Political Quotes

“let me simply say that if some are good and some are not good, I think it is well worth the investment to make sure that we make those that are good the rule and not the exception, and make the other ones that are not as good, make them work. But the principle still applies: providing opportunities for kids early on at 14, 15 and 16 is a good idea. It keeps them off the street; that is a good thing. And, secondly, it gives them a chance to learn work. If we can make those programs better, that is fine. Where I come from in Chicago, I have seen examples of how that works. There is a young man from the Robert Taylor Home named Paris Thompson who was 14 years old when he first had his chance to work under the Met program in Chicago. Today he is 27 years old, and today he is lobbying Congress. He began his early experience at the Robert Taylor Home learning the value of work in an environment where there are kids like him who did not have that experience, who are not doing the things that they ought to be doing, and in many cases are in the penitentiary. With that, I would simply say, let us take action on Jackson and support the Jackson amendment.”