Diane's Speeches & Letters

Dear Prof. Lessig:

For too long, Alaskans have suffered at the hands of corrupted elected officials and certain unscrupulous lobbyists. Ironically, in a resource rich state like ours, we have desperate economic concerns. People are paying record high prices for staple food items, and too many rural families feel forced to choose between heating their homes, flying to Fairbanks or Anchorage for health care, or buying food. Clearly, it is time for change.

When I decided to run against long time Congressman Don Young in 2006, many said I faced insurmountable odds. I lacked personal wealth and connections to wealthy insiders that could finance my campaign. I faced a 33 year incumbent that was able to raise millions of dollars from corporate PAC’s and financial backers of the GOP establishment. But, against those odds, the people of Alaska stood by me because we shared a common experience: we all saw first-hand what the corruption in our government was doing to the people of our great state. Our tenacious grassroots efforts secured a surprising 40% of the vote. However, the voices of average Alaskans were muted by corporate bundling. We were outspent 10 to 1 by those ensuring the needs of special interests and wealthy insiders.

It is not corporations themselves that are the problem. American democracy is threatened when corporate managers and the extremely wealthy seek to buy influence by bank-rolling candidates; it erodes the voice and will of the American people. The story of my candidacy in 2006 is like that of so many progressive candidates from around the country; so many of those that stood up for the American people against corruption and tyranny to create a new generation of bold, visionary leadership for America. Those of us running have to be elected to make the differences in campaign finance reform we wish to see. Therein is our challenge.

The survival of democracy requires we change. But, to do so the American people must be engaged in our government. The good news is, more progressive candidates help to inspire that. The trick is, keeping good candidates in the game. Progressive candidates must get elected and to do that, the people must act.

For a more just system, and for a healthy democracy I support a more comprehensive public finance system. I will stand by your cause and fight for change in our government for the American people.

Together, we can truly do better.

In Solidarity,

Diane Benson

One day, as a young single-mom going to school and working, I dropped my son off at yet another daycare facility hoping this time it would work out well. At the end of the work day I picked up my toddler son who was unusually quiet and took him home. When I put him in his crib he started to cry and had a mouth full of blood. I was so startled I ran him to the doctors and also called the day care to see if anything extraordinary had occurred. He had been running with a pencil at school and fell and punctured the roof of his mouth. No one bothered to tell me. Luckily it was not worse and with medicine he healed fine. I, on the other hand, was terribly shook up and stuck again looking for another day care. I just wanted my son to be safe -first; and to have a nuturing place to learn. That was over 25 years ago. Today, even more parents have similar struggles and fears over a whole myriad of safety and learning concerns. Even more children are in danger and more parents are compelled to work more than ever even while their children are toddlers, just to make ends meet. It is estimated that 60% of the parents of Alaska’s children under the age of 6 work. They want a safe place for their children while they are out earning a living trying to make a better home for their children. Who is responsible for providing that safe and nurturing place? What if the work doesn’t pay well? What if, like me as a young mother, had to work and go to school full time just to try to make a better life for myself and my child? Where do you go?

I have one nephew that is Autistic. I have one niece who is Fetal-Alcohol affected. I have two nephews who are gifted. There are other extended young family members I believe could benefit from some good counseling or treatment. Most of the children in my family and extended family now have divorced parents. It’s a great notion I suppose to say, parents should stay home with their kids, or that they should teach them, or that early development best occurs with attentive parents. I can still see the look of disbelief and near hopelessness when one of my brothers found his life turned upside down by unexpected divorce and full custody of four children. Life happens, and it’s not always pleasant. A friend of mine just lost his wife this last Christmas and is now a widowed father. So what does all of this have to do with Head Start? What I am pointing out here is that in a state like Alaska, children are at risk for many reasons; that too many parents are left on their own devices, and that early education plans must consider the realities of the families. Children must be our priority whether we are a parent, or whether we are a Congresswoman. Hillary Clinton stated that it takes a village to raise a child. That village has to consist of support from not only the local level, but the state and the federal level as well.

