President Pushes Problem-Solving Agenda

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AllPolitics, July 23) -- On his 25th visit to the Golden State since taking office, President Bill Clinton announced a strategy to free up the nation's overburdened 911 emergency phone number, one of a series of recently announced, low-cost measures designed to make Americans' lives safer.

The nation's 911 police number is used too frequently for non-emergencies, Clinton told a large group outside a family-counseling and rape center. He said the Justice Department would develop, in partnership with the FCC, a national community policing number for lower priority calls.

"Let's work, inch by inch, to change peoples' lives positively," Clinton spokesman Mike McCurry said, explaining the project.

Earlier, after detailing the creation of an Internet site to track deadbeat parents, the President spoke at a Monrovia public school, highlighting the school's success at cracking down on juvenile crime after implementing school uniforms and local community policing.

"We have about six years to get ahead of this juvenile crime and violence and drug problem before we have a problem on our hands that will be almost unmanageable, unbearable and painful," Clinton told the crowd of 2,000, pointing out that some 52 million students attend public schools.

It's a carefully scripted strategy designed to appeal to women voters. Later, Clinton pursued another key constituency, California's sizable Asian community, raising $800,000 at a fund-raiser which was the president's first all-Asian meeting outside Washington. Citing his support for China's most favored nation status, the president pledged to "do better" on appointing Asians to judicial and adminstration posts. At another gala Monday night, Clinton brought in another $1.2 million; he's expected to raise $5 million during his three-day visit.

Meanwhile, as senators voted on amendments to a GOP-backed welfare measure, speculation increased over whether Clinton would sign the final bill. Though the president had hinted parts of the bill were unacceptable, key objections were removed by senators. In today's key votes, the Senate decided to assure Medicaid eligibility for the poor and blocked a potential change the administration said would jeopardize the food stamp program.

President Pushes Problem-Solving Agenda

Related Stories: