www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/bal-md.kane30jan30,0,6250322.column
baltimoresun.com
Bush comes to the 'hood
Gregory Kane
January 30, 2008
Jason Hines had his question all ready yesterday for President Bush, who came a-callin' to Baltimore and talked to nine members of Jericho, a re-entry program for nonviolent, adult male ex-offenders.
Hines said he had served a year and a half for a theft conviction. His parole and probation officer recommended Jericho, which helps ex-offenders find jobs and housing once they get out of prison. Since the Episcopal Community Services of Maryland runs Jericho, it comes under the category of what's called a "faith-based initiative."
That's what brought Dubya to town; that's why he wanted to talk to Jericho. But there was something else on Hines' mind besides a job, or housing, or faith-based initiatives.
"I asked him about voting rights for felons," Hines, 32, said. "He informed me that that was something that was not going to be done across a broad level. He told us that anyone who's really passionate about their voting rights should write their senator or congressman, explain the circumstances about why they committed the crime and express remorse."
This is the second year for the Jericho program. It was funded from a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Labor's Prison Reentry Initiative. The second year will be officially completed at the end of February; the third will run from March of this year through February of 2009. Jean Cushman, the executive director of ECSM, said there is money to fund a fourth year.
So perhaps Hines' question should have been: "Mr. President, wouldn't programs like this be easier to fund if the federal government weren't spending billions on the war in Iraq?"
But this was not a day to embarrass Dubya. Hines and other enrollees in the Jericho program said they were impressed with the president. He spoke to them about his own addiction to alcohol. He told them that his favorite food was enchiladas and that he hadn't given much thought to his post-presidential plans.
Then Bush autographed their GED certificates, address books or anything else they had handy. He gave them all official presidential pins, which they sported proudly on their shirt pockets. At the end, according to Jericho staffers who witnessed the scene, the guys in the program wrapped their arms around Bush as if he'd been one of their buddies from around the way and posed with him for snapshots.
You read that right: George W. Bush became a "Homey for a Day."
"I had mixed views about him," Hines said of his feelings for Bush before his visit. "But now I see him as a man just trying to do a job. Heavy lies the head that wears the crown. I was also impressed by his faith."
Pierre Leftfel just did a six-month stretch in Baltimore's city jail for a drug conviction. Leftfel said the president's message about personal uplift struck him the most.
"He said 'Give yourself a chance. Things will work out. When things look like they're bad for you, never give up. They'll get better at the end. Always look to your higher power.'"
Bush's talk about his alcohol addiction hit home for Leftfel, who has been a drug addict for half of his life. Leftfel said he's also sold drugs. There's a theory that says addicts have to hit bottom before they find the fortitude to kick their habits. Leftfel's bottom was when he found himself, at the age of 43, doing yet another stint in jail.
He wanted "to stop coming back to prison, going in and out," Leftfel said. "I'm too old for this right now."
Whether they felt they were too old or just plain tired of making Maryland's jails or prisons a second home, some 365 people have enrolled in the Jericho program, according to ECSM. Of that number, 237 have been placed in jobs.
The recidivism rate for Jericho participants, according to ECSM, is 22 percent, compared with the Baltimore rate of 52 percent. Some 67 employers in the Baltimore area have hired program participants in fields as varied as installing cables, warehouse work, steel manufacturing, construction, trucking, maintenance and hotel and restaurant work.
Jericho's numbers are a drop in the bucket of ex-offenders who need help returning home from prison, if the data provided by ECSM are correct. About 9,000 people are released from Maryland prisons every year. There should be more programs like Jericho, not fewer. There should be much more money allotted to them, not less.
None of the participants in the Jericho program asked Bush how much more money could have been diverted into re-entry programs if we weren't spending money for a war in Iraq, but the president can be certain of one thing:
Someone, somewhere will very soon ask him precisely that question.
greg.kane@baltsun.com
Copyright © 2008, The Baltimore Sun
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Bush Tells Congress to Put Economy Ahead of Politics (Update1)
By Catherine Dodge and Holly Rosenkrantz
More Photos/Details
Jan. 28 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush, delivering his final State of the Union address, urged Congress to set aside election-year politics and act quickly on an economic stimulus plan and other measures he said the country needs.
The president said he recognized the anxiety many Americans feel because of the slump in housing, higher unemployment and rising prices for food and gasoline.
``At kitchen tables across our country, there is concern about our economic future,'' Bush said in a nationally televised address from the House chamber of the Capitol. ``In the long run, Americans can be confident about our economic growth.''
He called for passage of the $150 billion package of rebates for individuals and tax breaks for businesses and warned lawmakers against altering the compromise reached after extensive bipartisan negotiations. ``That would delay it or derail it, and neither option is acceptable,'' Bush said.
``In this election year, let us show our fellow Americans that we recognize our responsibilities and are determined to meet them,'' he said.
Entering his final year in office facing a slumping economy, still dealing with an unpopular war in Iraq and public approval ratings in the low 30s, Bush, 61, offered few new initiatives in a speech that was about equally divided between domestic and foreign policy.
`First Step'
In the Democratic response to the address, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, called the stimulus proposal a good ``first step'' toward meeting the countries economic challenges. The nation isn't as divided as the political debate in Washington suggests, she said.
Bush made another appeal to lawmakers to make permanent his 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, which he said would bolster the economy, and he vowed to veto any tax increases.
Bush said the federal budget he will submit to Congress next week will keep his administration on target for a surplus in 2012. It will terminate or reduce 151 ``wasteful or bloated programs,'' saving $18 billion, Bush said.
Extending the tax cuts -- and their impact on the budget -- likely will be a matter left to Bush's successor. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said last week that extending the cuts beyond their Dec. 31, 2010 expiration date would cost more than $150 billion in 2011 alone. Costs would quickly grow in subsequent years, the agency said. By 2013, annual costs would reach $300 billion; by 2016, they would grow to $400 billion, CBO said.
Veto Threat
Bush also vowed to veto any legislation for fiscal 2009 that doesn't reduce special spending programs, known as earmarks, by half.
``The people's trust in their government is undermined by congressional earmarks -- special interest projects that are often snuck in at the last minute, without discussion or debate,'' Bush said.
Among Bush's new proposals is a $300 million program to help children in poor neighborhoods get access to private schools. He also wants to create a $2 billion international fund to speed development of more efficient energy technology in rapidly developing nations, including China and India, to combat climate change. He said his administration is committed to forging an international agreement to limit greenhouse gasses.
He also prodded lawmakers to finish work on pending legislation, such as a renewal of an electronic surveillance law to fight terrorism, legislation to extend his signature education law, the No Child Left Behind Act, and approval of trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.
`Unfinished Business'
``We have unfinished business before us, and the American people expect us to get it done,'' Bush said.
Among the items still awaiting final action is legislation to update the Federal Housing Administration and creation of a tougher regulator for government-chartered mortgage-finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Bush said those measures will help the country ``weather turbulent times in the housing market.''
He also reminded lawmakers that they have ``two other pressing challenges'' that have not been dealt with: revamping the entitlement programs of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and resolving the impasse over illegal immigration. Neither is likely to be finished before his term ends.
On foreign policy, Bush made no mention of the National Intelligence Estimate last month that concluded that Iran suspended its nuclear weapons program in 2003.
Instead, he said Tehran is developing ballistic missiles of increasing range and continues to develop its capability to enrich uranium, which could be used to create a nuclear weapon. He also said Iran is funding and training militia groups in Iraq, supporting Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon and backing Hamas's efforts to undermine Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Confronting Iran
``America will confront those who threaten our troops, we will stand by our allies, and we will defend our vital interests in the Persian Gulf,'' he said.
On Iraq, Bush said his goal for the final year of his presidency is to shift American troops away from leading operations in the country, and toward partnering with Iraqi forces. At the same time, he said he was reluctant to push fast to bring more troops home. ``We must do the difficult work today, so that years from now people will look back and say that this generation rose to the moment,'' he said.
Beyond stabilizing Iraq and containing Iran, Bush said he will work to help Israelis and Palestinians reach a peace agreement before the end of the year.
To contact the reporter on this story: Catherine Dodge in Washington, at cdodge1@bloomberg.net ; Holly Rosenkrantz in Washington, at hrosenkrantz@bloomberg.net
More Photos/Details
Jan. 28 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush, delivering his final State of the Union address, urged Congress to set aside election-year politics and act quickly on an economic stimulus plan and other measures he said the country needs.
The president said he recognized the anxiety many Americans feel because of the slump in housing, higher unemployment and rising prices for food and gasoline.
``At kitchen tables across our country, there is concern about our economic future,'' Bush said in a nationally televised address from the House chamber of the Capitol. ``In the long run, Americans can be confident about our economic growth.''
He called for passage of the $150 billion package of rebates for individuals and tax breaks for businesses and warned lawmakers against altering the compromise reached after extensive bipartisan negotiations. ``That would delay it or derail it, and neither option is acceptable,'' Bush said.
``In this election year, let us show our fellow Americans that we recognize our responsibilities and are determined to meet them,'' he said.
Entering his final year in office facing a slumping economy, still dealing with an unpopular war in Iraq and public approval ratings in the low 30s, Bush, 61, offered few new initiatives in a speech that was about equally divided between domestic and foreign policy.
`First Step'
In the Democratic response to the address, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, called the stimulus proposal a good ``first step'' toward meeting the countries economic challenges. The nation isn't as divided as the political debate in Washington suggests, she said.
Bush made another appeal to lawmakers to make permanent his 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, which he said would bolster the economy, and he vowed to veto any tax increases.
Bush said the federal budget he will submit to Congress next week will keep his administration on target for a surplus in 2012. It will terminate or reduce 151 ``wasteful or bloated programs,'' saving $18 billion, Bush said.
Extending the tax cuts -- and their impact on the budget -- likely will be a matter left to Bush's successor. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said last week that extending the cuts beyond their Dec. 31, 2010 expiration date would cost more than $150 billion in 2011 alone. Costs would quickly grow in subsequent years, the agency said. By 2013, annual costs would reach $300 billion; by 2016, they would grow to $400 billion, CBO said.
Veto Threat
Bush also vowed to veto any legislation for fiscal 2009 that doesn't reduce special spending programs, known as earmarks, by half.
``The people's trust in their government is undermined by congressional earmarks -- special interest projects that are often snuck in at the last minute, without discussion or debate,'' Bush said.
Among Bush's new proposals is a $300 million program to help children in poor neighborhoods get access to private schools. He also wants to create a $2 billion international fund to speed development of more efficient energy technology in rapidly developing nations, including China and India, to combat climate change. He said his administration is committed to forging an international agreement to limit greenhouse gasses.
He also prodded lawmakers to finish work on pending legislation, such as a renewal of an electronic surveillance law to fight terrorism, legislation to extend his signature education law, the No Child Left Behind Act, and approval of trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.
`Unfinished Business'
``We have unfinished business before us, and the American people expect us to get it done,'' Bush said.
Among the items still awaiting final action is legislation to update the Federal Housing Administration and creation of a tougher regulator for government-chartered mortgage-finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Bush said those measures will help the country ``weather turbulent times in the housing market.''
He also reminded lawmakers that they have ``two other pressing challenges'' that have not been dealt with: revamping the entitlement programs of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and resolving the impasse over illegal immigration. Neither is likely to be finished before his term ends.
On foreign policy, Bush made no mention of the National Intelligence Estimate last month that concluded that Iran suspended its nuclear weapons program in 2003.
Instead, he said Tehran is developing ballistic missiles of increasing range and continues to develop its capability to enrich uranium, which could be used to create a nuclear weapon. He also said Iran is funding and training militia groups in Iraq, supporting Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon and backing Hamas's efforts to undermine Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Confronting Iran
``America will confront those who threaten our troops, we will stand by our allies, and we will defend our vital interests in the Persian Gulf,'' he said.
On Iraq, Bush said his goal for the final year of his presidency is to shift American troops away from leading operations in the country, and toward partnering with Iraqi forces. At the same time, he said he was reluctant to push fast to bring more troops home. ``We must do the difficult work today, so that years from now people will look back and say that this generation rose to the moment,'' he said.
Beyond stabilizing Iraq and containing Iran, Bush said he will work to help Israelis and Palestinians reach a peace agreement before the end of the year.
To contact the reporter on this story: Catherine Dodge in Washington, at cdodge1@bloomberg.net ; Holly Rosenkrantz in Washington, at hrosenkrantz@bloomberg.net
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