Sarah Palin cut funding for teen mothers
Categories: Teens & Tweens, Pregnancy & Birth, In The News, Resources
It's a good thing seventeen-year-old Bristol Palin has her family's support during her pregnancy because it turns out that one of the things her mother did as governor of Alaska was to use her line-item veto to cut funding for a program that includes housing for teenage mothers. In fact, Governor Palin cut the funding for Covenant House, of which Passage House is a part, by more than twenty percent.Passage House is there to offer "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" as well as helping them "become productive, successful, independent adults who create and provide a stable environment for themselves and their families." At least, that's what they'd like to do. Perhaps they will still be able to accomplish their mission despite the cuts; it's possible that the program was spending more than necessary and can operate just fine with the reduced revenue. It's possible.
It seems to me that this, combined with her dedication to abstinence-only sex education, does not bode well for teenage girls in the coming years if Palin and McCain make it to the White House.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Nova 9-04-2008 @ 10:16AM
Sarah has a 4month old special needs child but as a working mother in a power position she cut help by 62% for special needs family,doesn't believe in the FMLA which is there to help working mothers balance work/life. Most Teens that get pregnant in a two parent home that preaches abstinence I feel is because they want or lack attention. The people I know who serve their communities in "organizing" capacities are some of the most caring, selfless, humanitarian people I know.(ex.. police,fireman,churches, working mothers,small businesses.My opinion of Palin and the Republicans has sunk with my heart, as I watched thousands cheer this snide woman on, and TV Talking Heads praised her for a "great" speech. No she's not mine, or any female in my families role model.
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Derek 9-04-2008 @ 7:16PM
Boy Nova, check out Mihir's response... I hope you feel sheepish. Either way I believe what most below have said, personal responsibility goes a long way towards true responsibility and it's not society's place to take care of the unfortunate, many can't afford to give more away but our forced to by higher taxes.
lily1m 9-04-2008 @ 5:20PM
It is a wonderful thing that she is keeping her child but what if she was that teenage girl whose parent is not a Governor or are already living on fixed incomes? It is despicable for Sarah Palin to be talking out of both sides of her mouth. Children are my main focus, but definitely not hers! Children cannot help themselves--they need family first--if not available--their community--and yes community help. Her speech was a little too shrill for me. I only watched part of it because I was doing community work feeding homeless in Austin, TX, veterans, people out of jobs for now, etc., something the Republicans absolutely do not connect with!!!
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Shann 9-04-2008 @ 10:37AM
Actually the funding to Covenant House was not actually cut. They had requested a additional 10 million dollars for various things, and they cut it down to 3.9 million. Their annual budget was actually only 3 million a year. So she actually gave them slightly more than their annual budget required. Here is the link http://classifieds.crosswalk.com/blogs/EWThrockmorton/11581311/
PLEASE don't just listen to all you read or hear in the liberal media... do the research yourself. I realize not all agree with her decisions... but the attack reporting is out of control.
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Mihir 9-04-2008 @ 10:37AM
i wonder what side of the political spectrum Roger is on?
this has already been debunked. get the facts straight. Covenant House received $1.2 million from the government in the 2006. the following year, they received $3.9 million.
the "20% cut" as you phrase it, was from an originally slated $5 million, down to the $3.9 million. they still received more than a 300% increase!
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Mihir 9-04-2008 @ 10:39AM
sorry...forgot the source link for the 2006, $1.2 million:
http://www.guidestar.org/pqShowGsReport.do?partner=justgive&npoId=332976
see...some of us do the research. :-p
EskimoPie 9-04-2008 @ 12:35PM
Ha! Take that!
Blah, Blah, Blah 9-07-2008 @ 7:21PM
You know how many times I've heard Conservatives say the Democrats want to raise your taxes because they don't want to make the Bush Tax cuts on the wealthiest 5% permanent? ALL THE FREAKIN' TIME! This is the same thing, she did cut the funding. She also cut funding for children with special needs education.
ame s 9-04-2008 @ 10:52AM
This won't be a popular opinion, but if a teen mother can't financially provide for a child, she shouldn't be having one in the first place. A child is not always better off with the birth mother, especially if she doesn't have a dollar to her name. I'm not a fan of abortion but consider adoption to be a better option than enabling teen mothers. I know unplanned pregnancies happen, but society should not be expected to step in and care for a child and a mother because of an "oopsie". Unlike oxygen, people don't need to have sex to live. If a teen takes a risk by having sex,even protected sex, that teen and that teen's parents should be prepared to take care of little "oopsie". I'd rather see my tax dollars spent on improving the roads around my county and state than funding an unwed mother home.
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Mihir 9-04-2008 @ 11:00AM
you'd be surprised how popular your opinion is.
personal responsibility goes a LONG way in my book.
Jenni 9-04-2008 @ 11:22AM
You're popular on this end!
And as for lily, as a republican who works in a non-profit agency who gives parents the help they need to get back on their feet, I'm all for HELPING OUT!!! I'm not for spending more money so that people can keep relying on the government. They need to get the help and move on. I am VERY in touch with the peopple who don't have jobs. I also help those people FIND jobs and move on in their lives to better ways.
