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March 26, 2008

350 turn out to protest cuts to Head Start program

PROVIDENCE -- With a handful of 3- and 4-year-olds leading the singing of "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands," some 350 people protested at the State House this afternoon against Governor Carcieri's proposal to cut all state money for the federal Head Start preschool program.

Parents, children's advocates and Head Start staffers from around Rhode Island held signs bearing such messages as "Stop cuts to Head Start" and "Save Head Start." It is a federal early-childhood program mainly open to 3- and 4-year-olds in families at or below the federal poverty level, which is $17,600 for a family of three.

The Capitol Police estimated the rally crowd at 350.

Some people held paper cut-out likenesses of children -- 400 cut-outs representing the number of children who would lose Head Start.

"The gospel is very clear: We are our brothers' keeper," said one speaker, the Rev. Donald C. Anderson, executive minister of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches. He added: "Rhode Island children are not someone else's responsibility. They are our children. They are our responsibility."

The Head Start cut, which would eliminate 400 of 2,800 preschool slots statewide, would save taxpayers $3.3 million, the Journal has reported.

Preschool classes through Head Start see to it that poor children begin school “on an equal footing with their more economically-advantaged peers,” according to a policy brief produced by Rhode Island Kids Count, a child advocacy group. The brief says children from families at or below poverty level are typically 18 months behind their peers in learning and social skills at age 4.

But the pro-Head Start rally was just one on a day of public stumping at the State House on budget debate issues. Another rally was set to start at 3:30 p.m., during which the state Chamber of Commerce was expected to protest, along with the governor, proposals to roll back the state flat tax and changes to the capital gains tax.

At 5 p.m. the House Finance Committee will hear a bill that would affect the flat and capital gains taxes and expand the sales tax -- proposals the Chamber of Commerce rally was expected to oppose.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Steve Peoples of the Journal State House Bureau

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:45 PM | Permalink

Comments

Everybody wants the deficit solved but nobody wants their pet project cut to do so. If spending is not reduced because of "advocates," how is the hole ever going to be closed?

You guessed it- taxes. The liberal answer to everything.

Way to use a bunch of little kids to make a political point.

EMT | March 26, 2008 4:57 PM link

I agree with Rev. Anderson. Child welfare should be the responsibility of religious charities where people voluntarily donate where they think it makes the most sense. I urge Rev. Anderson and his supporters to make charitable donations to Head Start.

Curious | March 26, 2008 11:55 PM link

I'd have shown up to protest the efforts to hijack more of my money BUT I HAVE A JOB!

Greg | March 27, 2008 7:37 AM link

$3.3 million for 400 kids comes out to $8250 a child for babysitting 3- and 4-year-olds. That seems to be a lot of money to spend on the upbringing of kids whose parents only make under $17,600 a year.
But I guess it's not a bad deal, to ensure that we have people to clean the toilets for slave wages while the nice people have easy, clean, well-paid jobs of raising their rugrats.

More poverty pimps | March 27, 2008 1:16 PM link

March 26, 2008

350 turn out to protest cuts to Head Start program

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