Do you want to reduce child abuse and neglect and sexual abuse?

[KaraokeKarlton]

If you do, vote for Howard Dean. In Vermont, Dean started a state wide program that reduced child physical abuse and neglect by almost half and reduced sexual abuse by over 70%.

The program is called "Success By Six". Every woman who gives birth is visited by a nurse in the hospital, given a canvas bag with gifts and information of their local resources and programs focused on early childhood. The nurse asks if you would like to receive a home visit within the first month after you get home. The vast majority of women say yes to this visit. During the visit, a nurse answers questions, weighs and measures your baby, brings more gifts and resources and discusses your concerns, hopes and needs. The nurse acts as an advocate for new parents...connecting them with programs like WIC, foodstamps, medicaid, Dr. Dynasaur, childcare resources, including subsidized childcare, counselling if you have the blues, etc. This gets help to at risk families immediately and prevents all kinds of abuse right from the beginning.

Howard Dean intends to enact this program nationally should he become president. When my 3 year old was born I participated in this free program. My daughter loves the free children's books she was given as a newborn.

Dean in 2004!

[MaineDem]

I don't understand how electing one person would eliminate these problems

Maybe I'm missing something.

[KaraokeKarlton]

2. It would probably help if you read the post

I explained that Dean's innovative program "Success By Six" reduced abuse by a trememndous amount and that Dean will enact the program nationwide if elected. Sorry, but the only way one could miss the point is by not reading the post.

:shrug:

[MaineDem]

3. ok

Thanks for pointing that out to me. I guess I'm just stupid because I had read it.

But that's ok.

[KaraokeKarlton]

6. Perhaps you did read it

no offense intended, your response just sounded like you hadn't read the whole post.

:shrug:

[mopinko]

5. well, that's why you should vote for dean

cuz he knows how. this is my number one reason for supporting dean. he had a preogram in vermont of sending a social worker to greet every new citizen soon after birth. for most it was just a friendly hello, and welcome to the world. for the families that were in trouble, they got help before a tragedy happened. DUH!!!!!!!!!

[KaraokeKarlton]

7. Actually, it's a public health nurse who visits

Not a social worker. You can also continue visits through the local Parent Child Centers. Even if you don't need any support services, just having a friendly face spend an hour chatting and talking about your baby's development is nice.

[XanaDUer]

10. Electing one person will NOT solve these very serious problems...

Especially someone who seems to have relied primarily on the ideas of others who came before him.

All he did in 1991 was move the funding sources from being totally supported by the state to funding it under Medicaid , with all of Medicaid's accompanying requirements.

This resulted in cuts to the budgets to the Dr. Dynasaur Program, when the Feds cut Medicaid funding.

Before Dean the program was independent and in VT's total control.

[KaraokeKarlton]

11. What are you talking about?

Succes By Six is NOT a health care program. It's an early childhood intiative that is in no way related to or funded by Medicaid or any health care programs.

It's a social services program Dean created and funded by the state of Vermont entirely.

:eyes:

[XanaDUer]

13. I did not say it was

I did say that the much-vaunted Dr. Dynasaur was NOT started by Dean, and in fact, its funding was moved under Federal Rules funding. This allows it to be subject to Federal Spending rules. The federal government can decide to cut monies to the program.

Under the state funding model, the state funds it on its own, can set its own percentage of funding, and most importantly, set its own rules.

The local voters have more control over it. By Dean moving it to Federal funding, he can get federal dollars, but , if those dollars dry up, he can cut the programs, too.

You mentioned Dr. Dynasaur. I'll be happy to see what I can find on the other programs.

[dsc]

16. about as disingenous as it gets

she mentioned it only in a list of other programs that the nurse sends the person to. To say you actually thought that whole post was about Dr. Dynosaur is very disingenous.

[KaraokeKarlton]

17. Are you saying that you knowingly posted off topic, then?

Do you realize that's against the rules?

[slinkerwink]

28. still not addressing the original post....

