also increased investment in education
research to ensure all children benefit from educational technology. In
1999, 95 percent of public schools were connected to the I! nternet --
up from just 35 percent in 1994. [FY 2000 Budget, p. 67; National Center
for Education Statistics, Stats in Brief NCES 2000-086, 2/00]
Supporting Local Education Reform Efforts. The President signed the
Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 (Ed-Flex) into law in
April 1999, giving all states greater flexibility in the use of federal
education funds in exchange for greater accountability for helping all
students reach high academic standards. [PL 106-25, 4/29/99]
Established the GEAR UP Mentoring Program for Middle School Children.
President Clinton and Vice President Gore created and expanded GEAR UP,
a nationwide mentoring initiative, to help over 750,000 low-income
middle school children finish school and prepare for college. The
President's FY 2001 budget would expand services to 1.4 million
students. [Education Department; FY 2001 Budget, p. 237]
Providing Early Education to Nearly 900,000 Children with Head Start.
The President and Vice President have expanded Head Start funding by 90
percent since 1993. Head Start will reach approximately 880,000
low-income children in FY 2000 and, with the President's proposed
increase for the program, will be on the way to reaching the President's
goal of serving 1 million children and their families by the year 2002.
The Administration also created Early Head Start, bringing Head Start's
successful comprehensive services to families with children ages zero to
three, and set high quality standards for both programs. [HHS,
Administration of Children and Families]
Crime and Drugs: Lowest Crime Rates in 25 Years
Lowest Crime Rates in a Generation. When President Clinton and Vice
President Gore took office in 1993, the violent crime rate in America
had more than quadrupled during the previous three decades. Since then,
America has experienced the longest continuous drop in crime on record.
The overall crime rate is the lowest in 25 years, and in 1999 crime fell
for the eighth consecutive year nationwide. Violent crime rate fell 7
percent in 1999 and 27 percent since 1993. Since 1993, the murder rate
is down more than 25 percent to its lowest point since 1967, and gun
violence has declined by more than 35 percent. [Bureau of Justice
Statistics, 1998 National Crime Victimization Survey; Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Uniform Crime Reports for the United States 1998, 1999]
Putting 100,000 More Police on the Streets. In 1999, ahead of schedule
and under budget, the Clinton-Gore Administration met its commitment to
fund an additional 100,000 police officers for our communities. As a
part of the COPS Program, the President announced a distressed
neighborhood grant program to increase community policing in high-crime
and underserved neighborhoods. To help keep crime at record lows, in
fall 1999, the President won funding for the first installment toward
his goal to hire up to 50,000 more officers by 2005. This year, the
Clinton-Gore budget includes over $1 billion to continue the successful
COPS initiative to hire more officers, hire new community prosecutors,
give police the tools and technology they need to fight crime, and to
fund community-wide crime fighting efforts. [Justice Department, COPS
Program, 5/12/99; National Economic Council, 11/18/99; FY 2001 Budget,
p. 109]
More Than Half a Million Felons, Fugitives and Domestic Abusers Denied
Guns. Since taking effect in 1994, the Brady Law has helped to prevent a
total of more than 536,000 felons, fugitives, domestic abusers, and
other prohibited purchasers from buying guns. In November 1998, the
National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) took effect
under the Brady Law, allowing access to a fuller set of records that law
enforcement officials can use to conduct checks of all prospective gun
purchases -- not just for handguns. As of March 2000, NICS has conducted
over 10 million background checks on gun purchasers, and stopped an
estimated 179,000 illegal gun sales. [Bureau of Justice Statistics,
Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 1999, 6/00]
Cracking Down on the Most Serious Gun Criminals. President Clinton and
Vice President Gore have established a tough records of enforcement of
our nation's gun laws by helping law enforcement take serious gun
criminals out of our communities and put them where they belong: behind
bars. The number of federal firearms cases prosecuted by the U.S.
Attorneys increased 16 percent, from 4,754 in 1992 to 5,500 in 1999.
And, by providing federal, state and local law enforcement and
prosecutors with the tools they need to crack down on gun criminals,
overall gun prosecutions have increased 22 percent. In addition, the
average sentence for federal gun offenders has increased by nearly two
years, and federal law enforcement is successfully targeting the most
serious gun offenders. Between 1992 and 1998, the number of federal gun
defendants sentenced to prison for three years or more went up 20
percent, and the number sentenced to five years or more went up 12
percent. [Justice Department Press Release, 1/18/00]
Largest Gun Enforcement Initiative in History. This year, President
Clinton has proposed the largest gun enforcement initiative ever. The
initiative would provide a record $280 million to add 500 new federal
ATF agents and inspectors to target violent gun criminals and illegal
gun traffickers that supply guns to criminals and juveniles, and fund
over 1,000 new federal, state, and local gun prosecutors to take
dangerous gun offenders off the streets. This initiative would also
expand the ATF's crime gun tracing program by providing tracing
equipment and training to 250 additional law enforcement agencies and by
creating the first nationally integrated ballistics testing system. The
new ballistics testing system will help law enforcement use the unique
"fingerprints" of bullets or shell casings left at the scene of a crime
to identify gun criminals -- even in the absence of a firearm. [Justice
Department Press R! elease, 1/18/00]
Developed Comprehensive Anti-Drug Strategy Including a $195 Million
National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. The President appointed Barry
McCaffrey, a four-star general, to lead the Clinton-Gore
Administration's anti-drug strategy as the nation's Drug Czar. In 1997,
President Clinton and Director McCaffrey launched the National Youth
Anti-Drug Media Campaign, the largest targeted effort ever to teach
youth about the dangers of drugs. The Campaign uses the full power of
the modern media to encourage young people to reject drug use, and helps
parents, teachers and other responsible adults talk to kids about drugs
and get more involved in the lives of young people. Illicit drug use
among young people age 12-17 declined for the past three years, and the
average age of first-time use went up. Since 1997, overall youth drug
use is down by more than 20 percent, and youth marijuana use has
declined by over 25 percent. Overall drug use is down since its peak in
the 1970's! , drug-related murders have fallen by 48 percent since 1992,
and youth drug use is leveling off or declining. [Department of Health
and Human Services Press Release 12/17/99, 8/31/00; SAMHSA, 1999
National Household Survey on Drug Abuse]
Preventing Violence with the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative.
Evidence shows that a comprehensive, integrated community-wide approach
is an effective way to address the problems of school violence and
alcohol and other drug abuse and promote healthy childhood. In 1998,
President Clinton unveiled the Administration's Safe Schools/Healthy
Students Initiative (SS/HS), an unprecedented joint effort involving the
Departments of Education, Justice, and Health and Human Services to help
communities design and implement a comprehensive approach, including
educational, mental health, social service, and law enforcement services
for to help combat youth violence. SS/HS has provided $146 million to 77
local education authorities who have established formal partnerships
with local mental health and law enforcement agencies. This year, the
President has called for a $100 million expansion of the Safe
Schools/Healthy Students Initiative.
