Remarks to a Joint Session of the Arkansas State Legislature in Little Rock, Arkansas

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Jan 22, 2001

So there will be approximately 50 or more new community designations coming out next year, and I would like to see some of those come to Arkansas, as well. And you know, you'll have to go through the application process and all of that. But I really would urge you to make sure that Arkansas gets a substantial share of those new community opportunities because they get extra help to get investment there. And I think that will work.

A third thing I would like to say a little something about is welfare reform. We had a huge debate, you remember, back in '96, on welfare, but we passed a bipartisan bill that had a majority of both parties in both Houses. And you know how it works, and it has worked very well. Arkansas's rolls are down 60 percent, and I applaud you for that.

Now, what I would like to suggest is that we won't know how well this really works until the economy slows down, which is bound to happen someday, but I don't think it's imminent. I don't believe we've repealed the laws of the business cycle, but the truth is, because our markets are open, it's a great, great hedge against inflation. And because of the technology sector, we continue to increase productivity. And if we keep driving down interest rates by paying the debt down, which is the main thing the Government can do, the aggregate economy will continue, I think, to do very well.

But it seems to me that we need to really kind of--it's time now. This will be the fifth year since the welfare reform bill was passed. And we need to look and see where it's working and what the problems are. And what about people that are hard to place? Are we doing enough on job training? Have we done enough on transportation? Are people so concentrated that are still on the rolls or people that keep dropping out and go back in a hurry, that those are the places that need the new markets designation and help? These are the kinds of things that I think ought to be done.

But one of the great stories of the last 8 years is that all of us who thought poor people would rather work than draw a Government check for not working were right, but that people still have to be able, even on modest wages, to succeed at work and at home, which is one of the reasons I am disappointed we didn't raise the minimum wage again last year. I think it will go up fairly soon in this new session of Congress.

But we've got to make sure that people who are working, particularly if they're single parents, can do a good job with their kids, because raising children is still the most important job of any society. So again, our State is--ironically, it's small enough but also diverse enough, that you can really kind of do a mid-course check here, see what's working, what's not, what should the Congress do, what should the new administration do to help you make this work.

But this is an enormous to see these rolls cut 60 percent, and people, just like we always knew, preferring work to idleness as long as they can take care of their kids.

Now, one other thing I'd like to mention, and I alluded to it earlier. I know you've had some vigorous debates here in the legislature about how best to cover children and what should be done on health care. But let me just get to the bottom line. I'll state it again.