Barack Obama

it been four decad sinc bobbi kennedi crouch in a shack along the mississippi delta and look into the wide __PUNCT__ listless ey of a hungri child __PUNCT__

again and again he tri to talk to thi child __PUNCT__ but each time hi effort were met with onli a blank stare of desper __PUNCT__

and when kennedi turn to the report travel with him __PUNCT__ with tear in hi ey he ask a singl question about poverti in america __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ how can a countri like thi allow it __PUNCT__

forti_year later __PUNCT__ we still ask that question __PUNCT__

it echo on the street of compton and detroit __PUNCT__ and throughout the mine town of west_virginia __PUNCT__

it linger with everi imag we see of the __NUM__ ward and the rural gulf_coast __PUNCT__ where poverti thrive long befor katrina came ashor __PUNCT__

we stand not ten mile from the seat of power in the most affluent nation on earth __PUNCT__

decis ar made on both end of pennsylvania_avenu that shape live and set the cours of histori __PUNCT__

with the stroke of a pen __PUNCT__ billion ar spent on program and polici __PUNCT__ on tax_break for those who didn't need them and a war that should never been author and never been wage __PUNCT__

debat rage and accus fly and at the end of each dai __PUNCT__ the petti snipe is what light up the even new __PUNCT__

and yet here __PUNCT__ on the other side of the river __PUNCT__ everi other child in anacostia live below the poverti_line __PUNCT__

too mani do not graduat and too mani more do not find_work __PUNCT__

some join gang __PUNCT__ and other fall to their gunfir __PUNCT__

the street here ar close to our capit __PUNCT__ but far from the peopl it repres __PUNCT__

these american cannot hire lobbyist to roam the hall of congress on their behalf __PUNCT__ and thei cannot write thousand __PUNCT__ dollar campaign check to make their voic_heard __PUNCT__

thei suffer most from a polit that ha been tip in favor of those with the most monei __PUNCT__ and influenc __PUNCT__ and power __PUNCT__

how can a countri like thi allow it __PUNCT__

no matter how mani time it ask or what the circumst ar __PUNCT__ the most american answer i can think of to that question is two word __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ we can't __PUNCT__

we can't allow thi kind of suffer and hopeless to exist in our countri __PUNCT__

we can't afford to lose a gener of tomorrow doctor and scientist and teacher to poverti __PUNCT__

we can make excus for it or we can fight about it or we can ignor poverti altogeth __PUNCT__ but as long as it here it will alwai be a betray of the ideal we hold as american __PUNCT__

it not who we ar __PUNCT__

in thi countri __PUNCT__ of all countri __PUNCT__ no child destini should be determin befor he take hi first step __PUNCT__

no littl girl futur should be confin to the neighborhood she wa born into __PUNCT__

our govern cannot guarante success and happi in life __PUNCT__ but what we can do as a nation is to ensur that everi american who want to work is prepar to work __PUNCT__ abl to find a job __PUNCT__ and abl to stai out of poverti __PUNCT__

what we can do is make our neighborhood whole again __PUNCT__

what we can do is retir the phrase __PUNCT__ work_poor __PUNCT__ in our time __PUNCT__

that what we can do __PUNCT__ becaus that who we ar __PUNCT__

the challeng is greater than it ha been in gener __PUNCT__ but that all the more reason for thi gener to act __PUNCT__

on in everi eight american now live in poverti __PUNCT__ a rate that ha nearli doubl sinc __NUM__ __PUNCT__

that an incom of about __MONEY__ a year for a famili of four __PUNCT__

on in three american __PUNCT__ on in everi three __PUNCT__ is now classifi as low __PUNCT__ incom __PUNCT__

that __MONEY__ a year for a famili of four __PUNCT__

todai economi ha made it easier to fall into poverti __PUNCT__

the fall is often more precipit and more perman than ever befor __PUNCT__

you us to be abl to find a good_job without a degre from colleg or even high_school __PUNCT__

todai that nearli imposs __PUNCT__

you us to be abl to count on your job to be there for your entir life __PUNCT__

todai almost ani job can be ship oversea in an instant __PUNCT__

the job that remain ar pai less and offer fewer benefit __PUNCT__ as employ have succeed in bust up union and cut_back on health_care and pension to stai competit with the compani abroad that ar pai their worker next to noth __PUNCT__

