EXPANDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL
Unemployment Down to 4.8%: The unemployment rate in Mississippi has declined from 6.7% to 4.8% since 1993. 157,500 New Jobs: 157,500 new jobs have been created in Mississippi since 1993 -- an average of 24,866 per year, compared to an average of just 17,400 jobs per year in the previous administration. 139,800 New Private Sector Jobs: Since 1993, 139,800 new private sector jobs have been created-an average of 22,074 jobs per year, compared to an average of just 15,025 private sector jobs per year in the previous administration. 19,800 New Construction Jobs: 19,800 construction jobs have been created in Mississippi since 1993 -- an average of 3,126 jobs per year. In contrast, an average of just 375 construction jobs were created each year during the previous administration. 203,000 Have Received a Raise: Approximately 80,000 Mississippi workers benefited from an increase in the minimum wage-from $4.25 to $4.75 -- on October 1, 1996. They, along with about 123,000 others received an additional raise-from $4.75 to $5.15 -- on September 1, 1997. Business Failures and Bankruptcy Filings Down: Business failures have dropped an average of 15.5% per year since 1993, after increasing 15.8% per year during the previous 12 years. Additionally, bankruptcy filings have declined 9.8% per year since 1993, after increasing 9.2% during the previous two administrations. [1Q '99 data] Poverty Has Fallen: In Mississippi, the poverty rate has fallen from 24.7% in 1993 to 16.7% in 1997--down 8.0% under President Clinton. [Census Bureau] A $500 Child Tax Credit to Help Families Raising Children: To help make it easier for families to raise their children, the balanced budget included a $500 per-child tax credit for children under 17. Thanks to President Clinton, the Balanced Budget delivers a child tax credit to 267,000 families in Mississippi. Home Ownership Has Increased in Mississippi: Home Ownership in Mississippi has increased from 68.1% to 76.6% since the fourth quarter of 1993. Home Building Up 12.3%: Home building has increased by an average of 12.3% per year since 1993, after falling over 3.9% per year during the previous administration. Over $25,000 of Reduced Federal Debt for Every Family of Four: The national debt will be $1.7 trillion lower in FY99 than projected in 1993 -- that's $25,000 less debt for each family of four in Mississippi this year. EXPANDING ACCESS TO EDUCATION
Nearly 25,000 Children in Head Start: Nearly 25,000 Mississippi children were enrolled in Head Start in 1998. In FY99, Mississippi will receive $116.7 million in Head Start funding, an increase of $33.1 million over 1993. More High-Quality Teachers With Smaller Classes for Mississippi's Schools: Thanks to President Clinton, the final FY99 budget provides for the first year of the President's new initiative to hire 100,000 new, well-prepared teachers, to reduce class sizes in the early grades to a national average of 18. Mississippi receives $19.2 million in 1999 to hire about 494 new public school teachers. And, under President Clinton's proposal, Mississippi would receive $21 million in FY2000 to support a total of 577 teachers. $6.3 Million in Goals 2000 Funding: This year [FY99], Mississippi receives $6.3 million in Goals 2000 funding. This money is used to raise 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. $6.9 Million for Technology Literacy: This year [FY99], Mississippi receives $6.9 million for the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund which helps communities and the private sector ensure that every student is equipped with the computer literacy skills needed for the 21st century. $124.7 Million for Students Most in Need: Mississippi receives $124.7 million in Title I Grants (to Local Education Agencies) providing extra help in the basics for students most in need, particularly communities and schools with high concentrations of children in low-income families. [FY99]. $114.8 Million in Pell Grants: This year [FY99], Mississippi will receive $114.8 million in Pell Grants for low-income students going to college, an additional $5.8 million over last year. With this increase, a total of 54,700 Mississippi students will benefit. Expanded Work-Study To Help More Students Work Their Way Through College: The FY99 budget includes a significant expansion of the Federal Work Study program. Mississippi will receive $11.7 million in Work-Study funding in 1999 to help Mississippi students work their way through college. Over 1,200 Have Served in Mississippi through AmeriCorps: Since the National Service program began in 1993, 1,279 AmeriCorps participants have earned money for college while working in Mississippi's schools, hospitals, neighborhoods or parks. [through 11/98] Tuition Tax Credits to Open the Doors of College and Promote Lifelong Learning: The balanced budget includes both President Clinton's $1,500 HOPE Scholarship to help make the first two years of college as universal as a high school diploma and a Lifetime Learning Tax Credit for college juniors, seniors, graduate students and working Americans pursuing lifelong learning to upgrade their skills. This 20% tax credit will be applied to the first $5,000 of tuition and fees through 2002 and to the first $10,000 thereafter. 45,000 students in Mississippi will receive a HOPE Scholarship tax credit of up to $1,500. 54,000 students in Mississippi will receive the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit. [fully phased-in FY2000 estimate] Expanded Job Training to Mississippi's Dislocated Workers: Thanks to President Clinton, the FY99 budget includes a significant expansion in the dislocated worker program. Mississippi will receive $12.3 million in 1999 to help 7,310 of Mississippi's dislocated workers get the training and reemployment services they need to return to work as quickly as possible. FIGHTING CRIME AND VIOLENCE
