|
(Press Release dated July 21, 2003)
GOVERNOR SIGNS LEGISLATION TO CREATE "STATEWIDE TUITION WAIVER PROGRAM"
FOR STUDENTS UNDER CARE OF DYFS
(TRENTON) -- Legislation co-sponsored by Assemblyman Matt Ahearn (G-Fair
Lawn) which establishes the "Statewide Tuition Waiver Program" to provide
State-paid tuition to children under the care and custody of the Division
of
Youth and Family Services was signed into law by the Governor last week.
The legislation assists children who are interested in pursuing college or
vocational education at a public institution of high education or county
vocational school in New Jersey.
"This type of Legislation sends a powerful message to children in the care
of DYFS that we expect them to succeed in life and will help them attain
their educational goals," said Ahearn.
Children under the care of DYFS who are eligible to qualify for the
program
are between the ages of 16 and 23, have received a high school diploma or
a
certificate of high school equivalency and have been granted admission to
a
New Jersey public institution of higher education or county vocational
school.
Green Party of the United States Platform:
- We believe that all people have a right to food, housing, medical
care, a living wage job, education, and support in times of hardship.
- We believe that work performed outside the monetary system has
inherent social and economic value, and is essential to a healthy,
sustainable economy and peaceful communities. Such work includes, but is
not limited to: child and elder care; homemaking; voluntary community
service; continuing education; participating in government; and the
arts.
- We call for restoration of a federally funded entitlement program to
support children, families, the unemployed, elderly and disabled, with
no time limit on benefits. This program should be funded through the
existing welfare budget, reductions in military spending and corporate
subsidies, and a fair progressive income tax.
- We call for a graduated supplemental income, or negative income tax,
that would maintain all individual adult incomes above the poverty
level, regardless of employment or marital status.
- We advocate reinvesting a significant portion of the military budget
in family support, living wage job development, and work training
programs. Publicly funded work training and education programs should
have a goal of increasing people’s employment options at living wage
jobs.
- We support public funding for the development of living wage jobs in
community and environmental service, for example, environmental
clean-up, recycling, sustainable agriculture and food production,
sustainable forest management, repair and maintenance of public
facilities, neighborhood-based public safety, aids in schools, libraries
and childcare centers, and construction and renovation of
energy-efficient housing. We oppose enterprise zone ‘give aways’ which
benefit corporations more than inner city communities
- The accumulation of individual wealth in the U.S. has reached
grossly unbalanced proportions. It is clear that we cannot rely on the
rich to regulate their profit-making excesses for the good of society
through “trickle-down economics”. We must take aggressive steps to
restore a FAIR DISTRIBUTION OF INCOME. We support tax incentives for
businesses that apply fair employee wage distributions standards, and
income tax policies that restrict the accumulation of excessive
individual wealth.
- Forcing welfare recipients to accept jobs that pay wages below a
livable income (“a living wage”) drives wages down and exploits workers
for private profit at public expense. We reject “workfare” as a form a
slave labor.
- Corporations receiving public subsidies must provide livable wage
jobs, observe basic workers rights, and agree to affirmative action
policies.of such distribution not just on our present needs, but on the
seventh generation to come.
|