everi american is vulner to the insecur and anxieti of thi new economi __PUNCT__

and that why the singl most import focu of my econom_agenda as presid will be to pursu polici that creat_job and make work pai __PUNCT__

thi mean invest in educ from earli_childhood through colleg __PUNCT__ so our worker ar readi to compet with ani worker for the best job the world ha to offer __PUNCT__

it mean invest more in research __PUNCT__ scienc __PUNCT__ and technolog so that those new job and those new industri ar creat right here in america __PUNCT__

and while we can't stop everi job from go oversea __PUNCT__ we can stop give tax_break to the compani who send them there and start give them to compani who creat_job at home __PUNCT__

we can also start make sure these job keep folk out of poverti __PUNCT__

when i presid __PUNCT__ i will rais the minimum_wage and make it a live_wage by make sure that it rise everi time the cost of live doe __PUNCT__

i start let our union do what thei do best again __PUNCT__ organ our worker and lift up our middl __PUNCT__ class __PUNCT__

and i final_make sure everi american ha afford health_care that stai with you no matter what happen by pass my plan to provid univers_coverag and cut the cost of health_care by up to __MONEY__ per famili __PUNCT__

all of these polici will give more famili a chanc to grab hold of the ladder to middl __PUNCT__ class secur __PUNCT__ and thei make the climb a littl easier __PUNCT__

but poverti is not just a function of simpl econom __PUNCT__

it also a matter of where you live __PUNCT__

there ar vast swath of rural_america and block after block in our citi where poverti is not just a crisi that hit pocketbook __PUNCT__ but a diseas that infect everi corner of the commun __PUNCT__

i will be outlin my rural agenda in the come week __PUNCT__ but todai i want to talk about what we can do as a nation to combat the poverti that persist in our citi __PUNCT__

thi kind of poverti is not an issu i just discov for the purpos of a campaign __PUNCT__ it is the caus that led me to a life of public_servic almost twenti __PUNCT__ five year_ago __PUNCT__

i wa just two year out of colleg when i first move to the south_side of chicago to becom a commun_organ __PUNCT__

i wa hire by a group of church that were try to deal with steel plant closur that had devast the surround neighborhood __PUNCT__

everywher you look __PUNCT__ busi were board up and school were crumbl and teenag were stand aimlessli on street_corner __PUNCT__ without job and without hope __PUNCT__

what most overwhelm about urban poverti is that it so difficult to escap __PUNCT__ it isol and it everywher __PUNCT__

if you ar an african __PUNCT__ american child unlucki enough to be born into on of these neighborhood __PUNCT__ you ar most like to start life hungri or malnourish __PUNCT__

you ar less like to start with a father in your household __PUNCT__ and if he is there __PUNCT__ there a fifti __PUNCT__ fifti chanc that he never finish high_school and the same chanc he doesn't have a job __PUNCT__

your school isn't like to have the right book or the best teacher __PUNCT__

you more like to encount gang __PUNCT__ activ than after __PUNCT__ school activ __PUNCT__

and if you can't find a job becaus the most success businessman in your neighborhood is a drug_dealer __PUNCT__ you more like to join that gang yourself __PUNCT__

opportun is scarc __PUNCT__ role_model ar few __PUNCT__ and there is littl contact with the normalci of life outsid those street __PUNCT__

what you learn when you spend your time in these neighborhood try to solv these problem is that there ar no easi solut and no perfect argument __PUNCT__

and you come to understand that for the last four decad __PUNCT__ both end of the polit_spectrum have been talk past on anoth __PUNCT__

it true that there were mani effect program that emerg from lyndon_johnson war on poverti __PUNCT__

but there were also some ineffect program that were defend anywai __PUNCT__ as well as an inabl of some on the left to acknowledg that the problem of absent father or persist crime were inde problem that need to be address __PUNCT__

the right ha often seiz on these fail as proof that the govern can't and shouldn't do a thing about poverti __PUNCT__ that it is a result of individu moral fail and cultur patholog and so we should just sit_back and let these citi fend for themselv __PUNCT__