Fighting Hate Crimes. The President enacted the Hate Crimes Sentencing
Enhancement Act in 1994. He held the historic White House Conference on
Hate Crimes, where he called for passage of the Hate Crimes Prevention
Act -- bipartisan legislation which would strengthen hate crimes laws
and make it clear that America will not tolerate acts of violence based
on race, color, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or
disability. [White House, Office of the Press Secretary, 11/10/97]
Protecting Children from Sex Offenders. President Clinton signed Megan's
Law and the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually
Violent Offender Registration Act, requiring states to set up sex
offender registration systems and require community notification when
sex offenders are released from prison. [White House, Office of the
Press Secretary, 5/17/96]
Welfare Reform and Community Empowerment: Moving Millions of Americans
from Welfare to Work
Lowest Percentage of Americans on Welfare in 35 Years as More Recipients
Go to Work. President Clinton has kept his promise to reform the welfare
system and move more Americans from welfare to work. The percentage of
Americans on welfare is at its lowest level since 1965 as record numbers
of people move from welfare to work. Since January 1993, the number of
people on welfare has fallen by more than half, from 14.1 million to 6.3
million. More than 1.3 million welfare recipients went to work in 1998
alone, and the percentage of adults still on welfare who were working
reached 33 percent in 1999, compared to just 7 percent in 1992 -- nearly
a fivefold increase. Through the Welfare to Work Partnership launched by
the President, more than 20,000 businesses have hired 1.1 million former
welfare recipients since 1997. [HHS Administration for Children and
Families, 12/99 and 8/00; White House, Office of ! the Press Secretary,
8/22/00]
Creating New Tools to Help Families Move from Welfare to Work. The 1997
Balanced Budget Act signed by President Clinton included $3 billion to
move long-term welfare recipients and low-income non-custodial fathers
into jobs. The President's Access to Jobs initiative helps communities
design innovative transportation solutions, such as van services, to
help former welfare recipients and other low-income workers get to work.
President Clinton has secured 110,000 new housing vouchers in the last
two years to help welfare recipients and hard-pressed working families
move closer to job opportunities, and this year he is proposing $690
million for 120,000 new housing vouchers. And the Welfare-to-Work Tax
Credit provides tax incentives to encourage businesses to hire long-term
welfare recipients. [Domestic Policy Council]
Doubled Child Support Collections. President Clinton signed into law the
toughest child support crackdown in history. Federal and state child
support programs broke new records in 1999, collecting nearly $16
billion -- double the amount collected in 1992. The number of
paternities established rose to a record 1.5 million in 1999 - more than
triple the number from 516,000 in 1992. The number of child support
cases with collections more than doubled during the Clinton
Administration, from 2.8 million in 1992 to 4.5 million in 1999. [Child
Support Enforcement FY 1999 Preliminary Data Report, 10/00]
Teen Births Down to the Lowest Rate on Record. The teen birth rate has
fallen eight years in a row, dropping 20 percent from 1991 to 1999 to
the lowest rate in the 60 years data on teen births have been recorded.
The teen pregnancy rate is also at the lowest rate on record. To build
on this progress, the President's budget includes funding for "second
chance homes" for teen parents. [Centers for Disease Control, National
Center for Health Statistics, Births: Preliminary Data for 1999; FY 2001
Budget, p. 66]
Child Abuse Declines for Five Years in a Row. The number of children
abused and neglected has decreased approximately 11 percent from a
record 1,018,692 in 1993. While this represents progress, President
Clinton and Vice President Gore continue to work to protect the health
and well-being of America's children, and ending child abuse. [HHS Press
Release, 4/10/00]
Expanded Investment in Urban and Rural Areas. The Clinton-Gore
Administration created 31 Empowerment Zones and more than 100 Enterprise
Communities, including 50 rural ECs, which have created new jobs, new
opportunities and stronger communities. [National Economic Council,
11/18/99]
Encouraging Investment in Underserved Communities with the New Markets
Initiative. President Clinton's New Markets Initiative will help bring
economic development and renewal to communities that have not benefited
from the soaring economy by spurring more than $22 billion in new
investment in urban and rural areas. On July 25, 2000, the House passed
the President's New Markets Initiative in a historic bipartisan
agreement that included extension and expansion of Empowerment Zones,
and an increase in the Low Income Housing Tax Credit. The President has
taken three New Markets Tours of underserved communities, which have
helped generate more than $1 billion in private sector investment
commitments. [Presidential Statement, 8/5/99]
Providing Incentives to Save. President Clinton signed legislation
creating Individual Development Accounts, providing incentives for
low-income families to save for a first home, higher education, or to
start a new business, a key part of his 1992 community empowerment
agenda. In FY 1999, $10 million was awarded to establish savings
accounts for over 10,000 low-income workers in 40 communities, and an
additional $10 million will be awarded in FY 2000. The President's
budget provides $25 million for IDAs in FY 2001 and proposes to allow
low-income working families to use IDAs to save for a car that will
allow them to get or keep a job. [FY 2001 Budget, p. 66]
Health Care: Increasing Access and Improving the Nation's Health
Enacted Most Comprehensive Medicare Reforms in History. In the 1997
Balanced Budget, the Clinton-Gore Administration protected, modernized
and extended the life of the Medicare Trust Fund while offering new
options for patient choice and preventive care. New preventive benefits
passed include coverage of annual mammograms, coverage of screening
tests for both colorectal and cervical cancer, and a diabetes
self-management benefit. The President proposed a plan to reform and
modernize Medicare's benefits, including an optional prescription drug
benefit that is affordable and available to all beneficiaries. The
President has also proposed a reserve fund to help Medicare
beneficiaries with extremely high prescription drug costs. [National
Economic Council/Domestic Policy Committee, 7/2/99]
Extending the Life of the Medicare Trust Fund. When President Clinton
and Vice President Gore took office, Medicare was expected to run out of
money in 1999. Now, the life of the Trust Fund has been extended until
2025. Medicare is now in the soundest shape it has been since 1975. [HHS
Press Release, 3/30/00]
Enacted Single Largest Investment in Health Care for Children since
1965. The five year, $24 billion State Children's Health Insurance
Program (S-CHIP) will provide health care coverage for up to five
million children. Two million children have already been enrolled, and
in October 1999 President Clinton announced new outreach initiatives to
enroll millions more uninsured, eligible children. Last year, the
President launched a nationwide "Insure Kids Now" campaign that will
bring together major TV and radio networks, healthcare organizations,
religious groups and other community-based organizations to help enroll
more children in the Children's Health Insurance Program, with the goal
of enrolling 5 million of the estimated 10 million children eligible for
health insurance under S-CHIP within 5 years. As of June 2000,
approximately 2.5 million children were enrolled in S-CHIP. This year,
the budget includes sev! eral of Vice President Gore's proposals to
accelerate enrollment of children in S-CHIP. The President is also
proposing a new FamilyCare program, which would give States the option
to cover parents in the same plan as their children. [FY 2001 Budget, p. 73]
Passed Meaningful Health Insurance Reform. The President signed into law
the Kennedy-Kassebaum Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act, which helps individuals keep health insurance when they change
jobs, guarantees renewability of coverage, and ensures access to health
insurance for small businesses. As many as 25 million people will
benefit from this law. The bill also eliminated the discriminatory tax
treatment the of the approximately 10 million Americans who are
self-employed; strengthened efforts to combat health care fraud, waste
and abuse by creating a stable source of funding; and provided consumer
protections and tax incentives for private long-term care insurance. [FY
2000 Budget, p. 83; Domestic Policy Council]
More Americans Have Health Insurance. From 1998 to 1999, the number of
Americans with health insurance rose by 1.7 million -- two-thirds of
them children. This is the first decline in the number of uninsured in
12 years. Factors contributing to the decline in the uninsured include
the establishment of the historic S-CHIP program; the unprecedented
outreach and enrollment efforts by the Administration and key states;
and the improving economy in which increasing numbers of employers are
offering health insurance. Despite historic gains, millions of Americans
remain without insurance. The President and Vice President remain
committed to provide health insurance coverage for all Americans.
[Census Bureau, Health Insurance Coverage: 1999, 9/28/00]
Enacted Historic Comprehensive FDA Reform that Expedited the Review and
Approval of New Drug Products. The President signed into law the 1997
FDA Modernization Act that includes important measures to modernize and
streamline the regulation of biological products; increase patient
access to experimental drugs and medical devices; and accelerate review
of important new medications. This reform builds on the administrative
initiatives implemented under the Vice President's reinventing
government effort which have led U.S. drug approvals to be as fast or
faster than any other industrialized nation. Average drug approval times
have dropped since the beginning of the Administration from almost three
years to just over one year. [Domestic Policy Council]
Signed Mental Health Parity Provisions into Law. To help eliminate
discrimination against individuals with mental illnesses, the President
signed into law mental health parity provisions that prohibit health
plans from establishing separate lifetime and annual limits for mental
health coverage. In 1999, the White House held the first-ever Conference
on Mental Health and released the Surgeon General's first Report on
Mental Health. This year, the President's budget includes an investment
of $100 million for mental health services, a 90 percent increase since
1993 levels. [FY 2001 Budget, p. 246]
Signed Legislation to End Drive-Through Deliveries. President Clinton
signed into law common sense legislation that requires health plans to
allow new mothers to remain in the hospital for at least 48 hours
following most normal deliveries and 96 hours after a Cesarean section.
