Clinton calls for a "Poverty Czar" Cabinet level position to eliminate poverty

[jsamuel]

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/04/04/858829.aspx

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
NBC News has learned that in her remarks today, Clinton will call for a cabinet-level "poverty czar,"
apparantly similar to what the King family has been requesting.

Here's an excerpt from Clinton's expected remarks:
"When I say solutions, I mean finally addressing the scourge of poverty that continues to afflict so many
of our families in this country. I mean appointing a cabinet level position that will be solely and fully devoted
to ending poverty as we know it in America, a position that will focus the attention of our nation on this issue.
That's the kind of solution I'm talking about, a solution for which Dr. King's son, Martin, has been such a
passionate and effective advocate."

[Cooley Hurd]

1. Good for her! If only I could trust her word...

:(

[damntexdem]

3. It should work just fine ...

just like having a drug czar has eliminated drugs.

;-)

[loyalsister]

27. Oddly, they would be a cross hairs

:shrug:

[tekisui]

6. I am not sure about this.

Another new high level official. Shouldn't Poverty be covered in some of the other Departments. This sounds like more inefficient bureaucracy. Homeland Security. War Czar. Poverty Czar? Can't they do the job with what they have?

[jsamuel]

8. completely different - The War Czar is crazy because we already have a Secretary of Defense

We do not have a Secretary of Poverty

[Cant trust em]

2. Interesting that this should come on the same day that her tax returns show that she is loaded.

I don't think that you need to actually be poor to care about the poor, but since when does anyone care what I think?

[thereismore]

4. Sounds like all the republican czars. A boneheaded idea. The President is

the poverty czar in my opinion.

[tekisui]

9. Yep. Just like the Pres is the "War Czar".

[stray cat]

5. i hope its not just another position to reward a donator or other

[valerief]

7. I thought Homeland Security and the Pentagon made sure there

was plenty of poverty in the USAR. We need a freakin' czar to create MORE poverty? Sheesh.

You know whenever a czar position is created, they always bloat the problem, not fix it. Think of the Drug Czar and the War Czar.

[Hippo_Tron]

13. The War on Poverty reduced poverty by 50%

[valerief]

15. You're right. That was a bad item in the list. Thanks. I'll remove it. nt

[anigbrowl]

19. Exactly...it's usually a sinecure

The idea is to set poverty reduction as a goal and then get the treasury, HUD, Labor, education secretariats to work together to come up with plans that can be passed in Congress.

[C_U_L8R]

10. Has there ever been a "czar" who's actually accomplished anything?

Seems like competent leadership is what we really need.. not more figureheads and "czars"

[Moochy]

11. Julius Czar

[C_U_L8R]

17. Oh and..

Czar Czar Binks

[valerief]

18. Czar Czar Gabor. nt

[bigtree]

12. yep

she did. nice tribute.:kick:

[TheDonkey]

14. Initiate Pander Mode *beep beep*

[Deja Q]

25. *beep beep* - who'd be the road runner and, worse, who'd be the coyote?

:hide:

[valerief]

16. We need a Christmas Czar to fight the War on Christmas. Maybe she'll

nominate Billo.

[rinsd]

20. I like the idea of a cabinet level position dedicated to fighting poverty.

Edwards & Kucinich have proposed similar measures haven't they?

[anigbrowl]

24. And what does this person do all day? Write pissy memos to other departments?

Yeah, it's superficially a nice idea. But I feel that to some extent it's a figleaf to hang over the problem. 'O course I'm doing something about poverty...look at my poverty czar!'. Poverty is not a single issue you can solve, any more than crime is. It's something you try to minimise by getting the treasury, labor, education, and other departments together.

[Jed Dilligan]

21. Why not? It worked for drugs...

:eyes:

We need targeted initiatives and deep economic reform, not another fancy-titled bureaucrat trying to pull together the flimsy shreds of the safety net that survived the Reagan-Bush-Clinton revolution.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

22. Isn't a "Poverty Czar" historically ironic?

Not that I'm against the idea, mind you, but I think we need a new paradigm.

[anonymous171]

23. More beaurocracy! YAY! Czars solve everything!

Especially the problem of John Edwards and his to be issued endorsement.

[Texas Hill Country]

26. nice move... extend King legacy and bait Edwards endorsement... smart lady.