Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.wpost From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: 'We Have Made a Lot of Progress'By Sharon Pratt Kelly< Date: Sun, 22 Nov 92 09:18:27 EST Message-ID: <14.1992Nov22.091827@AmeriCast.com> As I watched President-elect Clinton on election night promising the American people change and new leadership, my mind began to make some comparisons between his election and mine two years ago. We both were elected as agents of change after making solid commitments to serve the citizens better than they had been served in the preceding 12 years. I said we would make government more responsive and accountable to the people of this community. I said we would make it work. I also spoke of my strongly held view that government must become an effective catalyst for rekindling a sense of community - for only through that sense of community can we insulate ourselves from the increasing violence, especially among our youth. We have made a lot of progress - progress of which I am very proud, and for which I applaud the employees of this government (most of whom "dug in" to achieve these goals even though they must operate with inadequate support systems, antiquated technol- ogy, undesirable work environments, the absence of pay raises and now the imposition of pay cuts through furloughs). Although keep- ing many of these commitments may have cost me political support in some corridors of power in Washington, I believe true gover- nance and accountability are best determined by the people who elected me. In this season when the people feel the politicians routinely forget them (and their promises) after Election Day, here is a list of the places where we have made gains. Brace yourself. It may surprise you. Youth Initiatives and Crime. Almost a year ago, my administration announced one of the most comprehensive programs in the country to reduce violence. We in- creased the number of officers walking the beat by 200, expanded the short-term witness protection program and detained dangerous offenders through bail reform and life-imprisonment-without- parole legislation passed by the D.C. Council. But dealing with the crime epidemic will take more than this. The real key to breaking up the counterculture of violence that plagues our families and youth is prevention. To that end, my ad- ministration has focused its resources on preventive measures that can make a difference. We have opened "turning points" centers in four junior high schools to prevent delinquent or criminal behavior in our youth. Despite an unkind $26 million congressional cut (driven by presidential veto threat), we are committed to moving forward because the programs are working. Our Department of Human Services, complemented by our 10 commun- ity empowerment centers, is intervening in a positive way to preserve families. More than 94 new social workers have been hired to integrate these families into other human services pro- grams. While we are still grappling with this major problem, we are making some real progress in reducing crime. For the first time in five years, crime has dipped 2 percent in the District. Though small, this reduction shows that the crime wave is ebbing. Admit- tedly, this is the toughest message to present to the public be- cause the media tend to focus mostly on the problem and rarely on the progress.