[Presidential Statement, 9/26/96]
Extended Strong, Enforceable Patient Protections for Millions of
Americans. Leading by example, the President directed all federal
agencies to ensure that their employees and beneficiaries have the
benefits and rights guaranteed under the proposed Patients' Bill of
Rights. 85 million Americans covered by federal health plans, and
Medicare and Medicaid, have the security of knowing they will have fair
access to health care thanks to the President's work. The President and
Vice President have called for passage of the bipartisan Patients Bill
of Rights Act, to ensure that all Americans have essential protections,
such as guaranteed access to needed health care specialists; access to
emergency room services when and where the need arises; continuity of
care protections to assure patient care if a patient's health care
provider is dropped; access to a timely internal and independent
external appeals process with a medical necessity standard; assurance
that doctors and! patients can openly discuss treatment options; and an
enforcement mechanism that ensures recourse for patients who have been
harmed as a result of health plan actions. [FY 2000 Budget, p. 85]
Fighting Medicare Fraud and Waste. Since 1993, the Clinton-Gore
Administration has assigned more federal prosecutors and FBI agents to
fight health care fraud than ever before. As a result, convictions have
gone up a full 410 percent, saving more than $50 billion in health care
claims. The Balanced Budget Act gave an array of new weapons in our
fight to keep scam artists and fly-by-night health care out of Medicare
and Medicaid. [Domestic Policy Council, Health Care Achievements]
Released Strong New Protections for the Privacy of Electronic Medical
Records. The Clinton-Gore Administration released a new regulation to
protect the privacy of electronic medical records held by health plans,
health care clearinghouses, and health care providers. This rule would
limit the use and release of private health information without consent;
restrict the disclosure of protected health information to the minimum
amount of information necessary; establish new requirements for
disclosure of information to researchers and others seeking access to
health records; and establish new administrative and criminal sanctions
for the improper use or disclosure of private information. [Domestic
Policy Council]
Implementing Comprehensive Nursing Home Quality Initiative. The
Clinton-Gore Administration has issued the toughest nursing home
regulations in the history of the Medicare and Medicaid programs,
including increased monitoring of nursing homes to ensure that they are
in compliance; requiring states to crack down on nursing homes that
repeatedly violate health and safety requirements; and changing the
inspection process to increase the focus on preventing bedsores,
malnutrition and resident abuse. They also won a $43.5 million increase
in FY 2000 to fund more rigorous inspections of nursing facilities and
improved federal oversight and enforcement of nursing home quality. [HHS
Fact Sheet, 12/14/99; National Economic Council, 11/18/99]
Ensuring Safe Food for America's Families. President Clinton created the
President's Council on Food Safety to develop a comprehensive food
safety strategic plan for federal agencies. The Clinton-Gore
Administration has implemented a new science-based inspection system --
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points -- and reduced the
prevalence of salmonella in raw meat and poultry by as much as 50
percent. The President signed the Food Quality Protection Act, which
included special safeguards for kids and strengthened laws governing
pesticides and food safety. The Administration also issued new rules to
prevent foodborne illness caused by pathogens such as E. coli.
[Executive Order 13100, 8/25/98; USDA Press Release, 10/7/99; USDA Press
Release, 10/7/99]
Raised Child Immunization Rates to All Time High. Childhood immunization
coverage rates in 1998 were the highest ever recorded. 90 percent of
toddlers in 1996, 1997 and 1998 received the most critical doses of each
of the routinely recommended vaccines, surpassing the President's 1993
goal. Because childhood vaccination levels in the United States are at
an all-time high, disease and death from diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus,
measles, mumps, rubella and Hib are at or near record lows. There was
only one reported case of diphtheria, 100 reported cases of measles, and
no reported cases of wild poliovirus in 1998. [HHS Fact Sheet, 9/23/99;
HHS Fact Sheet, 12/31/99]
Promoting Reproductive Health. The Clinton-Gore Administration has taken
strong steps to protect a woman's right to choose and to promote safe
reproductive health services for women. The President has provided
contraceptive coverage to more than a million women covered by federal
health plans; provided family planning services to low income women
through the Medicaid program; stood up against attempts to prohibit the
FDA from approving RU-486; and continues to fight restrictions on
international family planning. [Domestic Policy Council]
Environment: Growing the Economy And Improving the Environment
Preserving Our National Treasures. The Clinton-Gore Administration has
protected tens of millions of acres, from the red rock canyons of Utah
to the Florida Everglades. The Administration reached agreements to
protect Yellowstone from mining and save the ancient redwoods of
California's Headwaters Forest. In the FY 2000 budget, the President and
Vice President won $651 million (a 42 percent increase) for Lands
Legacy, a historic initiative to strengthen federal efforts to preserve
national treasures and provides communities with new resources to
protect local green spaces. This year, the President's budget includes a
record $1.4 billion for Lands Legacy -- a 93 percent increase and the
largest one-year investment ever requested for conserving America's
lands. [Protecting Our National Treasures, Department of Interior;
National Economic Council, 11/18/99; White House Fact Sheet, 2/7/00]
Created Nine New National Monuments. The Clinton-Gore Administration has
created nine new national monuments: Grand Staircase-Escalante,
protecting spectacular red rock canyonlands in Utah; Grand
Canyon-Parashant, protecting deep canyons, mountains and buttes on the
north rim of the Grand Canyon; Agua Fria, protecting extensive
prehistoric ruins in Arizona; the California Coastal monument,
protecting thousands of islands, rocks and reefs along the California
coast; Giant Sequoia National Monument in California's Sierra Nevada,
protecting 34 groves of ancient sequoias, the largest trees on earth;
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument protecting America's highest
density of archeological sites in southwest Colorado; Cascade-Siskiyou
National Monument protecting unmatched biological diversity in the
Cascade Range in southern Oregon; Hanford Reach National Monument
protecting critical habitat for salmon spawning along one of the last
free-flowing stretches of! the Columbia River in south central
Washington; Ironwood Forest National Monument protecting rich stands of
ironwood trees - known to live more than 800 years -- in the Sonoran
Desert of Arizona. The Administration also expanded Pinnacles National
Monument in California to better protect the area's unusual rock
formations, and designated Anderson Cottage, which served as Abraham
Lincoln's summer home while he was president, a national monument.
[Presidential Proclamations, 9/18/96, 1/11/00, 6/9/00, 7/7/00]
Preserving Our National Forests. The President directed the National
Forest Service to develop and propose regulations to provide long-term
protection for 40 million acres of roadless areas within national
forests and ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy the
pristine wilderness. The proposed regulations would ban road building in
these areas and could also prohibit logging or other activities that
harm their unique ecological value. [Executive Memorandum, 10/13/99]
Accelerating Toxic Cleanups and Brownfields Redevelopment. The
Clinton-Gore Administration has completed clean up at more than 530
Superfund sites, more than three times as many as completed in the
previous twelve years. Clean up of more than 91 percent of all sites is
either completed or in progress. The Administration's brownfields
redevelopment initiative has leveraged over $2.3 billion in private
sector investment and generated 6,400 jobs. [Environmental Protection
Agency, Superfund NPL Construction Completions Since 1/20/93 to 6/22/99;
EPA Headlines, www.epa.gov, 8/24/00]
Keeping Our Drinking Water Safe. The President proposed and signed
legislation to strengthen the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure that our
families have healthy, clean tap water. The Clinton-Gore Administration
has required America's 55,000 water utilities to provide regular reports
to their customers on the quality of their drinking water. The
Administration significantly tightened the arsenic standard, providing
additional protection to at least 22.5 million Americans from cancer and
other health problems. The Administration has adopted or proposed new
standards to provide the first-ever protection against waterborne
illness like Cryptosporidium, potentially preventing more than half a
million illnesses each year. The Administration also proposed new rule
to reduce dirty runoff and strengthen protections for 20,000 rivers,
lakes and other waterways too polluted for swimming and fishing.