:shrug:

[cavebat2000]

1. That is one more reason why I am voting Dean!

Hes definately visionary! Go Dean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mzmolly]

4. One more reason I support HD. Thanks KK

:)

[nofurylike]

8. thank you, KaraokeKarlton! yes! wow, Dean! n/t

[XanaDUer]

9. Sigh. Dr. Dynasaur was not a program started by Dean

It was started in 1989 by his predecessor. Dean's own record and the final assessment of the state of healthcare in VT, by a bi-partisan commission, reported that the state of the health system in VT was literally non-existent and in a state of near crisis.

The following is part of a study of health care availability in Vermont, ordered by Governor Dean, and performed by his own appointees. It is a government document, and thus not subject to copyright restrictions:

Governor's Bipartisan Commission
On Health Care Availability & Affordability

Health care costs in Vermont, now exceeding $2 billion a year, are of a sufficient magnitude, however, and are increasing at a sufficient rate to place state government itself in jeopardy, including every program for which it appropriates money. By comparison, Vermonters budgeted $1.8 billion for all state government services in FY 2001 (not including federal funds) (See note 4-2).

We are rapidly approaching the point at which these costs will directly conflict with our ability to do such things as to maintain roads and bridges, for example, or to provide cost-effective services to our infants and children, to promote agriculture and tourism, or to provide any other services our citizens have come to expect.

We do not have a health care system in Vermont (See note 4-3). That means:


No one is in control.
No one is responsible for ensuring that high-quality medical care is adequate for the needs of the public.
No one ensures that medical charges are appropriate or that they are paid in full. (See note 4-4)
There is a "disconnect" between the consumer receiving health care and the entity paying the bill. Consumers are shielded from the cost of the service.
There is no global budgeting or targeted growth planning for health care in Vermont.
There is little in the way of public accountability for the performance of health care institutions, or for their long-term planning.
And although administrative costs, including those associated with government paperwork burdens, have reached an unacceptable level, no one has been able to do anything about it.

http://www.state.vt.us/health/commission/docs/report/report4.htm

*****************************************************************


"In 1967, Vermont began providing health care coverage to children through age 20 under the Medicaid program, Title XIX of the Social Security Act.

The Dr. Dynasaur program was created in 1989 as a state-funded program for pregnant women and children through age 6, who did not have health insurance, and who did not qualify for traditional Medicaid. The program covered children up to 225% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), and pregnant women up to 200% of the FPL. Co-payments were required for some medical services..."

http://www.dsw.state.vt.us/districts/HAEU/HistoryDrD.htm


Thus, the Dr. Dynasaur Program was started WELL before Dean came into office, was designed to assist people who fell below 225% of the poverty level, and Dean did very little to change or improve this program.
*****************************************************************

This is typical of Dean who takes credit for things started and worked on by others and to which he contributed little.

I also think ALL the candidates want to reduce child abuse and sexual abuse.

[KaraokeKarlton]

12. The program I'm talking about is NOT Dr. Dynasaur for God's Sakes!

It is SUCCESS BY SIX, something totally unrelated to health care programs.

Did you even READ the post? Hello?

[KaraokeKarlton]

14. PDF file on facts about Success By Six

Here is the link:

http://www.ahs.state.vt.us/PDFFiles/01Sx6AnnRpt.pdf

Again, Success By Six is NOT the child health care program known as Dr. Dynasaur and is NOT an extension of any previous health care program. It was a NEW program first created by Howard Dean during his time as Vermont Governor.

[Gin]

15. You guys are funny....I have been ticked off...then I read "Dr. Dynasaur "

and it just made me laugh... even if it wasn't intended to be funny.

This DU place is good therapy! I thank you!

Gin

[KaraokeKarlton]

18. Dr. Dynasaur is a Vermont Health Care program for kids

Before Dean took over as governor it only covered kids to the age of 6 up to 185% of the poverty level (I'm pretty sure that's the figure it used to be). Dean extended it to cover all kids to age 18 up to either 300% or 350% of the poverty level. I don't care how anyone tries to spin it...that was one hell of an achievement for Dean.