Crime Falls 23% in Jackson: Since 1992, serious crime, as indicated by the crime index, has fallen 23% in Jackson, Mississippi. [1992 and 1997 Uniform Crime Reports] 1,205 More Police: The President's 1994 Crime Bill has funded 1,205 new police officers to date in communities across Mississippi. [through 7/99] Greenville Will Receive Targeted Funding to Hire More Community Police: Greenville was selected as a pilot city for the President's new effort to target high crime neighborhoods. The pilot program will provide full funding for new officers by waiving the usual matching requirements. Greenville will deploy new officers to help meet the unique needs of its community, such as combating gangs or targeting drug "hot spots." Reducing Crime with Drug Courts: Working to reduce drug-related crime in Mississippi, the Clinton Administration has awarded Drug Court grants to the communities of Jackson and Ridgeland. Drug courts use the coercive power of the criminal justice system to combine drug testing, sanctions, supervision and treatment to push nonviolent, drug-abusing offenders to stop using drugs and committing crimes. Over $2 Million to Combat Domestic Violence: Through the Violence Against Women Act, Mississippi received $2.4 million in federal funds in FY98 to establish more women's shelters and bolster law enforcement, prosecution and victims' services. $580,000 in Grants for Battered Women and Children: In FY98, Mississippi received approximately $580,000 in HHS's Family Violence Prevention Program grants to assist women and children fleeing domestic abuse, an additional $103,000 increase over FY97. $5.8 Million to Keep Drugs & Violence Out of Mississippi's Schools: Mississippi has received $5.8 million in FY99 for the Safe & Drug Free Schools Program, which invests in school security and drug prevention programs. MOVING MISSISSIPPI RESIDENTS FROM WELFARE TO WORK
130,594 Fewer People on Welfare: There are 130,594 fewer people on welfare in Mississippi now than there were at the beginning of 1993 -- a 75% decrease. [through 12/98] Child Support Collections Up 133%: Child support collections have increased by nearly $62 million-or 133% -- in Mississippi since FY92. [through FY98] Encouraging Responsible Choices-Preventing Teen Pregnancy in Mississippi: Since 1993, President Clinton and Vice President Gore have supported innovative and promising teen pregnancy prevention strategies, with significant components of the strategy becoming law in the 1996 Personal Responsibility Act. The law requires unmarried minor parents to stay in school and live at home or in a supervised setting; encourages "second chance homes" to provide teen parents with the skills and support they need; and provides $50 million a year in new funding for state abstinence education activities. Efforts are making a difference, adolescent pregnancy rates and teen abortion rates are declining. And between 1992 and 1997, teen birth rates declined 12% in Mississippi. $3.4 Million for Mississippi Welfare-to-Work: In 1998, $3.3 million in competitive grants were awarded to Mississippi localities to support innovative welfare-to-work strategies and Native American tribes in Mississippi received $150,000 in Federal funding. Part of the President's comprehensive efforts to move recipients from welfare to work, this funding was included in the $3 billion welfare to work fund in the 1997 Balanced Budget Act. Helping People Get to Work: Through the Access to Jobs initiative, the Clinton-Gore Administration is working with communities across the country to design transportation solutions to help welfare recipients and other low-income workers get to and from work. Clarksdale and Gulfport have received a total of $273,096 this year to fund innovative transit projects. INVESTING IN MISSISSIPPI'S HEALTH
Health Care for Uninsured Children: The balanced budget included the largest single investment in health care for children since the passage of Medicaid in 1965 -- an unprecedented $24 billion over five years to cover as many as five million children throughout the nation. This investment guarantees the full range of benefits-from checkups to surgery -- that children need to grow up strong and healthy. It ensures that prescription drugs, vision, hearing, and mental health coverage now offered at the state level are extended to millions of uninsured children. To expand health coverage to more uninsured children in Mississippi the Balanced Budget provided $56 million in 1998. This compares to the 1995 Republican plan vetoed by President Clinton that would have denied health coverage to 25,200 children in Mississippi. Helping Nearly 100,000 Mississippi Women and Children with WIC: The Clinton Administration is committed to full funding in the Special Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). In FY98, Mississippi received $56.6 million in total WIC grant funding, helping 99,100 women, infants and children in need receive health and food assistance. More Toddlers Are Being Immunized: As a result of the President's 1993 Childhood Immunization Initiative, childhood immunization rates have reached an historic high. According to the CDC, by 1996, 90% or more of America's toddlers received the most critical doses of each of the routinely recommended vaccines-surpassing the President's 1993 goal. In Mississippi in 1997, 95% of two-year olds received the vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis; 92% received the vaccine for polio; 90% received the vaccine for measles, and 94% received the vaccine for Haemophilus influenzae B, the bacteria causing a form of meningitis. Increased Funding for Ryan White by $11.3 Million: Between 1993 and 1998, Mississippi communities received $11.3 million in Ryan White formula and other HIV/AIDS program funds. This funding provides people living with HIV and AIDS medical and support services, including the AIDS Drug Assistance Program which helps those without insurance obtain much needed prescription drugs. [HHS, Health Resources and Services Administration, 12/98] Tobacco Plan Will Cut Smoking and Premature Deaths by 44% in Mississippi: The Clinton Administration's tobacco proposal, combined with the recently enacted state tobacco settlements, will cut youth smoking and resulting premature deaths 44% in Mississippi by 2004. Between 2000 and 2004, 31,300 of Mississippi's youth will be kept from smoking and 10,000 will be spared a premature tobacco-related death. [Treasury Dept., 2/99] 1,130,000 Americans in Mississippi Cannot Be Assured They Have Patient Protections: Even if Mississippi enacted all the protections in the Patients' Bill of Rights, 1,130,000 people in Mississippi cannot be assured they have the comprehensive patient protections recommended by the President's Advisory Commission. This is because the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) may preempt state-enacted protections. That is why the President has called on Congress to pass a federally enforceable patients' bill of rights so that everyone enrolled in managed care may have a basic set of protections. Notably, 570,000 Mississippi women are in ERISA health plans and are therefore not necessarily protected. Women are particularly vulnerable without these protections because they are greater users of health care services, they make three-quarters of the health care decisions for their families, and they have specific health care needs addressed by a patients' bill of rights. PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
$9.8 Million in Safe Drinking Water Funding: This year [FY99], thanks to President Clinton, Mississippi will receive $8.6 million for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds to provide low-interest loans to municipalities to build, improve, and prevent pollution of drinking water systems. In addition, Mississippi will receive $1.2 million in Public Water Supply Supervision grants to help monitor drinking water quality and enforce health standards. Superfund Clean-ups in Flowood and Columbia: Since 1993, the EPA has completed two toxic waste site clean-ups in Mississippi - one in Flowood and one in Columbia [through 6/99]. This is contrast to the one site cleaned up during the previous two administrations combined. Revitalizing Brownfields Project in Mississippi: As part of the Clinton-Gore Administration's efforts to clean up Brownfields, the EPA has awarded grants to Mississippi communities Columbia and Jackson, as well as Oktibbeha County, for environmental clean-up and economic revitalization. This project is intended to jump-start local clean-up efforts by providing funds to return unproductive, abandoned, contaminated urban properties to productive use. SPEARHEADING URBAN RENEWAL EFFORTS
Revitalizing Mississippi's Communities: The Mid Delta was designated an Empowerment Zone and was awarded $40 million to create more jobs, housing, and economic opportunity for city residents. Additionally, the North Delta and Jackson were both designated Enterprise Communities, and were awarded $3 million each for similar job creation efforts. In 1999, Jackson was designated a Strategic Planning Community. Expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Will Help Develop 4,300 To 5,200 New Affordable Housing Units in Mississippi Over the Next 5 Years: Last year, the President and Vice President pushed for a 40-percent expansion in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. This year, the President and Vice President will try again to enact tax incentives to develop affordable housing. In Mississippi alone, this proposal would mean an additional 4,300 - 5,200 quality rental housing units for low-income American families during the next five years. PROVIDING DISASTER RELIEF
$92 Million in Federal Emergency Assistance: Since 1993, Mississippi has received $92 million in disaster relief. This includes $4 million for Hurricane George in 1998, and $72 million in assistance to recover from a severe winter storm that occurred in February of 1994. [FEMA, 12/98] EXPANDING FUNDS FOR TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT
Over $1.2 Billion in Federal Highway Aid: Since 1993, Mississippi has received over $1.2 billion in federal highway aid. These funds have helped generate 51,527 jobs. [through FY98] Over $56 Million in Aviation Funds: From FY93-sFY98 Mississippi received over $56 million in Airport Improvement Program funds to help build and renovate airports, and, when necessary, to provide funds for noise abatement to improve the quality of life for residents who live near airports. Over $36 Million in Transit Funds: Mississippi has received over $36 million in FTA funds since 1993. Saving Lives and Property: In 1997 the United States Coast Guard saved 42 lives and over $5.5 million of property in Mississippi.
Last Updated July 1999
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