Ninety-one percent of America's tap water from community drinking water
sys! tems now meets all federal standards. [PL 104-182, 8/6/96; White
House, Council on Environmental Quality, 4/22/99; Environmental
Protection Agency, Summary of the 2000 Budget, p. 30; Environmental
Protection Agency, Press Release, 5/24/00]
Clearing the Air of Unhealthy Pollution. The President and Vice
President have adopted the toughest standards ever on soot and smog.
They proposed significant reductions in tailpipe emissions from cars,
light trucks and SUVs, and launched long-term effort to restore pristine
skies over our national parks and wilderness areas. Since 1993, the
number of Americans living in communities that meet federal air quality
standards has grown by 43 million. [White House, Council on
Environmental Quality, 5/1/99]
Reducing the Threat of Global Warming. The Clinton-Gore Administration
negotiated an international treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in
an environmentally strong and economically sound way. The President and
Vice President secured $1.1 billion in FY 2000 for research and
development of energy efficiency and clean energy technologies, and set
a goal of tripling U.S. use of bio-energy and bio-products by 2010. The
President issued several Executive Orders. The first order directs
agencies to dramatically improve energy efficiency in federal buildings,
saving taxpayers over $750 million a year when fully implemented. The
second order improves fuel efficiency by requiring the Federal
government to reduce fuel use in its vehicle fleets by 20 percent in
five years. The third order offers federal workers incentives to use
public transportation, cutting fuel use and the pollution that
contributes to climate change.[EPA; National Economic Council, 11!
/18/99; Executive Memorandum, 8/12/99; Executive Order, 6/3/99;
Executive Order, 4/22/00]
Protecting Oceans and Coasts. The Clinton-Gore Administration has
extended the moratorium on new oil leasing off most of the U.S. coast
through 2012, and permanently barred new leasing in national marine
sanctuaries. They directed the development of key recommendations for
strengthening federal oceans policy for the 21st century and appointed a
high-level task force to oversee the implementation of those
recommendations and launched a new era of ocean exploration where
federal researchers will collaborate with marine research institutions
and universities for ocean exploration. The President and Vice President
secured a funding increase of over 100 percent to better support
national marine sanctuaries, and have led the world in calling for a
global ban on ocean dumping of low-level radioactive waste. [White House
Executive Order 5/26/00, Office of the Press Secretary, 6/12/98;
Executive Order 6/11/98; Office of the Press Secretary 11/3/93]
Science and Technology: A Strong Research and Development Agenda
Unprecedented Investment in Biomedical Research. Two years ago, the
President called for an increase of almost 50 percent over 5 years in
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget as part of his Research
for America Fund. Since that time, the NIH budget has increased by over
$4.3 billion and with the funding proposed by the President this year,
the Administration will be one year ahead of schedule in reaching the 50
percent goal. As a result, NIH now supports the highest levels of
research ever on nearly all types of disease and health conditions,
making new breakthroughs possible in vaccine development and use, the
treatment of chronic disease, and prevention and treatment of diseases
such as diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, and neurological
diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons. The Clinton-Gore
Administration's FY 2001 budget includes a $1 billion increase for NIH.
[National Economic Council, 11/18/99; Domestic Policy Council; FY! 2001
Budget, p. 103]
Supporting University Research, Training the Next Generation of
Scientists and Engineers. The FY 2000 budget contained a 6.6 percent
increase in the National Science Foundation research budget to support
science and engineering research across all fields and disciplines. This
includes $126 million for the Administration's "Information Technology
for the 21st Century" initiative. [National Economic Council, 11/18/99]
Ensuring U.S. Leadership in Space Science and Exploration. The
Clinton-Gore Administration won increased investment of $13.65 billion
for NASA in FY 2000. This investment offers the potential of new
scientific breakthroughs through an aggressive robotic series of
exploration missions into the solar system, as well as enhancing our
ability to monitor important changes in the earth's climate systems, and
strengthening aviation safety for the traveling public. [National
Economic Council, 11/18/99]
Strengthening the Economy and National Security with Information
Technology. The Administration continued our investment to help ensure
that America leads the world in information technologies that predict
tornadoes, design life-saving drugs, and make air travel safer and more
efficient, and maintain our nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear
testing. [National Economic Council, 11/18/99]
Changing the Way Government Does Business: Doing More for Less
Results from the Reinventing Government Initiative. Overall, the Vice
President's National Performance Review recommended and Congress adopted
savings of about $136 billion since 1993. [National Performance Review,
Accomplishments fact sheet]
Smallest Federal Civilian Workforce in 40 Years. Since President Clinton
and Vice President Gore took office, the Federal workforce has been cut
by 377,000 - nearly a fifth - and is now lower than any time since 1960.
[National Partnership for Reinventing Government, Accomplishments fact
sheet; National Economic Council, 6/26/00]
Lowest Federal Spending as a Share of the Economy Since 1966. The
spending restraint under President Clinton has brought government
spending down from 22.2 percent of GDP in 1992 to a projected 18.5
percent of GDP in 2000 - the lowest since 1966. At the same time,
President Clinton has increased investments in education, technology and
other areas that are vital to growth. [National Economic Council, 6/26/00]
Slowest Per Capita Growth of Government Spending Since the 1950's.
During the Clinton-Gore Administration, federal spending -- on a per
capita basis -- grew at the slowest rate since the Eisenhower
Administration, not including inflation. [National Performance Review,
Accomplishments fact sheet]
Increasing Participation in Our Democracy with the Motor Voter Law.
President Clinton signed the National Voter Registration Act during his
first year in office -- making voting easier for millions more
Americans, and leading to the registration of more than 28 million new
voters. [Presidential Statement, 5/20/93; FEC, 6/99; FEC, 6/97]
Foreign Policy: World's Strongest Force for Peace, Freedom and Prosperity
Promoting Peace and Strengthening Democracy
* Advancing peace in the Middle East by hosting the Camp David
Summit between Israelis and Palestinians, which constituted the first
high-level discussions of all permanent status issues; brokering peace
agreements between Israel and its other neighbors, including the
Palestinians and Jordan; negotiating the Wye River Accords; supporting
the launch of final settlement negotiations between the Israelis and
Palestinians; and revitalizing peace talks between the Syrians and Israelis.
* Stabilizing Southeast Europe by ending a decade of repression and
ethnic cleansing in Kosovo
* through leading NATO alliance to victory in air campaign and
ushering in international peacekeepers, and by launching the Stability
Pact to strengthen democracy, economic development and security
throughout the region and accelerating its integration with the rest of
Europe Helped broker the Good Friday Peace Accord in Northern Ireland
* , ending decades of bloodshed and empowering the people of
Northern Ireland to determine their future. Led diplomatic efforts to
end the civil war and foster multi-ethnic democracy in Bosnia.
* Restored democratic government in Haiti
* , ending military dictatorship and stopping refugee flows.
Supporting transitions to democracy in South Africa, Nigeria, Indonesia,
Central Europe and the Baltics and supporting the mediation of peace
efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African
Republic, Sierra Leone, Burundi, and Ethiopia-Eritrea.
* Helped end violence and protected democracy in East Timor
* by leading diplomatic efforts and supporting international
peacekeeping mission. Helped settle the Peru-Ecuador border dispute and
end civil war in Guatemala.