[Zinnola]

19. Hey KK

I am a social worker here in California who works for Child Protective Services, so I deal with child abuse and neglect all the time on the job. This is one of the main reasons why I support Dean, he at least mentions that child abuse exists and implemented a program to address the problem. Here is California the just keep cutting social services.

Kudos to Governor Dean!

[drfemoe]

20. I love it too ..

THIS is what social action is all about. Success by Six was started because he realized the state was spending more on prisons than preventing criminal behavior. Prevention. When domestic violence decreases, so does prison population. Even if a person doesn't have a social awareness bone in their body, this makes economical sense!! It is a WIN/WIN solution.

[KaraokeKarlton]

22. This is part of the Doctor in him...put some focus on prevention

and it helps reduce the need to treatment later on down the road. In the long run, this will help reduce addiction, crime and the prison population as well. And this kind of initiative is cheap. When it's first put in place it costs a little over $300 per child, which is mostly getting the coordination and infraxtructure of each community in place. Now it's less than $50 per child to run. And the pay off is truly incredible! Dean has the best vision of all the candidates, that's for sure!

[Cheswick2.0]

21. he understands what the real pressures are on families

I am very impressed by this and to tell you the truth, this is the first time I have read up on it. I wish someone would have visited me. I had horrible Post Partum depression and no help for it at all. I really didn't feel normal for the first year my oldest was alive.

[KaraokeKarlton]

24. It's a great program and not at all intrusive

It's done in a supportive way that genuinely helps those who need it by playing an advocacy role. If you get families in touch with and aware of the community services at their disposal it can make all the difference in the world.

[cthrumatrix]

25. his blog is outstanding with his issues

[Nicholas_J]

23. Even Sucess by Six was not Dean idea:

An early childhood initiative that encompasses such activities as parent education workshops, classes, playgroups, welcome baby visits and bags to all families with newborns, parent scholarships for parenting workshops, parent groups, home visiting, and family 'fun' programs.


Explained by Con Hogan
Gov. Richard Snelling appointed Hogan Secretary of the Agency of Human Services in 1991; after Snelling died suddenly, Gov. Dean asked Hogan to continue in the position, which he did until October 1999. Hogan is an Independent candidate for governor in 2002.

"We actually stole the name; it was a United Way program they had out there ... We felt we needed to find a way to have people out in our communities begin to work together--both educators and people in human services and community collaboratives--to begin to work together on behalf of kids before they got to school, and those words everybody believes they know what it means, which means that everybody believes they know how to contribute to it. And those words began a real change in the way we were organized in Vermont on behalf of children."

http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/dean/dean0702/success.html

The program was taken from the pre-existing Minneapolis program, and suggested by Con Hogan, not Howard Dean, though Dean the Vemrnt Legislature supported its funding. The idea was someone elses.

This is pretty typical of Dean, who has coasted on the ideas of others, and has little in the way of that come out of his head.
original ideas in his head.

If you also look at Dean claims of balancing the budget, this is another claim that does not belong to Dean. When Dean took office, the program to eliminate a 65 million dollar deficit had already been worked on by Vermont Progressives and Liberal Democrats, and accepted by Republican Richard Snelling, as fiscally conserviative methods to balance the budget used by Snelling failed miserably, and he had to bend to Democrats demands to institute a temporary three tiered progressive income tax to eleiminate the deficit, without necessitating cuts to the excellent Vermont Social Programs that were started during Snellings Administration, and were national showcase programs for progressive political platforms:

Progressives call for higher taxes for rich
January 25, 2002

By JACK HOFFMAN

Vermont Press Bureau


MONTPELIER — Vermont Progressives renewed their call Thursday for higher taxes on the wealthy in order to avoid some of the budget cuts that Gov. Howard Dean outlined earlier this week.