and so ronald_reagan launch hi assault on welfar queen __PUNCT__ and georg_bush spent the last six year slash program to combat poverti __PUNCT__ and job_train __PUNCT__ and substanc_abus __PUNCT__ and child_abus __PUNCT__

well __PUNCT__ we know that not the answer __PUNCT__

when you in these neighborhood __PUNCT__ you can see what a differ it make to have a govern that care __PUNCT__

you can see what a free_lunch program doe for a hungri child __PUNCT__

you can see what a littl extra_monei from an earn_incom incom_tax_credit doe for a famili that struggl __PUNCT__

you can see what prenat care doe for the health of a mother and a newborn __PUNCT__

so don't tell me there no role for govern in lift up our citi __PUNCT__

but you can also see what a differ it make when peopl_start care for themselv __PUNCT__

it make a differ when a father realiz that respons doe not end at concept __PUNCT__ when he understand that what make you a man is not the abil to have a child but the courag to rais on __PUNCT__

it make a differ when a parent turn off the tv onc in awhil __PUNCT__ put awai the video_game __PUNCT__ and start read to their child __PUNCT__ and get involv in hi educ __PUNCT__

it make a differ when we realiz that a child who shoot anoth child ha a hole in hi heart that no govern can fill __PUNCT__

that make a differ __PUNCT__

so there ar no easi answer and perfect argument __PUNCT__

as dr __PUNCT__ king said __PUNCT__ it is not either __PUNCT__ or __PUNCT__ it is both __PUNCT__ and __PUNCT__

hope is not found in ani singl ideolog __PUNCT__ an insist on do the same_thing with the same result year after year __PUNCT__

hope is found in what work __PUNCT__

in those south_side neighborhood __PUNCT__ hope wa found in the after school program we creat __PUNCT__ and the job_train train_program we put togeth __PUNCT__ and the organ skill we taught resid so that thei could stand up to a govern that wasn't stand up for them __PUNCT__

hope is found here at thearc __PUNCT__ where you provid thousand of children with shelter from the street and a home awai from home __PUNCT__

and if you travel a few hour north of here __PUNCT__ you will find hope amid nineti __PUNCT__ seven neighborhood block in the heart of harlem __PUNCT__

thi is the home of the harlem children zone __PUNCT__ an all __PUNCT__ encompass __PUNCT__ all __PUNCT__ hand __PUNCT__ on __PUNCT__ deck anti __PUNCT__ poverti effort that is liter save a gener of children in a neighborhood where thei were never suppos to have a chanc __PUNCT__

the philosophi behind the project is simpl __PUNCT__ if poverti is a diseas that infect an entir commun in the form of unemploy and violenc __PUNCT__ fail school and broken home __PUNCT__ then we can't just treat those symptom in isol __PUNCT__

we have to heal that entir commun __PUNCT__

and we have to focu on what actual work __PUNCT__

if you a child who born in the harlem children zone __PUNCT__ you start life differ than other inner __PUNCT__ citi children __PUNCT__

your parent probabl went to what thei call __PUNCT__ babi colleg __PUNCT__ a place where thei receiv counsel on how to care for newborn and what to expect in those first month __PUNCT__

you start school right awai __PUNCT__ becaus there earli_childhood childhood_educ __PUNCT__

when your parent ar at work __PUNCT__ you have a safe place to plai and learn __PUNCT__ becaus there child_care __PUNCT__ and after school program __PUNCT__ even in the summer __PUNCT__

there ar innov charter_school to attend __PUNCT__

there free medic_servic that offer care when you sick and prevent servic to stai healthi __PUNCT__

there afford __PUNCT__ good food avail so you not malnourish __PUNCT__

there ar job counselor and financi counselor __PUNCT__

there technolog train and crime prevent __PUNCT__

you don't just sign up for thi program __PUNCT__ you activ recruit for it __PUNCT__ becaus the idea is that if everyon is involv __PUNCT__ and no on slip through the crack __PUNCT__ then you realli can chang an entir commun __PUNCT__