* Pressing for human rights and religious freedom worldwide,
including in China, Burma and Sudan.
* Re-started talks
toward a comprehensive settlement on Cyprus.
Combating Threats
* Protecting Americans from weapons of mass destruction by working
to reduce Russian nuclear arsenals through implementation of strategic
arms control agreements (START) and cooperative threat reduction
programs, permanently eliminating nuclear weapons from Ukraine, Belarus
and Kazakhstan, easing nuclear tensions between India and Pakistan,
signing the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and achieving the
indefinite extension of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and ratification of
the Chemical Weapons Convention.
* Enhancing military stability in Europe
* by successfully concluding the adapted Conventional Armed Forces
in Europe Treaty. Combating terrorism
* by developing a national counter-terrorism strategy, appointing a
national coordinator and striking terrorist targets in Afghanistan and
Sudan. Waging war on drugs
* by intensifying interdiction efforts, strengthening cooperation
with allies, cracking down on drug lords and providing $1.3 billion in
assistance for Colombia. Reducing North Korean threat
* through deterrence, including the forward deployment of 37,000
U.S. troops; diplomacy, including bilateral talks leading to a
moratorium on long-range missile testing; and non-proliferation,
including the eventual dismantling of North Korea's dangerous nuclear
facilities. Containing Iraq
* while working toward regime change through deterrence, economic
sanctions, humanitarian assistance for the Iraqi people from the
oil-for-food program, and support for popular opposition to Saddam
Hussein's regime. Addressing new threats
* by protecting America's critical infrastructure from
cyber-terrorism and biological and chemical weapons. Discussed
development of a limited national missile defense
* to protect against attacks from states that threaten
international peace and security while preserving strategic stability
with Russia. Strengthening military readiness and modernizing our armed
forces.
* Combating trafficking in persons
* , especially women and children, through the development of an
integrated strategy that focuses on prevention, prosecution of
traffickers, and protection of and assistance to victims. Fighting
proliferation
* by improving controls over Russian nuclear weapon materials, and
by funding legitimate employment opportunities for former Russian
nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons researchers and institutes as
an alternative to selling their skills abroad. Negotiating a protocol to
the Convention on Conventional Weapons,
* banning antipersonnel landmines that do not self-destruct and
self-deactivate, signed by all the major mine-producing nations. Waging
war on international crime
* by strengthening U.S. law enforcement programs and bilateral,
regional and global cooperation related to drug trafficking, money
laundering and other international organized crime and by providing $1.3
billion in additional funding for critical counter-drug and related
initiatives throughout the Andean Region. Mobilizing leadership and
resources - including the development of new vaccines - to fight AIDS,
malaria and tuberculosis, which threaten development, economic growth,
stability and security.
Strengthening Alliances and Building Partnerships
* Fulfilling vision of an undivided, democratic and peaceful Europe
by enlarging NATO, integrating Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic
and Southeast Europe, and strengthening NATO's partnerships with Russia,
Ukraine and the other New Independent States.
* Building a more constructive relationship with China
* through engagement and frank dialogue, leading to cooperation on
non-proliferation and regional security, environmental protection.
Deepening security alliance with Japan
* through adoption of Defense Guidelines and Joint Security
Declaration. Strengthening cooperation with South Korea
* through jointly offered Four Party Peace Talks with North Korea
and the establishment of Trilateral Consultation and Oversight Group to
coordinate North Korea policy. Supporting democracy, human rights, and
market economies in Russia, Ukraine, and the countries of the former
Soviet Union and promoting their international integration
* Secured landmark agreements to develop oil and gas pipelines from
the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea
* , strengthening ties in the region and ensuring Americans have
continued access to vital natural resources. Expanding trade and
strengthening democracy in Asia and Latin America
* through the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, the Summit
of the Americas, and the Organization of American States. Strengthening
ties with Africa
* by launching the new Partnership for Economic Growth and
Opportunity, achieving passage of the African Growth and Opportunity
Act, and supporting the Africa Crisis Response Initiative and other
regional peacekeeping efforts. Preserved U.S. leadership role at the
United Nations
by reaching agreement with Congress that would enable us to pay
$1 billion in back dues. Deepened security ties with the Philippines
through adoption of the Visiting Forces Agreement.
Expanding Prosperity
* Opening markets for U.S. exports abroad and creating American
jobs through NAFTA, GATT and nearly 300 other free and fair trade
agreements.
* Integrating China into the world economy
* through landmark agreement for China's entry into the World Trade
Organization that opens markets to U.S. exports, slashes Chinese
tariffs, and protects American workers from dumping. Established World
Trade Organization
* to reduce tariffs, settle trade disputes, and enforce rules.
Reduced the possibility that a future Asian financial crisis would
undermine America's prosperity by promoting structural reform
* -- including sound monetary policies, urging banking reforms and
fighting corruption abroad. Stimulating worldwide growth
* through support for the IMF and G-8 global economic strategy.
Assisted Mexico's economic recovery
* with $20 billion in emergency support loans. Forgave $500 million
in African debt
* , announced initiative to link debt relief to health and
education investments, and forged agreement among G-8 industrialized
countries to provide additional debt relief. Helped to overcome the
Asian financial crisis through support for multilateral and bilateral
efforts and through keeping America's markets open at a critical juncture.
* Helped facilitate disaster relief and
* reconstruction in Central American countries affected by
Hurricane Mitch, committing $940 million to economic reactivation,
education, public health, and future mitigation. Helped Brazil avert
financial crisis
by backing $41.5 billion international support package.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Miles "No Accomplishments My *****" Long
.
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| User: "Rudy Canoza" |
|
| Title: Re: Followup re: How come Clinton was hated so? |
31 Jul 2005 12:46:39 PM |
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Miles Long wrote:
Rudy Canoza wrote:
Passerby @midnight.net wrote:
Date: 30 Jul 2005 14:45:05 -0700
From: "Ryd" <ryda56p@yahoo.com>
Organization: http://groups.google.com
<Rudy Canoza wrote:
<Here's the answer. Conservatives hate Clinton with an irrational
passion because he embodies the 1960s to them: dope smoking, long hair,
draft dodging, rock music. They hate him because he was a constant
reminder that in the 1960s, the conservatives were utterly humiliated in
the culture wars.
<The thing that makes it really bizarre is that beginning in 1980, with
the election of Ronald Reagan, the conservatives began steadily
regaining <most of the ground they had lost in the 1960s and 1970s.
Their gains continue, but it isn't enough. Conservatives want baby
boomers, mostly <Bill and Hillary, to make an abject apology: "We're
sorry. We got it all wrong; every last bit of it."
<It's not going to happen, and as long as it doesn't happen, they'll
keep beating up on Clinton.
<That's the answer to your question. Don't bother looking elsewhere,
nor arguing. That's it.
<<You are a Liar.
<<Ryda
No. That is the absolute truth. Clinton represented and embodied...and
still does... everything most conservatives lack. (Not all. There are
some of those on the right who do think).
No, cut the *****. I wasn't trying to defend Clinton. There's not much
to defend: no accomplishments, no character, no legacy.
Oh Rudy! You crack me up so. <laughing> It's statements like the above
that show just how silly and out of touch you really are.
Clinton-Gore Administration Accomplishments: 1993 - 2000
You didn't really expect anyone was going to read that,
did you? Ha ha ha!
Presidents are always taking credit for good things
that happened serendipitously during their regimes, and
blaming all the bad things on their predecessors. The
astute voters, all 29 of them, know that it's rubbish.
The recession of 1990-91 was OVER before Clinton took
office. Clinton had the good fortune to preside over a
strong and growing economy that eventually led to
budgetary surpluses, but he did not "cause" it.
