Palin Slashed Funding for Teen Moms

[Justin5 20]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail...ng_to_help.html

I would say this is fair game. It's applicable whether or not she has a pregnant daughter.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin wrote in her line-item veto changes by hand in this copy of a 2008 spending bill obtained by The Washington Post.

ST. PAUL -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential nominee who revealed Monday that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, earlier this year used her line-item veto to slash funding for a state program benefiting teen mothers in need of a place to live.

After the legislature passed a spending bill in April, Palin went through the measure reducing and eliminating funds for programs she opposed. Inking her initials on the legislation -- "SP" -- Palin reduced funding for Covenant House Alaska by more than 20 percent, cutting funds from $5 million to $3.9 million. Covenant House is a mix of programs and shelters for troubled youths, including Passage House, which is a transitional home for teenage mothers.

According to Passage House's web site, its purpose is to provide "young mothers a place to live with their babies for up to eighteen months while they gain the necessary skills and resources to change their lives" and help teen moms "become productive, successful, independent adults who create and provide a stable environment for themselves and their families."

Palin's own daughter, Bristol, is five months pregnant and has plans to wed.

"Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family," Palin said in a statement released by the McCain campaign. "We ask the media to respect our daughter and Levi's privacy, as has always been the tradition of children of candidates."

Earlier today the Associated Press reported that Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, opposed funding to prevent teen pregnancies, a position that Palin also took as governor. "The explicit sex-ed programs will not find my support," she wrote in a 2006 questionnaire distributed among gubernatorial candidates.

Reporters asked McCain in November 2007 whether he supported grants for sex education in the United States, whether such programs should include directions for using contraceptives and whether he supports President Bush's policy of promoting abstinence.

"Ahhh, I think I support the president's policy," McCain said.

[TitanTiger 20,708]

Without context, it's difficult to just look at this and say "she doesn't want to help teen moms." It's a common tactic on both sides to throw out a bill like this where funding is cut (or in some cases, the rate of growth is reduced) for some ostensibly worthy program and tar your opponent for it.

To me, no program no matter what it's called or purports to do is a sacred cow that can't be trimmed down or slaughtered if need be. Some programs aren't effective or could still fulfill their mission by being more efficient. Other programs may not operate in a manner that the governor or person in charge deems to be the most effective manner (for instance, pushing birth control methods rather than emphasizing abstinence or vice versa depending on one's outlook). Other times a program has experienced a few years of recent significant increases in funding and in the role of balancing all the state's concerns, a governor needs to shift monies elsewhere to more pressing concerns.

All that to say, I think it's a tad simplistic to just say she "slashed funding for teen moms."

[TitanTiger 20,708]

Update: The Washington Post apparently operates under the notion that if you cut the rate of increase that's the same thing as "slashing funds."

And, Covenant House's IRS Form 990 (link) shows the funds that Paul Kane describes as "slashed" was over a threefold increase from the government funds they received from all sources in 2006 (FY2006 ending 12/31/06). In 2006, they received:

Contributions $1,667,796

Government Grants $1,194,788

Program Services $0

Investments $67,947

Special Events $271,980

Sales $0

Other $11,139

Total Revenue $3,213,650

Also, the $3.9 million was partly for a proposed expansion of facilities: http://www.legfin.state.ak.us/BudgetReport...;NumberType=LFD

To summarize, in 2006, Covenant House received just under $1.2 million in government grants. For 2007, it was proposed that they get $5 million. Gov. Palin felt just under $4 million was more appropriate. Thus, Covenant House received over a threefold INCREASE in funds from 2006 to 2007 under Palin.

Yeah, she hates her some teen mommies.

[Justin5 20]

Update: The Washington Post apparently operates under the notion that if you cut the rate of increase that's the same thing as "slashing funds."

And, Covenant House's IRS Form 990 (link) shows the funds that Paul Kane describes as "slashed" was over a threefold increase from the government funds they received from all sources in 2006 (FY2006 ending 12/31/06). In 2006, they received:

Contributions $1,667,796

Government Grants $1,194,788

Program Services $0

Investments $67,947

Special Events $271,980

Sales $0

Other $11,139

Total Revenue $3,213,650

Also, the $3.9 million was partly for a proposed expansion of facilities: http://www.legfin.state.ak.us/BudgetReport...;NumberType=LFD

To summarize, in 2006, Covenant House received just under $1.2 million in government grants. For 2007, it was proposed that they get $5 million. Gov. Palin felt just under $4 million was more appropriate. Thus, Covenant House received over a threefold INCREASE in funds from 2006 to 2007 under Palin.

Yeah, she hates her some teen mommies.

Touche. I can admit when I'm bested.

[jw 4 au 526]

Without context, it's difficult to just look at this and say "she doesn't want to help teen moms." It's a common tactic on both sides to throw out a bill like this where funding is cut (or in some cases, the rate of growth is reduced) for some ostensibly worthy program and tar your opponent for it.

To me, no program no matter what it's called or purports to do is a sacred cow that can't be trimmed down or slaughtered if need be. Some programs aren't effective or could still fulfill their mission by being more efficient. Other programs may not operate in a manner that the governor or person in charge deems to be the most effective manner (for instance, pushing birth control methods rather than emphasizing abstinence or vice versa depending on one's outlook). Other times a program has experienced a few years of recent significant increases in funding and in the role of balancing all the state's concerns, a governor needs to shift monies elsewhere to more pressing concerns.

All that to say, I think it's a tad simplistic to just say she "slashed funding for teen moms."

Ahhh, comon sense! Couldn't have said it better. Man, they are really digging deep and hard on this one. I think I heard Newt also say imagine the number of reporters dispached by the MSM to dig up dirt on Palin's daughters or husband versus how many they sent to dig up dirt on Obama doing cocaine or his ties to Ayers. That is a real unfair problem right there.

[MDM4AU 337]

Washington Post: Palin took money from Teen Mommy Program!

Truth: Objection, Your Honor!

Judge: Sustained.

Washington Post: The prosecution rests, your honor.