geoffrei canada __PUNCT__ the program inspir __PUNCT__ innov founder __PUNCT__ put it best __PUNCT__ instead of help some kid beat the odd __PUNCT__ the harlem children zone is actual chang the odd altogeth __PUNCT__

and it work __PUNCT__

parent in harlem ar actual read more to their children __PUNCT__

their kid ar stai in school and pass statewid test at higher_rate than other children in new york_citi __PUNCT__

thei go to colleg in a place where it wa onc unheard of __PUNCT__

thei even place third at a nation chess championship __PUNCT__

so we know thi work __PUNCT__

and if we know it work __PUNCT__ there no reason thi program should stop at the end of those block in harlem __PUNCT__

it time to chang the odd for neighborhood all across america __PUNCT__

and that why when i presid __PUNCT__ the first part of my plan to combat urban poverti will be to replic the harlem children zone in twenti citi across the countri __PUNCT__

we train staff __PUNCT__ we have them draw up detail plan with attain goal __PUNCT__ and the feder_govern will provid half of the fund for each citi __PUNCT__ with the rest come from philanthropi and busi __PUNCT__

now __PUNCT__ how much will thi cost __PUNCT__ i be honest __PUNCT__ it can't be done on the cheap __PUNCT__

it will cost a few billion_dollar a year __PUNCT__

we won't just spend the monei becaus we can __PUNCT__ everi step these citi take will be evalu __PUNCT__ and if certain plan or program aren't work __PUNCT__ we will stop them and try someth els __PUNCT__

but we will find the monei to do thi becaus we can't afford not to __PUNCT__

dr __PUNCT__ king onc remark that if we can find the monei to put a man on the moon __PUNCT__ then we can find the monei to put a man on hi own two feet __PUNCT__

there no reason we should be spend ten of thousand of dollar a year to imprison on of these kid when thei turn eighteen when we could be spend___MONEY__ to turn their live around with thi program __PUNCT__

and to realli put it in perspect __PUNCT__ think of it thi wai __PUNCT__

the harlem children zone is save a gener of children for __MONEY___million a year __PUNCT__

that about what the war in iraq cost american_taxpay everi four hour __PUNCT__

so let invest thi monei __PUNCT__

let chang the odd in urban america by focus on what work __PUNCT__

the second part of my plan will do thi by provid famili the support thei need to rais their children __PUNCT__

i pass the plan i outlin last year that will provid more financi_support to father who make the respons choic to help rais their children and crack down on the father who don't __PUNCT__

and we help new mother with their new respons by expand a pioneer program known as the nurs __PUNCT__ famili partnership that offer home visit by train regist nurs to low __PUNCT__ incom mother and mother __PUNCT__ to __PUNCT__ be __PUNCT__

thi program ha been proven to reduc childhood injuri __PUNCT__ unintend pregnanc __PUNCT__ and the us of welfar and food_stamp __PUNCT__

it increas father involv __PUNCT__ women employ __PUNCT__ and children school readi __PUNCT__

it produc more than __MONEY__ in net save for everi high __PUNCT__ risk famili enrol in the program __PUNCT__

it work __PUNCT__ and i expand the program to __NUM__ first __PUNCT__ time mother each year __PUNCT__

the third part of my plan for urban america is to help peopl find_work and make that work pai __PUNCT__

i will invest __MONEY___billion over five year in innov transit job_program that have been highli success at place the unemploi into temporari job and then train them for perman on __PUNCT__

peopl in these program get the chanc to work in a commun_servic __PUNCT__ type job __PUNCT__ earn a paycheck everi week __PUNCT__ and learn the skill thei need for gain employ __PUNCT__

and by leav with refer and a resum __PUNCT__ often time thei find that employ __PUNCT__

still __PUNCT__ even for those worker who do find a perman job __PUNCT__ mani time there no wai for them to advanc their career onc thei in those job __PUNCT__

that why we also work with commun_organ and busi to creat career pathwai that provid worker with the addit skill and train thei need to earn more monei __PUNCT__

and we make sure that public_transport is both avail and afford for low __PUNCT__ incom worker __PUNCT__ becaus no on should be deni work in thi countri becaus thei can't get there __PUNCT__