Clinton deserves some credit for two things, one of
which he only did because ***** Morris held his feet to
the fire. He deserves some credit for NAFTA, and he
deserves a very minor amount of credit for signing the
welfare reform act of 1996. He would not have signed
the latter bill except that Morris told him he'd lose
the election if he didn't sign. That doesn't exactly
speak well of Clinton.
Anyway, I actually think that in terms of Clinton
rather passively presiding over good times, his
administration will be reasonably well remembered.
That's far from the "legacy" he was so obsessed with
creating.
.
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| User: "Miles Long" |
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| Title: Re: Followup re: How come Clinton was hated so? |
31 Jul 2005 01:59:46 PM |
|
|
Rudy Canoza wrote:
Miles Long wrote:
Rudy Canoza wrote:
Passerby @midnight.net wrote:
Date: 30 Jul 2005 14:45:05 -0700
From: "Ryd" <ryda56p@yahoo.com>
Organization: http://groups.google.com
<Rudy Canoza wrote:
<Here's the answer. Conservatives hate Clinton with an irrational
passion because he embodies the 1960s to them: dope smoking, long hair,
draft dodging, rock music. They hate him because he was a constant
reminder that in the 1960s, the conservatives were utterly
humiliated in
the culture wars.
<The thing that makes it really bizarre is that beginning in 1980, with
the election of Ronald Reagan, the conservatives began steadily
regaining <most of the ground they had lost in the 1960s and 1970s.
Their gains continue, but it isn't enough. Conservatives want baby
boomers, mostly <Bill and Hillary, to make an abject apology: "We're
sorry. We got it all wrong; every last bit of it."
<It's not going to happen, and as long as it doesn't happen, they'll
keep beating up on Clinton.
<That's the answer to your question. Don't bother looking elsewhere,
nor arguing. That's it.
<<You are a Liar.
<<Ryda
No. That is the absolute truth. Clinton represented and
embodied...and
still does... everything most conservatives lack. (Not all. There are
some of those on the right who do think).
No, cut the *****. I wasn't trying to defend Clinton. There's not
much to defend: no accomplishments, no character, no legacy.
Oh Rudy! You crack me up so. <laughing> It's statements like the
above that show just how silly and out of touch you really are.
Clinton-Gore Administration Accomplishments: 1993 - 2000
You didn't really expect anyone was going to read that, did you? Ha ha ha!
Presidents are always taking credit for good things that happened
serendipitously during their regimes, and blaming all the bad things on
their predecessors. The astute voters, all 29 of them, know that it's
rubbish.
The recession of 1990-91 was OVER before Clinton took office. Clinton
had the good fortune to preside over a strong and growing economy that
eventually led to budgetary surpluses, but he did not "cause" it.
Clinton deserves some credit for two things, one of which he only did
because ***** Morris held his feet to the fire. He deserves some credit
for NAFTA, and he deserves a very minor amount of credit for signing the
welfare reform act of 1996. He would not have signed the latter bill
except that Morris told him he'd lose the election if he didn't sign.
That doesn't exactly speak well of Clinton.
Anyway, I actually think that in terms of Clinton rather passively
presiding over good times, his administration will be reasonably well
remembered. That's far from the "legacy" he was so obsessed with creating.
Snipping the content? <laughing> And no, I didn't expect you to read it,
you've already demonstrated your lack of reading and intellectual skills
more than adequately on your own. It is reassuring to me that you still
manage to live down to everyone's expectations... <smirk> Too bad your
president has little at all to show for his tenure, intended or not.
Miles "Choke On It" Long
Clinton-Gore Administration Accomplishments: 1993 - 2000
Economy: the Strongest Economy in a Generation
Longest Economic Expansion in U.S. History. In February 2000, the United
States entered the 107th consecutive month of economic expansion -- the
longest economic expansion in history. [National Bureau of Economic
Research and Council of Economic Advisors]
Moving From Record Deficits to Record Surplus. In 1992, the Federal
budget deficit was $290 billion - the largest dollar deficit in American
history. In January 1993, the Congressional Budget Office projected that
the deficit would grow to $455 billion by 2000. The Office of Management
and Budget is now projecting a surplus of at least $230 billion for 2000
- the third consecutive surplus and the largest surplus ever, even after
adjusting for inflation. Compared with original projections, that is
over $685 billion less in government drain on the economy and over $685
billion more potentially available for private investment in this one
year alone. The 2000 surplus is projected to be 2.4 percent of GDP --
the largest surplus as a share of GDP since 1948. This is the first time
we have had three surpluses in a row in more than a half century, and it
is the second consecutive surplus excluding Social Security. [Office of
Management! and Budget; National Economic Council, 9/27/00]
Paying Off the National Debt. In July 2000, the Treasury Department
announced that the United States will pay off $221 billion of debt this
year -- the largest one-year debt pay down in American history. This
will be the third consecutive year of debt reduction, bringing the
three-year total to $360 billion. Public debt is on track to be $2.4
trillion lower in 2000 than was projected in 1993. Debt reduction brings
real benefits for the American people -- a family with a home mortgage
of $100,000 might expect to save roughly $2,000 per year in mortgage
payments. Reduced debt also means lower interest rates and reduced
payments on car loans and student loans. With the President's plan, we
are now on track to eliminate the nation's publicly held debt by at
least 2012. [Treasury Department, Office of Economic Policy, From
Widening Deficits to Paying Down the Debt: Benefits for the American
People, 8/4/99]
More Than 22 Million New Jobs. 22.2 million new jobs have been created
since 1993, the most jobs ever created under a single Administration --
and more new jobs than Presidents Reagan and Bush created during their
three terms. 92 percent (20 million) of the new jobs have been created
in the private sector, the highest percentage in 50 years. Under
President Clinton and Vice President Gore, the economy has added an
average of 248,000 jobs per month, the highest under any President. This
compares to 52,000 per month under President Bush and 167,000 per month
under President Reagan. [Bureau of Labor Statistics]
Fastest and Longest Real Wage Growth in Over Three Decades. In the last
12 months, average hourly earnings have increased 3.8 percent -- faster
than the rate of inflation. The United States has had five consecutive
years of real wage growth -- the longest consecutive increase since the
1960s. Since 1993, real wages are up 6.5 percent, after declining 4.3
percent during the Reagan and Bush years. [National Economic Council, 6/00]
Household Income Breaks $40,000 for First Time in History. Income for
median households rose $1,072, or 2.7 percent, from $39,744 in 1998 to
$40,816, marking an unprecedented fifth year of significant growth in
income. In 1999, the median income of African American households
increased from $25,911 in 1998 to $27,910 -- an increase of $1,999, or
7.7 percent, which is the largest one-year increase ever recorded. The
income of the median Hispanic household, adjusted for inflation,
increased from $28,956 in 1998 to $30,735 in 1999 -- an increase of
$1,779, or 6.1 percent, which is the largest one-year increase ever
recorded. [Census Bureau, Money Income in the United States: 1999, 9/26/00]
Unemployment is the Lowest in Over Three Decades. Unemployment is down
from 7.5 percent in 1992 to 3.9 percent in September, the lowest in more
than three decades. The unemployment rate has fallen for seven years in
a row, and has remained below 5 percent for 37 months in a row -- over
three full years. Unemployment for African-Americans fell to the lowest
level ever recorded, and for Hispanics it remains at historic lows.
[Bureau of Labor Statistics]
Highest Homeownership Rate in History. The homeownership rate reached
67.2 percent in the second quarter of 2000 -- the highest ever recorded.