...In 1991, then-Gov. Richard Snelling, a Republican, and the Democratic Legislature imposed surcharges on upper-income Vermonters to dig the state out of a huge budget deficit. Those surcharges were temporary, and they were lifted after the shortfall was repaid.

The Progressives said their proposal was designed to mirror the surcharges adopted during that last budget crisis, but they have not proposed an expiration date for the new surcharges.

Dean reiterated his opposition to raising the income tax shortly after the Progressives unveiled their tax plan. Dean contends Vermont’s marginal income tax rate — that is, the top rate paid by those in the highest income brackets — already is too high.

http://timesargus.nybor.com/Legislature/Story/41293.html

Howard Dena let thiese surcharges expire, and almost immediately, to keep the budget balanced, Dean had to immediately start demanding cuts to social programs, cuts to Medicaid Funding, cuts to Vermonts VSCRIPT programs, cuts to Vermont Legal Aid:


The state was in a fiscal crisis at the time, working its way out of the biggest budget deficit in its history. Then-Gov. Richard Snelling had pushed a series of temporary tax increases and budget cuts through the Legislature and Dean took up that austerity plan as his own.

To the anger of more liberal members of his own party, he insisted that the tax increases be rolled back on schedule and then went on to work for additional tax cuts later in his tenure...

Dean trimmed spending or held down increases in areas held dear by the liberals. More than once, Dean went to battle over whether individual welfare benefits should rise under automatic cost of living adjustments. Liberals were particularly incensed when he tried that tactic on a program serving the blind, disabled and elderly, which he did several times.

http://premium1.fosters.com/2003/news/may_03/may_19/news/reg_vt0519a.asp


Here is one of the true preservers of the programs that assisted poor woman and children, who had to battle Howard Dean in order to save programs:



Snelling had already prescribed some tough medicine - a tax increase and budget cuts - that the Legislature enacted. It was up to Dean to manage it.


The tax increase was supposed to be temporary. The law required that it expire within two years. But Democrats, particularly liberals, demanded that Dean extend it to generate more revenue so they could abandon many of Snelling's budget cuts.


Dean refused.


After two years of a top marginal tax rate at 34 percent, Dean let it drop back to 25 percent. A year later, he dropped it one percentage point more, to 24 percent.


"I was in battle mode with Howard Dean," said Seibert. "We were a Democratic majority. I was there to protect a certain segment of the population - poor women and their children. He was a fiscal conservative. I hadn't exactly bargained for that in a Democratic governor."

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/7068523.htm

Lets give credit where credit is due. And most of the credit for Deans administration lie in the hands of those who came before him, and those who simply prevented him from making the large cuts he demanded.

[KaraokeKarlton]

26. It's your story...I'll let you tell it

But the fact of the matter is this...Dean wanted to have a program and told people like Hogan to put together some ideas. Dean looked at the options and picked the one he liked. They used a catchy name they had heard elsewhere and Dean pushed a statewide early childhood initiative. Dean made it happen and Dean was the one who wanted to make something happen, regardless of where the specifics came from.

By your reasoning I could also say that Kerry's not really a war hero because he didn't write up the war plan himself. :eyes:

[drfemoe]

27. Kerry did vote for the

no child left behind unfunded mandate. How's that for achievement?

[Desertrose]

29. huh??

that is quite a logistical stretch, KK

not sure how you did that...or why the need to always slam on other candidates when it is about Dean ....& you are the one who starts these discussions??

Peace
DR

[KaraokeKarlton]

30. You'll have that sometimes, Desertrose

You see, a Kerry supporter is minimizing Dean's achievements. The way I see it is this...I can either say what I really think about that particular Kerry supporter and get a warning or I can say something snarky about his candidate and not break the rules.

:shrug:

[Desertrose]

31. or you could just let it go....

:shrug:


Maybe everything Dean does, does not need to be defended...the truth has its own legs.... Not everyone sees Dean through your eyes....

just the way it is sometimes, KK...

