Palin Slashed Funds For Teen Mothers

Washington Post:

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.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[Vicki Verdane]

It's both incorrect and misleading. Check the facts:

Covenant House Alaska grant income received from the State of Alaska:
(2006) $1.2 million
(2007) $1.3 million
(2008) $3.9 million

In 2008, Covenant House Alaska asked the state for $10 million to assist in the building of a new $22 million facility. The legislature appropriated $5 million, and Governor Palin used her line-item veto to limit this year's grant INCREASE to $2.6 million (a total grant this year of $3.9 million). Additional money will be allocated for this capital expenditure project over the next few years, a phased-in grant rather than all the money at once.

This was confirmed in a quote from the Executive Director of Covenant House Alaska, Deirdre Cronin:

"Despite some press reports to the contrary, our operating budget was not reduced. Our $3.9 million appropriation is directed toward a multi-year capital project and it is our understanding that the state simply opted to phase in its support for this project over several years, rather than all at once in the current budget year."

[txgal44]

You know what's so sad? Is how they drag the darling little baby to all those events. It's too damn loud in there!! And have you noticed he's almost always asleep. Poor baby. Get a d a m n baby sitter!! I'm sorry but that's bad parenting to me.

[PoliticalPolyanna]

I think the headline is a bit misleading.

Palin cut funding for an umbrella group under which are several programs with one of them being a "transitional" home for teenage mothers. No evidence is offered that she targeted reduction to that one specific program.

Come on, Huffington Post. Leave the half-truths and innuendo to the Michelle Malkins and Fox News of the world. Don't stoop to their level.

[noamjunior]

nowhere in the headline does it say she "targeted " reduction , but she did cut the funding for a program that helped teenage mothers- maybe you should READ the headline before trying to find fault with it

[PoliticalPolyanna]

OH! I should read it BEFORE I "find fault with it"? Oh. My bad. Ok. Let's see . . .

"PALIN SLASHED FUNDS FOR TEEN MOTHERS". Hmmmmmmmmm. Nope. No good. Still say it's misleading. The group whose funds were decreased served several programs. The "teen mothers" might have received the same amount of money that they received the year before. Could be Palin's decrease slashed the funds of another program.

Maybe you should READ the WHOLE article. Then, unless you just refuse to, you'll see my point.

[johnnygoodwud]

would that poor down syndrome baby be dragged out for every photo opp if it didn't have down syndrome? everytime i see the poor baby it's sleeping. is this really necessary. her daughter has admitted she's pregnant no need to use the baby for a shield. family values,,,,­,,,,,,hard­ly. if she were so concerned about her baby, why not leave the baby in the hotel room

[mulegino]

Such actions are emblematic of those who claim to be "pro-life" and whose concern lies only with the unborn. I believe that most humane members of humanity are anti-abortion, myself included. I am also very much concerned with the children once they are born, and that concern also extends to their young adulthood, i.e., not becoming victims of poverty and want and readily available candidates for prison or the cannon fodder for endless wars of intervention and corporate empire.
It is possible to be pro-life and progressive at the same time. No child should ever be unwanted. A social safety net is not only necessary, but a moral imperative for any society that wishes to consider itself civilized.

[StillAmused]

Details, details.

C'mon... they're trying to put on a fantasy play in St. Paul, and you're distracting the wide-eyed audience.

[Zeje]

Teenagers who are unmarried and pregnant need all the help they can get. Many are thrown out of their homes -- by their religious parents. They need programs just like the ones Palin cut.

[UnbiasView]

Hmm, does that mean that if their parents throw them out . . . you should use government to steal from me to provide for them?

In other words, you want Government to replace the father and family.

[noamjunior]

the govt is spending billions every month in Iraq and You want to throw teenage mothers out in the cold of alaska- how republican

[don]

Sure, there must be a few ice floes left out there that haven't subcombed to global warming yet. It's the eskimo way. Wouldn't want any of those fish pickers on the government dole. Deprive those mothers, ensure their prodigy grow up twisted and hateful. Keep that money of yours so that there will be more in your pocket for the day that they mug you. Cain, where is your brother?

[CaliforniaLegalDee]

I am not surprised about Palin's hipocracy. She slashed funds for teen mothers, blocked sex education in shcools, advocated abstinence all the while her teen daughter is pregnant ! Sarah Palin pick for VP is an insult to any woman's intelligence. What John McCain fails to understand is that women vote on the issues and not on gender alone.

Sara Palin is your typical bible toting, gun holding unsophisticated Jesus freak who if up to her will take our country a century behind, leaving women with fewer rights. I am outraged by this pick !
How Disgusting of a Choice !!! Dee from California.

[UnbiasView]

I think she just knocked her speech out of the park.

BTW, bundle all the government programs you want to into one class . . . kids are still going to screw up no matter who they are . . . rich, poor, black, white, fat, skinny, etc.

Trying to tie her daughter's pregnancy to her being a bad mother is laughable and hope your party takes that stance.

[FiLoLi]

Aren't journalists supposed to dig into a story and find the truth? Why do most of todays journalists only print bits of information?

http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/09/03/finding-the-true-story-is-nearly-impossible-in-the-mainstream-media/#more-4567

[wndrwrthg]

I am thinking that as the unmarried minor daughter of the governor of Alaska, she will be recieving plenty of healthcare from moms government insurance.

[UnbiasView]

Considering she is covered as a minor and Palin pays for it . . . I would hope so.

[hoopesaz]

I'm not sure what the story line here is. I'm guessing she isn't looking for her daughter to tap into public funding to help with her pregnancy. She probably expects that the two of them need to be responsible enough to deal with it. Which, if she held that position, is perfectly consistent with cutting funds.

[FiLoLi]

There is alot more to this story.

http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/09/03/finding-the-true-story-is-nearly-impossible-in-the-mainstream-media/#more-4567

[faith]

It is really unfair that Palin's daughter is holding the baby. Why doesn't Ms. Palin, VP hopeful, take responsibility and carry her own child? Is she afraid it might take away a little of the glamor from her perfectly fitted little black suit to have a baby balanced on her hip? You betcha !

[hoopesaz]

Uh, or maybe she needed her hands free? I thought liberals believed that if a woman was pregnant she should be able to abort the child before birth. Now you saying that if they chose to have a child a woman must CARRY it at all times? SERIOUSLY?

[FiLoLi]

This is the way large families work. This is the way it has been for hundreds of years. Older children do chores, babysit, and even do daily childcare needs (like baths or diapering). Your comment suggests either you are an only child or have an extreme level of selfishness.

[Gabino]

Palin's pregnant daughter reminds me of Princess Diana.

[txgal44]

How?

[ramal]

Where is the "compassionate conservatism" in that????

[FiLoLi]

http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/09/03/finding-the-true-story-is-nearly-impossible-in-the-mainstream-media/#more-4567

[SwingingFromCenter]

Wow, the dittoheads are out in full force lately.

Not that I disagree with them on this issue--I don't know if they are right or not. But I can't help but notice a huge upsurge in far right leaning short bus all stars infesting the site of late. Guess it's a good balance to the bedwetting lefters, but still.

[Liberal2]

Wow! "Bedwetting Lefters"? For a guy who has to be reminded to change his Depends, you're kinda judgmental.