Posted on 11/30/2005 3:31:11 PM PST by NormsRevenge
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - An advocacy group on Wednesday gave the state mostly C and D grades - and no A's - for health, economic and education programs affecting children.
Children Now said many California children live in poverty and lack adequate education and health care.
The Oakland-based group issued a report card covering nine subjects: health insurance, dental insurance, childhood obesity, adolescent health, infant health, family economic security, early education, K-12 education and after-school programs.
The group gave the state three B's, three C's and three D's.
The state received a B-minus for children's health insurance programs, although the report said 800,000 children still lack coverage. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation in October that was designed to close that gap, saying he didn't know how the state would pay for it.
Infant health care programs received a B-plus, while after-school programs got a B-minus.
The state's efforts to provide dental care for children received a C-minus. The report said 18 percent of California children lack dental insurance.
Adolescent health care programs received a C-plus and early education programs got a C grade. Eleven percent of children ages 12 to 18 lack health insurance and 46 percent of 4-year-olds do not attend preschool, the report said.
The worst grades went to the state's efforts in kindergarten through 12th-grade education, family economic security and childhood obesity. The state's schools got a D-plus.
The report said only 71 percent of California students graduate from high school and just 34 percent of high school graduates meet entrance requirements for the University of California or California State University systems.
While there have been some improvements in test scores, fewer than 55 percent of third- and seventh-graders scored above grade level in math and reading this year, the report added.
The report also gave a D-plus in the area of economic and food security, saying 42 percent of California children live in what are considered to be low-income families compared to 39 percent nationally.
California's $6.75-an-hour minimum wage generates only $28,080 a year for a family with two full-time workers, the study said. Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation this year that would have raised the wage to $7.75 an hour in two steps.
The worst grade, a D, went to efforts to control childhood obesity. Twenty-eight percent of children in the fifth, seventh and ninth grades are overweight, the report said, citing a study by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy.
Among other things, Children Now recommended that the state reinstate physical education as a daily activity in schools.
The only solution proposed to turn the situation around, more and more spending across the board.
California working as "designed" or just Socialism gone bad?
It might just have something to do with whether these children are the offspring of illegal immigrants. If that's the case, and they don't get dental care, etc. it's not MY problem. It's Mexico's problem.
Of course, they don't bother to ask that all important question, do they?
It might just have something to do with whether these children are the offspring of illegal immigrants. If that's the case, and they don't get dental care, etc. it's not MY problem. It's Mexico's problem.
Of course, they don't bother to ask that all important question, do they?
I'm guessing this outfit's solution would be MORE Socialism -- not less.
Let's just cut to the chase, we need to spend an infinite amount of money and we must confiscate 150% of wealthy people's money to pay for it. Who's wealthy, you ask? Anyone that's not an elected politician. Now shut up and take your medicine, they know what's best for you.......
Both.
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