Peace
DR

[KaraokeKarlton]

32. And I'm quite certain that if I said

that Kucinich's fight to prevent the Iraq war meant nothing because he wasn't the first person to say we shouldn't go that you'd not object to that and defend him.

You worry about how you support your candidate and I'll worry about how I support mine. Fair enough?

[XanaDUer]

33. I will put up any factual information

that refutes wrong information, as you stated in your original post, that any program that Dr. Dean received kudos for, either personally or from supporters.

It is a political message board for members, and all members get to participate on threads if they wish, if they stay within the rules.

As for "Success by Six", which is a laudable program, BUT NOT Dr. Dean's.

Your original post postulated that those who wish to reduce child abuse and neglect and sexual abuse should vote for Dr. Dean.

I postulate that those who are interested in real welfare reform and programs should vote for politicians who actually have the vision and foresight to create them. NOT take credit for things they did not do, or, not be credited FOR programs they not only did not initiate, but who threaten those programs with funding cuts.

"Success by Six" was started by Con Hogan, and was a program he was working on before Dr. Dean took Snelling's place. Dean simply allowed the program to continue under Hogan.

I am all for expanding welfare programs, actually. But we should give credit where credit is due. Kudos to Con Hogan!

Peace.

[KaraokeKarlton]

36. Why do you keep making off topic posts?

when you know full well that it's against the rules to do so?

[Nicholas_J]

39. In the last few days

Someone posting here has been quite worried about other candidates, things such as cancer and communism.

[KaraokeKarlton]

40. Really?

Who?

[Nicholas_J]

35. You have asserted

that Dean looked at programs at the time Con Hogan was developing Success by Six.

The pdf link you have placed contains not one reference to Dean at all

I have founf no evidence that it was Dean, Deans idea, that he looked at a bunch of programs and decided which one he liked.Or anything even remotely referring to that.

These articles pretty much place the creative genius behind Sucess by Six, Dy Dynasaur, and virtually all social programs serving women and children with Con Hogan, not Dean, and that he was working on these programs before Dean, and that it was Snelling, not Dean who was giving the go ahead for the programs.

Another article indicates that Dean embraced the program as soon as it came across his desk but it was again, not a Dean program, or anything he was thinking about.

Con Hogan, Dean's human services secretary, says Dean embraced ''Success by Six'' the instant it crossed his desk. The program brought together local health and education groups to reduce infant mortality, test for lead and hearing, prepare kids for school and head off problems such as child abuse and teen pregnancy. New parents received home visits and information.


http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:l_SJoUDQj5MJ:www.arczip.com/dynamicportalfiles/newsspotlight.asp%3Fnewsid%3D1815%26selectionid%3D3+%22Success+by+Six%22+%22Con+Hogan%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

Con Hogan was so much the creator of such programs that:

The organization early on achieved recognition for its efforts. Tromblay, who continues to practice in St. Albans, received a Distinguished Health Professional Award from the March of Dimes for his role in creation of IAFW. The collaborative received the Con Hogan Prevention Award, from the Vermont Agency of Human Services, for demonstrating a deep commitment to creating conditions that increase the well-being of Vermonters.

http://samessenger.com/JAN04/family0115.html

Awards for programs devoted to increase the well being of Vermonters are called The Con Hogan Award. Not the Howard Dean Award.

It appears that it was Con Hogan who was creating the War plans, not the leader of the state.

[KaraokeKarlton]

37. whatever

Kerry never really served in Vietnam because I never saw him there with my own two eyes.

:eyes:

[progressivebydesign]

34. Dean's domestic policy is second to none..

He has domestic policy experience.. which is lacking in the other candidates. You know.. it's still the economy, etc..

[KaraokeKarlton]

38. Yes it is. He's not like Kerry who is against raising the minimum wage

Vermont's minimum wage will be at $7.00 by this time next year. Dean raised it twice while in Vermont because he actually cares about the working poor, unlike Kerry, who is totally out of touch with the little people.