President Clinton: Working Hard for Rhode Island
Greater Prosperity, Safer Communities, Stronger Families

President Clinton Has Delivered on His Promises—Making Rhode Island a Better Place to Live and Work.   President Clinton has been a leader on the issues the people of Rhode Island care about. President Clinton has delivered:

	A Growing Economy: Unemployment in Rhode Island has dropped from 8.2% to 4.2%. Our nation has the lowest combined rate of unemployment, inflation, and mortgage rates since 1968. Consumer confidence is at its highest level in six years, real wages are rising for the first time in a decade, and homeownership is at a 15-year high.
	New Jobs, Better Wages: 16,600 new private-sector jobs created in Rhode Island under President Clinton after losing 39,800 jobs during the previous four years; 10.5 million jobs created nationally. Over the next two years, 31,000 workers in Rhode Island will benefit from the minimum wage increase.
	Stronger Families: The Family and Medical Leave Act protects 164,000 workers in Rhode Island—allowing them 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the birth of a child or to take care of a sick family member without fear of losing their jobs. Teen pregnancy is falling, the poverty rate is decreasing, the number of people on welfare is declining. In Rhode Island alone, 4,096 fewer people are on welfare. In addition, tougher child support enforcement collects nearly $8 million more -- an increase of 31% since FY 1992.
	Increased Access to Education: 116,800 students in Rhode Island can benefit from the President’s reformed student loan program. 2,434 students benefited from Head Start funding in 1995. In 1993-1996, Rhode Island will receive $3,309,987 to fund the Goals 2000 program, which seeks to increase academic achievement by raising academic standards, increasing parental and community involvement in education, expanding the use of computers and technology in classrooms, and supporting high-quality teacher professional development.
	Cut the Deficit in Half: Reducing the burden of national debt for every Rhode Island family of four by $15,000.
	A Tax Cut: By expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, the President cut taxes for over 38,000 working families in Rhode Island and 15 million working families nationwide. By expanding the annual expensing allowance, 4,783 Rhode Island small businesses will receive a tax cut this year.
	Pension and Health Care Coverage: Because President Clinton signed the Retirement Savings and Security Act, 50,000 workers in Rhode Island for small businesses will be offered expanded opportunity for pension coverage. In Rhode Island, as many as 48,000 in families with a worker who changed, lost or left a job with health insurance will be guaranteed continued access to health insurance under the Kassebaum-Kennedy Health Insurance Bill which President Clinton fought for and signed into law.
	Safer Streets and Communities: The President’s Crime Bill adds 104 police officers to Rhode Island’s streets.  “Three Strikes and You’re Out,” the Brady Bill, the Assault Weapons Ban, and community policing are working. Our nation’s crime rate is down. The number of murders reported has dropped 8%—one of the largest declines in three decades. In Rhode Island alone, the crime rate dropped 7.28% during the first three years of the Clinton Administration. In addition, Rhode Island received $848,000 to combat domestic violence.
	Renewed Growth in Key Industries: After a decade of enormous job losses in construction, manufacturing, and autos, these industries have made a remarkable recovery—more than one million new jobs created under this Administration.

Fighting for a Balanced Budget That Reflects Our Values: Now we are fighting for a balanced budget that will lift the burden of debt off our children and reflect American values—a balanced budget that:

	Honors our commitment to give America’s seniors the health care they deserve.
	Protects investment in our young people’s futures—Head Start, access to college.
	Protects America’s clean water and air, national parks, and our public health.
	Preserves tax fairness for America’s working families.

Paid for by Clinton/Gore ’96 General Committee, Inc.