Minority homeownership rates were also the highest ever recorded. In
contrast, the homeownership rate fell from 65.6 percent in the first
quarter of 1981 to 63.7 percent in the first quarter of 1993. There are
almost 9 million more homeowners than in 1993. [Bureau of the Census,
7/26/00]
Lowest Poverty Rate Since 1979. In 1999, the poverty rate dropped from
12.7 percent to 11.8 percent, the lowest rate in two decades. Since
President Clinton and Vice President Gore passed their Economic Plan in
1993, the poverty rate has declined from 15.1 percent in 1993 to 11.8
percent in 1999 - the largest six-year drop in poverty in nearly 30
years (1964-1970). There are now 7 million fewer people in poverty than
in 1993, and over 2.2 million, or over 30 percent, of this decline
occurred during the past year. [Census Bureau, Poverty in the United
States: 1999, 9/26/00]
Largest One-Year Drop in Child Poverty in More than Three Decades. Under
President Clinton and Vice President Gore child poverty has dropped by
25.6 percent -- from 22.7 percent in 1993 to 16.9 percent in 1999. While
this is still too high, it is the lowest child poverty rate since 1979
and includes the largest one-year decline since 1966, which occurred
from 1998 to 1999. The African American child poverty rate has fallen
28.2 percent since 1993, and dropped from 36.7 percent in 1998 to 33.1
percent in 1999 -- the largest one-year drop in history and the lowest
level on record (data collected since 1959). The Hispanic child poverty
rate has fallen by 26 percent since 1993, and dropped from 25.6 percent
in 1998 to 22.8 percent in 1999 -- the lowest level since 1979. [Census
Bureau, Poverty in the United States: 1999, 9/26/00]
Families and Communities: Strengthening America's Working Families
Tax Cuts for Working Families. 15 million additional working families
received additional tax relief because of the President's expansion of
the Earned Income Tax Credit. In 1999, the EITC lifted 4.1 million
people out of poverty - nearly double the number lifted out of poverty
by the EITC in 1993. This year, the President proposed expanding the
EITC to provide tax relief to an additional 6.8 million hard-pressed
working families. [Good News for Low Income Families: Expansions in the
EITC and Minimum Wage, CEA, 12/98; Census Bureau]
Helping Parents Balance Work and Family. The Family and Medical Leave
Act allows workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for
seriously ill family members, new born or adoptive children, or their
own serious health problems without fear of losing their jobs. Nearly 91
million workers (71% of the labor force) are covered by the Family and
Medical Leave Act and millions of workers have benefited from FMLA since
its enactment. President Clinton has proposed expanding FMLA to allow
workers to take up to 24 unpaid hours off each year for school and early
childhood education activities, routine family medical care, and caring
for an elderly relative. [Five Years of Success: Report on FMLA,
Department of Labor, 8/98 (updated number provided 7/99)]
Improved Access to Affordable, Quality Child Care and Early Childhood
Programs. Under the Clinton-Gore Administration, federal funding for
child care has more than doubled, helping parents pay for the care of
about 1.5 million children in 1998, and the1996 welfare reform law
increased child care funding by $4 billion over six years to provide
child care assistance to families moving from welfare to work. Since
1993, the Clinton-Gore Administration has increased funding for the Head
Start program by 90 percent, and in FY 2000, the program will serve
approximately 880,000 children - over 160,000 more children than in 1993.
Increased the Minimum Wage. The minimum wage has risen from $4.25 to
$5.15 per hour, increasing wages for 10 million workers. The President
and Vice President have called for an additional increase to $6.15 over
two years. [Good News for Low Income Families: Expansions in the EITC
and Minimum Wage, CEA, 12/98]
Enacted the Workforce Investment Act. The Workforce Investment Act
reformed the nation's employment and training system so that it works
better for today's workers. The WIA empowered individuals by giving
adults more control and choice over their training or retraining and
providing universal access to core labor market services; streamlined
job training services by consolidating a tangle of individual programs
into a simple system and creating a nationwide network of One-Stop
Career Centers; enhanced accountability through tough performance
standards for states, localities, and training providers; and increased
flexibility so that states can innovate and experiment with new ways to
train America's workers better. All 50 states are now up and running and
the number of One-Stops has reached 1,200 nationwide. [PL 105-220, 8/7/98]
Signed the Adoption and Safe Families Act. The Adoption and Safe
Families Act, which was based in large part on the recommendations of
the Clinton-Gore Administration's Adoption 2002 report, made sweeping
changes in adoption law so that thousands of children in foster care
move more quickly into safe and permanent homes. In 1999, 46,000 foster
care children were adopted - more than a 64 percent increase since 1996
and well on the way to meeting the President's goal of doubling the
number of adoptions from 28,000 in 1996 to 56,000 by 2002. [PL 105-89,
11/19/97; HHS Press Release, 9/20/00]
Putting Families First. The President and Vice President developed and
implemented first-ever plan to protect our children from tobacco and end
tobacco marketing targeted to young people. They also required the
installation of V-chips in all new televisions, and encouraged schools
to adopt school uniform policies to deter school violence and promote
discipline. [Presidential Statement, 8/23/96; FCC Report No. GN 98-3,
3/12/98; Presidential Memorandum, 2/23/96]
Supporting Community Service. In just five years, AmeriCorps has allowed
150,000 young people to serve in their communities while earning money
for college or skills training. [Corporation for National Service Press
Release, 10/16/99]
President's One America Initiative. President Clinton has led the nation
in an effort to become One America: a place where we respect others'
differences and embrace the common values that unite us. The President
has been actively involved in public outreach efforts to engage
Americans in this historic effort, and followed up on the work of the
Initiative on Race by appointing Robert B. (Ben) Johnson as Assistant to
the President and Director of the new White House Office on the
President's Initiative for One America. The office is working to ensure
that we have a coordinated strategy to close the opportunity gaps that
exist for minorities and the underserved in this country, and build the
One America we want for all of our nation's children. The President's FY
2001 budget includes $5 million for One America dialogues to promote and
facilitate discussions on racial diversity and understanding. President
Clinton has also appointed the most diver! se Cabinet and White House
staff in history, presiding over an Administration that looks like
America. [FY 2001 Budget, p. 136]
Welcoming New Americans. Since 1993, the United States has welcomed 4.4
million new American citizens. Faced with this unprecedented number of
applications, the Administration undertook an initiative that has
significantly reduced the backlog of citizenship applications and is
restoring timely processing. Furthermore, the Administration's English
as a Second Language/Civics Education Initiative will provide limited
English speaking adults with instruction in both English literacy and
critical life skills necessary for effective citizenship and civic
participation.
Providing Fairness for Legal Immigrants. The President believes that
legal immigrants should have the same economic opportunity and bear the
same responsibility as other members of society. In 1997 and 1998, the
President fought for and succeeded in restoring disability, health and
nutritional benefits for certain legal immigrants, and he will continue
to press for additional restorations. The President and Vice President
have also taken executive actions to ensure that immigrants who are
eligible for benefits are not deterred by language or other access barriers.
Education: Largest Investment in Education in 30 Years
Opening the Doors of College to All Americans. President Clinton
proposed and enacted the HOPE Scholarships and Lifetime Learning tax
credits, which in 1999 were claimed by an estimated 10 million American
families struggling to pay for college. The HOPE Scholarship helps make
the first two years of college universally available by providing a tax
credit of up to $1,500 for tuition and fees for the first two years of
college. The Lifetime Learning Tax Credit provides a 20 percent tax
credit on the first $5,000 of tuition and fees for students beyond the
first two years of college, or taking classes part-time (in 2003, this
increases to $10,000 of tuition and fees). In his FY 2001 budget, the
President has proposed expanding the Lifetime Learning tax credit with a
College Opportunity tax cut, which will give families the option of
taking a tax deduction or claiming a 28 percent credit for the first
$5,000 of college tuition and fees until 2002, and $10,000 thereaft! er.
