Palin Slashed Funding for Teen Moms

[bliss_eternal]

By Paul Kane

ST. PAUL -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential nominee who revealed Monday that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, earlier this year used her line-item veto to slash funding for a state program benefiting teen mothers in need of a place to live.

After the legislature passed a spending bill in April, Palin went through the measure reducing and eliminating funds for programs she opposed. Inking her initials on the legislation -- "SP" -- Palin reduced funding for Covenant House Alaska by more than 20 percent, cutting funds from $5 million to $3.9 million. Covenant House is a mix of programs and shelters for troubled youths, including Passage House, which is a transitional home for teenage mothers.

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Earlier today the Associated Press reported that Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, opposed funding to prevent teen pregnancies, a position that Palin also took as governor. "The explicit sex-ed programs will not find my support," she wrote in a 2006 questionnaire distributed among gubernatorial candidates.

Reporters asked McCain in November 2007 whether he supported grants for sex education in the United States, whether such programs should include directions for using contraceptives and whether he supports President Bush's policy of promoting abstinence.

"Ahhh, I think I support the president's policy," McCain said.

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excerpted from:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/02/palin_slashed_funding_to_help.html?hpid=artslot

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I know there is a thread linking this story in the main forums. However, I'm posting seperately (instead of merely linking to that thread) because I'd like this to remain about the issue of reproductive Choice, especially for young women and girls. We've posted links to articles and comments regarding McCain's stance on Choice, so it makes sense to have a record of where his VP nominee stands on the issue as well.

As far as I'm concerned, her family is a separate issue and not the reason for this post at all. But if anyone wants to discuss that (as it applies to the issues of Choice) feel free. :)

Perhaps at a later time, I will post a link to some of the threads on this issue, for the sake of discussion of Choice issues.