Welfare-Reform Protest Lands in Hillary's
Yard
Newsday 5/22/02 Ellen Yan
Washington - A breeze ruffled the leaves, and birds chirped on a cul-de-sac as five school buses chugged past the million-dollar houses and unloaded welfare recipients in front of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's home.
"Stop waffling on welfare," the demonstrators and their children chanted as they waved breakfast waffles in their march across Clinton's driveway. Suddenly, two Secret Service agents appeared, asking the crowd of 100 or so to move back. When one of them took away a box of waffles left at the front door, demonstrators booed.
The protestors, organized by New York City and Philadelphia activists, accused New York's junior Democratic senator of breaking her word by supporting a welfare bill that would increase work-hour requirements but not fund child care and job training as much as they would like. The issues are among several surrounding the reauthorization of the 1996 welfare law.
"She said she's going to be in our favor, and she's going to help us with jobs, but now she's lying," said Brooklyn resident Teresita Gaton, a city parks department office worker who said she had spoken to Clinton on the issue recently at a Bronx school.
"This is such a ritzy neighborhood," noted Amy Jennings, an intern at the Center for Community Change here who dressed up as a waffle. "Does she know what it's like not to have a job and raise children by herself?"
Clinton, a liberal Democrat, is among seven co-sponsors of a bill favored by conservative Democrats and introduced by Sen. Thomas Carper (D-Del.) and Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.). One of at least five welfare bills in the Senate, the Carper-Bayh version would increase welfare recipients' work week from 30 to 40 hours and provide $8 billion over five years for child care.
Although Clinton previously made no commitment on work hours, an aide said, she does not support the 40-hour provision but succeeded in adding to the bill exemptions and work credits.
Clinton assured activists she was on their side when they met earlier this month in New York City, said Deepak Bhargaba, director of the National Campaign for Jobs and Income Support. "She said she did not support higher work requirements," he said, "and she would not support the Carper-Bayh bill because it contained them."
HENCH adds: "She said she's going to be in our favor, and she's going to help us with jobs, but now she's lying,..."
LOL! Welcome to the team, now, vote AGAINST her stinky pantsuit!
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