[Education Department, 4/2/99; Treasury Department; FY 2001 Budget, p. 49]
Expanding Work Study and Pell Grants. One million students can now work
their way through college because of the President's expansion of the
Work Study Program, and nearly four million students will receive a Pell
Grant of up to $3,300, the largest maximum award ever. The maximum award
has increased 43 percent under the Clinton-Gore Administration. This
year President Clinton proposed a $77 million increase in Work Study to
continue to support one million awards, and a $200 increase in the Pell
Grant maximum award, to raise it to $3,500. [Education Department,
Office of Student Financial Assistance, Interim Performance Objectives,
Final Report FY99; FY 2001 Budget, p. 50]
Making College More Affordable. The Clinton-Gore Administration has cut
student fees and interest rates on all loans, expanded repayment options
including income contingent repayment, and improved service through the
Direct Loan Program. Students have saved $8.7 billion since 1993 through
the reduction in loan fees and interest rates. [Department of Education,
Statement by Secretary Riley, 10/5/99]
More High-Quality Teachers with Smaller Class Sizes. The Clinton-Gore
Administration won a second installment of $1.3 billion for the
President's plan to hire an additional 100,000 well-prepared teachers to
reduce class size in the early grades, when children learn to read and
master the basic skills. Already, 29,000 teachers have been hired
through this initiative. This year's budget provides $1.75 billion, a
$450 million increase -- enough to fund nearly 49,000 teachers.
[Education Department, Local Success Stories - Reducing Class Size,
11/99; FY 2001 Budget, p. 44]
Turning Around Failing Schools. 11 million low-income students in 13,000
school districts now benefit from higher expectations and a challenging
curriculum geared to higher standards through Title I-Aid to
Disadvantaged Students. The FY 2000 budget provides a $134 million
accountability fund to help turn around the worst performing schools
through such measures as overhauling curriculum, improving staffing, or
even closing schools and reopening them as charter schools. This year,
the President is proposing to nearly double investment in this fund to
$250 million to help ensure all children receive a quality education.
[Education Department, Challenging the Status Quo: The Education Record,
1993-2000, 4/00; FY 2001 budget, p. 42]
Providing Safe After-School Opportunities for 850,000 Students Each
Year. The 21st Century Community Learning Centers program will provide
enriching after-school and summer school opportunities for 850,000
school-age children in rural and urban communities in FY 2000. Extended
learning time has not only been shown to increase achievement in reading
and math, but to decrease youth violence and drug use. Funding for this
program more than doubled from FY 1999 to FY 2000. For FY 2001, the
President's budget calls on Congress to invest $1 billion in 21st
Century Community Learning Centers and to ensure that all children in
failing schools have access to quality after-school and summer school
opportunities. This proposal will double funding and triple the number
of students served to 2.5 million. [FY 2001 Budget, p.44]
Expanding Choice and Accountability in Public Schools. The Clinton-Gore
Administration has worked to expand public school choice and support the
growth of public charter schools, which have increased from one public
charter school in the nation when the President was first elected to
2,000 today. More than 250,000 students nationwide are now enrolled in
charter schools in 30 states and the District of Columbia. The President
won $145 million in FY 2000 -- and has proposed $175 million in his FY
2001 budget -- to continue working toward his goal of establishing 3,000
quality charter schools by 2002. [Education Department Press Release,
8/28/99; FY 2001 Budget, p. 47]
Teaching Every Child to Read. The President challenged Americans to
commit to the effort to ensure that every child can read well and
independently by the third grade -- 1,400 colleges and universities took
up his challenge, and 26,700 college work-study students now serve as
reading tutors to help every child learn to read. [Education Department,
Challenging the Status Quo: The Education Record, 1993-2000, 4/00]
Expanding Access to Technology. With the Vice President's leadership,
the Clinton-Gore Administration has made increasing access to technology
a top priority. The President and Vice President created the Technology
Literacy Challenge Fund to help connect every school to the Internet,
increase the number of multimedia computers in the classroom and provide
technology training for teachers. They increased overall investments in
educational technology from $23 million in 1993 to $769 million in FY
2000, and tripled funding for Community Technology Centers to reach at
least 120 low-income communities. Through the E-rate program, they
secured low-cost connections to the Internet for schools, libraries,
rural health clinics and hospitals, benefiting more than 80 percent of
America's public schools. They also increased investment in education
research to ensure all children benefit from educational technology. In
1999, 95 percent of public schools were connected to the I! nternet --
up from just 35 percent in 1994. [FY 2000 Budget, p. 67; National Center
for Education Statistics, Stats in Brief NCES 2000-086, 2/00]
Supporting Local Education Reform Efforts. The President signed the
Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 (Ed-Flex) into law in
April 1999, giving all states greater flexibility in the use of federal
education funds in exchange for greater accountability for helping all
students reach high academic standards. [PL 106-25, 4/29/99]
Established the GEAR UP Mentoring Program for Middle School Children.
President Clinton and Vice President Gore created and expanded GEAR UP,
a nationwide mentoring initiative, to help over 750,000 low-income
middle school children finish school and prepare for college. The
President's FY 2001 budget would expand services to 1.4 million
students. [Education Department; FY 2001 Budget, p. 237]
Providing Early Education to Nearly 900,000 Children with Head Start.
The President and Vice President have expanded Head Start funding by 90
percent since 1993. Head Start will reach approximately 880,000
low-income children in FY 2000 and, with the President's proposed
increase for the program, will be on the way to reaching the President's
goal of serving 1 million children and their families by the year 2002.
The Administration also created Early Head Start, bringing Head Start's
successful comprehensive services to families with children ages zero to
three, and set high quality standards for both programs. [HHS,
Administration of Children and Families]
Crime and Drugs: Lowest Crime Rates in 25 Years
Lowest Crime Rates in a Generation. When President Clinton and Vice
President Gore took office in 1993, the violent crime rate in America
had more than quadrupled during the previous three decades. Since then,
America has experienced the longest continuous drop in crime on record.
The overall crime rate is the lowest in 25 years, and in 1999 crime fell
for the eighth consecutive year nationwide. Violent crime rate fell 7
percent in 1999 and 27 percent since 1993. Since 1993, the murder rate
is down more than 25 percent to its lowest point since 1967, and gun
violence has declined by more than 35 percent. [Bureau of Justice
Statistics, 1998 National Crime Victimization Survey; Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Uniform Crime Reports for the United States 1998, 1999]
Putting 100,000 More Police on the Streets. In 1999, ahead of schedule
and under budget, the Clinton-Gore Administration met its commitment to
fund an additional 100,000 police officers for our communities. As a
part of the COPS Program, the President announced a distressed
neighborhood grant program to increase community policing in high-crime
and underserved neighborhoods. To help keep crime at record lows, in
fall 1999, the President won funding for the first installment toward
his goal to hire up to 50,000 more officers by 2005. This year, the
Clinton-Gore budget includes over $1 billion to continue the successful
COPS initiative to hire more officers, hire new community prosecutors,
give police the tools and technology they need to fight crime, and to
fund community-wide crime fighting efforts. [Justice Department, COPS
Program, 5/12/99; National Economic Council, 11/18/99; FY 2001 Budget,
p. 109]
More Than Half a Million Felons, Fugitives and Domestic Abusers Denied
Guns. Since taking effect in 1994, the Brady Law has helped to prevent a
total of more than 536,000 felons, fugitives, domestic abusers, and
other prohibited purchasers from buying guns. In November 1998, the
National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) took effect
under the Brady Law, allowing access to a fuller set of records that law
enforcement officials can use to conduct checks of all prospective gun
purchases -- not just for handguns. As of March 2000, NICS has conducted
over 10 million background checks on gun purchasers, and stopped an
estimated 179,000 illegal gun sales. [Bureau of Justice Statistics,
Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 1999, 6/00]
Cracking Down on the Most Serious Gun Criminals. President Clinton and
Vice President Gore have established a tough records of enforcement of
our nation's gun laws by helping law enforcement take serious gun
criminals out of our communities and put them where they belong: behind
bars. The number of federal firearms cases prosecuted by the U.S.
Attorneys increased 16 percent, from 4,754 in 1992 to 5,500 in 1999.
And, by providing federal, state and local law enforcement and
prosecutors with the tools they ne | | | | |
