Robert Reich on Welfare & Poverty

Former Secretary of Labor; Democratic Challenger MA Governor

Include faith based organizations in crime prevention

We should contract with small and medium-sized community groups, including faith-based organizations, in areas with rising crime to provide mentoring and drug counseling services. They know the score, and they know who to worry about. But we must also coordinate: individual neighborhoods and individual agencies accomplish much on their own, but unless there is exceptional leadership, they don’t operate together. Source: Campaign web site, RobertReich.org, “Keeping Families Safe” , Sep 17, 2002

Give housing vouchers to poor families

We could break up high concentrations of poverty by giving housing assistance vouchers to all poor families, so they could live in more affluent communities. Preliminary evidence suggests that poor children of families who move to higher-income communities do better than the poor children who stay behind. In addition, we could require housing developers to include in their plans for upscale communities a certain proportion of lower-income residences. And we could bar private insurers from imposing higher-risk premiums on people because of where they live, what they earn, or their genetic makeup. Source: The American Prospect, vol.12, no.3,“New Economy” , Feb 12, 2001

Clinton’s signing of Welfare Reform was his worst decision

The Republicans had already given him [Clinton] two welfare bills. He had vetoed the first two. The third was slightly less draconian than the first two, but it was still awful. It treated immigrants badly. It cut food stamps. At some point this economy is going to turn downward. And at that point there’s no safety net for millions of people. I knew that the president was going to sign the bill, and it seemed to me the worst decision of the administration. Source: ABC Nightline Interview, “Clinton Years” , Sep 1, 2000

Welfare reform resulted in millions working at dead end jobs

Many Democrats have celebrated the decline in welfare rolls without acknowledging that millions of people who are now at work are in dead-end jobs without a future. To the extent that there’s a moral core to American capitalism, it consists of three promises: First, any adult needing to work full time deserves a full-time job. Second, that job should pay enough to lift that person out of poverty. Third, people should have the opportunity to move beyond this minimum by making use of their talents. Source: The American Prospect, vol.11, no.15, “Working Principles” , Jul 3, 2000

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*2010 Governor, House and Senate candidates on Welfare & Poverty:*			*Robert Reich on other issues:*
*MA Gubernatorial:* Deval Patrick *MA Senatorial:* John Kerry Scott Brown *2011 Special Elections:* CA-36:~~Jane Harman~~(D) CA-36:Janice Hahn(D) NV-2:~~Dean Heller~~(R) NY-9:~~Anthony Weiner~~(D) NY-26:~~Chris Lee~~(R) NY-26:Kathleen Hochul(D) *Retiring 2012:* CA-6:Lynn Woolsey(D) OK-2:Dan Boren(D) MI-5:Dale Kildee(D) TX-14:Ron Paul(R) *Running for Mayor:* CA-51:Bob Filner(D) *Running for Governor:* IN-6:Mike Pence(R) WA-8:Dave Reichert(R) *Running for Senate:* AZ-1:Jeff Flake(R) CT-5:Chris Murphy(R) HI-2:Mazie Hirono(D) IN-2:Joe Donnelly(D) MO-2:Todd Akin(R) MT-0:Dennis Rehberg(R) ND-0:Rick Berg(D) NM-1:Martin Heinrich(D) NV-1:Shelley Berkley(D) UT-3:Jason Chaffetz(R) Dem. Freshmen in 112th Congress: AL-7:Terri Sewell CA-33:Karen Bass DE-0:John Carney FL-17:Frederica Wilson HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa LA-2:Cedric Richmond MA-10:Bill Keating MI-13:Hansen Clarke RI-1:David Cicilline	GOP Freshmen in 112th Congress: AL-2:Martha Roby AL-5:Mo Brooks AZ-1:Paul Gosar AZ-3:Ben Quayle AZ-5:David Schweikert AR-1:Rick Crawford AR-2:Tim Griffin AR-3:Steve Womack CA-19:Jeff Denham CO-3:Scott Tipton CO-4:Cory Gardner FL-12:Dennis Ross FL-2:Steve Southerland FL-21:Mario Diaz-Balart FL-22:Allen West FL-24:Sandy Adams FL-25:David Rivera FL-5:Rich Nugent FL-8:Dan Webster GA-2:Mike Keown GA-7:Rob Woodall GA-8:Austin Scott ID-1:Raul Labrador IL-8:Joe Walsh IL-10:Bob Dold IL-11:Adam Kinzinger IL-14:Randy Hultgren IL-17:Bobby Schilling IL-8:Joe Walsh IN-3:Marlin Stutzman IN-4:Todd Rokita IN-8:Larry Bucshon IN-9:Todd Young KS-1:Tim Huelskamp KS-3:Kevin Yoder KS-5:Mike Pompeo LA-3:Jeff Landry MD-1:Andy Harris MI-1:Dan Benishek MI-2:Bill Huizenga MI-3:Justin Amash MI-7:Tim Walberg MN-8:Chip Cravaack MO-4:Vicky Hartzler MO-7:Billy Long MS-1:Alan Nunnelee MS-4:Steven Palazzo	GOP Freshmen in 111th Congress: NC-2:Renee Ellmers ND-0:Rick Berg NH-2:Charlie Bass NH-1:Frank Guinta NJ-3:Jon Runyan NM-2:Steve Pearce NV-3:Joe Heck NY-13:Michael Grimm NY-19:Nan Hayworth NY-20:Chris Gibson NY-24:Richard Hanna NY-25:Ann Marie Buerkle NY-29:Tom Reed OH-1:Steve Chabot OH-15:Steve Stivers OH-16:Jim Renacci OH-18:Bob Gibbs OH-6:Bill Johnson OK-5:James Lankford PA-10:Tom Marino PA-11:Lou Barletta PA-3:Mike Kelly PA-7:Patrick Meehan PA-8:Mike Fitzpatrick SC-1:Tim Scott SC-3:Jeff Duncan SC-4:Trey Gowdy SC-5:Mick Mulvaney SD-0:Kristi Noem TN-3:Chuck Fleischmann TN-4:Scott DesJarlais TN-6:Diane Black TN-8:Stephen Fincher TX-17:Bill Flores TX-23:Quico Canseco TX-27:Blake Farenthold VA-2:Scott Rigell VA-5:Robert Hurt VA-9:Morgan Griffith WA-3:Jaime Herrera WI-7:Sean Duffy WI-8:Reid Ribble WV-1:David McKinley	Abortion Budget/Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy/Oil Environment Families/Children Foreign Policy Free Trade Govt. Reform Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Infrastructure/Technology Jobs Principles/Values Social Security Tax Reform War/Iraq/Mideast Welfare/Poverty Main Page Profile MA politicians [Title9]

Page last updated: Nov 06, 2011