It was under the Johnson administration that federal programs were established in order to give struggling families a fighting chance. We are nothing without our children and knowing this, Head Start began in 1965. Over time research began to show that children from disadvantaged families who attend high-quality preschool programs cost society less and contribute more. These children tend to grow to acquire more education, earn more money, commit fewer crimes, and become more responsible citizens than children from similar families who do not attend high-quality pre-school.

To most of us, it’s a no-brainer. We know quality and well-funded Head Start programs lead to a better community. It also leads to an educated, more productive workforce (should we think about it in mercenary economic terms), enhances economic growth and ups our competitiveness in the global marketplace. It also helps us to grow healthier human beings who are so impressionable in those early years.

I completed a video project as a co-producer on Healing Child Sexual Abuse – the Title of the video is “Pathway’s to Hope.” It was stunning to see and hear women and men disclose about their abuse on camera, and two men spoke to how the abuse changed them. One said he never learned to read and write too well as a result. We have learned so much just in recent years about what abuse does to a nervous system and to brain development. For pre-school children, their systems may literally re-map themselves as a result of the trauma. Needless to say, this has an effect on learning let alone on the child’s ability to socialize and mature.

The National Center for Children in Poverty estimated in 2004 that 50% of reported child abuse and neglect in Alaska are of children under the age of 5. Alaska has one of the highest, if not the highest rates of child sexual abuse and neglect in the country. That to me qualifies as a crisis. This crisis is heightened by the fact that at least 38% of Alaska’s children under age 6 live in low-income families, let alone the fact that over 10% of all of Alaska’s children have special health care needs. A neighbor I knew had a Down Syndrome child who used to wander up to my doorstep. The family never had the wherewithal or access to programs for the child. Some families are so uneducated about their children’s conditions or about programs available to them, or worse, feel too ashamed to seek help, and the children and society suffer. We all pay a price. Why make it more difficult for them?

Today almost 1 million children are enrolled in Head Start however many are locked out due to insufficient funding. How outrageous is that? Yesterday, (April 1, 2008), five executives of the major oil companies in the United States in a hearing before Congress stated when asked, that they did not need a subsidy that taxpayers have been providing to the tune of billions of dollars. How about we apply that same amount to the Head Start program and make an investment into our own future? The kind of investment that really counts and has long term benefits!

Let’s talk about recent developments on the federal front. Head Start was set for renewal every 5 years.

In 2003, Bush eliminated the grant-center based funding model and converted to a state block grant system, which does not increase over time with inflation or take into account increases in costs of living.

In what the President acted as if a grand gesture in 2008 he proposed a budget for Head Start that comes in $923 million short of covering the effective cut in the program since Fiscal Year 2002.

More than three-quarters of Head Start programs nationwide are "at the breaking point," according to a survey of National Head Start Association members released last week.

In other words it fails the children. The Budget plan does nothing to close the gap created in December 2007 when Head Start was reauthorized with hundreds of new costly regulations. Rather than fund the program to be able to compensate for these new regulations, the Bush administration cut $10 million in the 2008 appropriations process.

In the meantime the National Head Start Association approved new requirements believing that there would be the appropriations to cover them.
Some of these requirements are:

• easing the eligibility guidelines for Head Start children from 100% to130% of the federal poverty line
• increasing credentials for teachers and other staff
• priority enrollment for homeless children
• mandatory enrollment of special needs children
• extending new training
• improved recordkeeping and reporting requirements

The effects of inadequate funding result in:

• scaled back hours of operations, of bus service support staff and others; and
• the elimination of health insurance coverage for teachers and staff.

HEAD START WILL EXPERIENCE AN 11% DECLINE IN FUNDING SINCE 2002. This is in line with recent reports showing an average decrease in salary of 11% for Head Start teachers.

In Supply and Demand terms, the demand is great, but the Supply is under-funded. Proposed is a $148.6 million increase vs. the “catch up” need of $472 million. Head Start needs an additional $360 million above that for the years 2009-13. And we have to account for inflation, and in a period of seeming recession. War, outsourcing, loss of American jobs and an economy in trouble challenges the best amongst us. As your Congresswoman, my work with other members of Congress will be to cut the fat out of unneeded corporate subsidies, and place a premium on our investments in our children and in our future.