Feeding the homeless, while helpful at the time, doesn't give them the help they need in order to be selfsufficient. It only gives them someone else to rely on; unless along with that meal you are giving them opportunities to make their own money.
Don't try to tell me it isn't that easy, because it is. As a non-profit ageny (that uses YOUR tax payer money) we make sure that the families have the tools to find jobs, go to school, and get on their feet. We have a 90% success rate, the other 10% don't want to put in the work; they are only looking for an easy handout. When their time runs out, they move on to another agency. This is the pattern we see every day.
Feeding the homeless you are only making yourself feel better; it's only making a difference for that second in time. What I do, I make these people better people and their lives better for years to come.
It's not my repsonsibility to take care of other people's children. It's my responsibility to take care of my own. And if I can't do it, then I shouldn't be acting so unresponsibly.
Thank you ame for your comment, you are so right on! (And Mihir as well). It's about time that we stand up and say that we aren't going to take other people using our hard earned money to fix their mistakes.
Joy 9-04-2008 @ 12:26PM
I’m standing up and applauding you ame s. Very well said.
Paula 10-01-2008 @ 4:26PM
Isn't it oh-so-nice though that young Bristol's family has the means to take care of "oopsie"? Nice of teeny tiny human being that she is, sarah, to cut funding for the less fortunate.
SoccerMom 9-04-2008 @ 11:56AM
I've always had open communication with my 15 and 17 year old daughters about sex, STDs, pregnancy, abstinence, birth control and the responsibilities with bringing a new life into the world. I know the responsibility first hand- my mother was raped at the age of 14 and the responsibility of raising me became a part of her teen age years. She could not 'financially afford' me, but she loved me and did the best she could with her resources, and I grew up a welfare child- looked down upon because of my mother's status in our small town. I do not want any of that for my daughters or my grandchildren. Teen pregnancy should not be ignored, or glossed over, or solved with a marriage to the boyfriend. I had to have this talk with my daughters, including my 11 year old when 'Zoey' (Jamie Lynn Spears) became pregnant. And now I am again having this talk, because Palin won't address this issue other than to gloss it over and act like it's just a small, family problem. Yes, it happened to her family, so are we now OK with this family problem happening to other families- if you just smile and draw attention to other problems it's all OK?? Is teen pregnancy no longer an issue because a potential VP's 17 year old got pregnant? I expect leadership on issues that are real problems for our country, Palin's lack of acknowledging this issue demonstrates to me that if the issue is tough, expect her to do nothing. Our country is faced with many tough issues and they need to be dealt with. And I am not an "oopsie" as a previous writer stated- I am a proud mother, business owner and tax paying citizen. (and youth soccer coach!)
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kristin 9-04-2008 @ 12:17PM
If you are going to have a baby, you shouldn't depend on the government to support it.
Mihir 9-04-2008 @ 12:29PM
if a teen chooses to have sex, then they should be prepared to handle the consequences and not line up to the government teat.
your mother obviously did not choose to have sex, she was raped. no one has ever said there should be NO support system for women like your mother. these are the women that especially need it the most.
i'm not sure where you get the idea that teen pregnancy is no longer an issue because the VP candidate's daughter is pregnant.
SoccerMom 9-04-2008 @ 12:44PM
I have yet to hear Palin speak on this issue- she is the one I expect to talk openly and honestly about it. Maybe she needs to be made aware it is an issue for our country- so far I have heard nothing.
Mihir 9-04-2008 @ 1:00PM
as much as i can respect you for getting through your situation and becoming a mother, business owner and coah, i couldn't let this one by. you said:
"I had to have this talk with my daughters, including my 11 year old when 'Zoey' (Jamie Lynn Spears) became pregnant. And now I am again having this talk, because Palin won't address this issue ..."
no matter how many times it takes, it's YOUR responsibility to have this talk with your kids, not Palin's or Obama's or anyone else. period.
Kris 9-04-2008 @ 1:04PM
Being an Alaskan, perhaps if my fellow Alaskans weren't taking advantage of the programs that are out there then the would be able to maintain all their funding. A LOT of programs got cut under Palin and the previous administrations due to sheer and utter fraud and mismanagement. Notice how many corruption charges for politicians and their lackies have come out of Alaska lately...the latest Ted Stevens CORRUPT! I am not Democrat or Republican, I am not sure I'd vote for McCain/Palin but what I DO know is that she has made a TON of changes for our state that have not only weeded out fraud and corruption but have made a noticable difference to Alaskans in general. Whining about Covenant House is ridiculous...do some real research into the State of Alaska before making such borad sweeping statements.
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Nova 9-04-2008 @ 3:15PM
I'm at a lost of how a teen with both parents present who preaches abstinence get's pregnant? I guess since she under the Governors health plan that the tax payers pay then it's okay? but forget the unprivileged teens. Not my kind of party.
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