to make work pai __PUNCT__ i will also tripl the earn_incom incom_tax_credit for full __PUNCT__ time_worker make the minimum_wage __PUNCT__

thi is on of the most success anti __PUNCT__ poverti program in histori and lift nearli __NUM___million_american out of poverti everi year __PUNCT__

i wa abl to expand thi program when i wa a state_senat in illinoi __PUNCT__ and as presid i do it again __PUNCT__

the fourth part of my plan will be to help bring busi back to our inner __PUNCT__ citi __PUNCT__

a long_time time_ago __PUNCT__ thi countri creat a world_bank that ha help spur econom_develop in some of the world_poorest region __PUNCT__

i think it about time we had someth like that right here in america __PUNCT__

less than on percent of the __MONEY___billion in ventur_capit that invest each year goe to minor busi that ar try to breath life into our citi __PUNCT__

thi ha to chang __PUNCT__

when i presid __PUNCT__ i make sure that everi commun ha the access to the capit and resourc it need to creat a stronger busi_climat by provid more loan to small_busi and set up the financi_institut that can help get them start __PUNCT__

i also creat a nation network of busi incub __PUNCT__ which ar local servic that help first __PUNCT__ time busi_owner design their busi_plan __PUNCT__ find the best locat __PUNCT__ and receiv expert advic on how to run their busi whenev thei need it __PUNCT__

and i will take step to help close the digit divid and increas internet access for citi so that urban america is just as connect as the rest of america __PUNCT__

the final part of my plan to chang the odd in our citi will be to ensur that more american have access to safe __PUNCT__ afford_hous __PUNCT__

as presid __PUNCT__ i creat an afford hous trust_fund that would add as mani as __NUM__ new afford unit in mix incom neighborhood __PUNCT__

we also do more to protect homeown from mortgag fraud and subprim lend by pass my plan to provid counsel to tenant __PUNCT__ homeown __PUNCT__ and other consum so thei get the advic and guidanc thei need befor bui a hous and support if thei get in to troubl down the road __PUNCT__

and we will crack down on mortgag profession found_guilti of fraud by increas enforc and creat new crimin penalti __PUNCT__

what thi agenda to combat urban poverti attempt to do is not easi __PUNCT__ and it will not happen overnight __PUNCT__

chang the odd in our citi will requir humil in what we can accomplish and patienc with our progress __PUNCT__

but most importantli __PUNCT__ it will requir the sustain commit of the presid of the unit_state __PUNCT__ and that is why i will also appoint a new director of urban polici who will cut through the disorgan bureaucraci that current exist and report directli to me on how these effort ar go __PUNCT__ on what work and what not __PUNCT__

becaus in the end __PUNCT__ hope is found in what work __PUNCT__

the moral_question about poverti in america __PUNCT__ how can a countri like thi allow it __PUNCT__ ha an easi answer __PUNCT__ we can't __PUNCT__

the polit_question that follow __PUNCT__ what do we do about it __PUNCT__ ha alwai been more difficult __PUNCT__

but now that we final see the begin of an answer __PUNCT__ thi countri ha an oblig to keep try __PUNCT__

the idea for the harlem children zone began with a list __PUNCT__

it wa a wait_list that geoffrei canada kept of all the children who couldn't get into hi program back when it wa just a few block wide __PUNCT__

it wa __NUM___peopl long __PUNCT__

and on dai he look at that list and thought __PUNCT__ why shouldn't those __NUM___kid get the same chanc in life as the __NUM__ who were alreadi in the program __PUNCT__ why not expand it to includ those __NUM__ __PUNCT__ why not __NUM__ __PUNCT__ why not __PUNCT__

and that __PUNCT__ of cours __PUNCT__ is the final question about poverti in america __PUNCT__

it the hope on that bobbi kennedi wa also famou for ask __PUNCT__

why not __PUNCT__ it leav the cynic without an answer __PUNCT__ and it call on the rest of us to get to work __PUNCT__

i will be do exactli that from the first dai i becom your presid __PUNCT__ and i ask you all to join me in get it done __PUNCT__

thank you __PUNCT__