[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 146 (Saturday, October 8, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                             WELFARE REFORM

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, Congress must reform welfare so recipients 
can gain self-sufficiency and self-respect. Responsibility should be 
encouraged. The existing welfare bureaucracy should be tightened and 
made efficient.
  To accomplish this, Congress must reach outside of Washington, DC, to 
find solutions. Solutions that, provide a role for the Federal 
Government that does not mandate--but does appropriately support the 
efforts of individuals, the public and private sector, and State and 
local government. America's most vulnerable citizens must be given the 
best chance to enter mainstream society and not be left behind in a 
failed system.
  Welfare reform should emphasize that real, private sector jobs are 
critical to leaving the welfare system and getting out of poverty. 
Public sponsored make-work jobs, which have been advocated in some 
welfare reform efforts, often result in more costs, more bureaucracy, 
and more government dependency.
  While the Federal Government tries to come up with solutions, we 
should understand the innovative private sector initiatives designed to 
provide real jobs and promote character.
  One such program is the Young Entrepreneurs of Wichita, KS. Charles 
and Liz Koch of Wichita brought this program to Kansas 3 years ago. 
Choosing Wichita for an entrepreneurship program makes sense to anyone 
familiar with that city. It is the birthplace of many entrepreneurial 
success stories--including Boeing, Beech, Cessna, Learjet, Coleman, 
Pizza Hut, Rent-A-Center, and Koch Industries. After witnessing the 
success of the Young Entrepreneurs Program in Kansas, the Koch Refining 
Co. brought the program to Minneapolis. Recently, David Koch began a 
Young Entrepreneurs Program here in the Nation's Capital.
  The mission of the Young Entrepreneurs is to enable at-risk, 
economically or physically challenged minority youth to break free of 
the cycle of poverty by exposing them to specialized training in 
business and entrepreneurship. David Koch at the kickoff for DC's 
program a number of months ago quoted this ageless piece of wisdom: 
``Give a man a fish and he can eat for a day. But teach a man to fish 
and he can eat for a lifetime.'' The Young Entrepreneurs Program is 
trying to teach some of our most disadvantaged youth the lifetime of 
entrepreneurship.
  This program teaches the participants how to set up and run their own 
businesses. It places young people ages 13-18 in a ``mini-MBA'' 
program. But it doesn't stop with classroom theories. After learning 
the fundamentals, the students actually become young entrepreneurs. 
Here's how it works:
  The organization chooses a school in an area based on its high-risk 
student population. A teacher within the school is selected to provide 
the student instruction. The designated teacher takes an intensive 
training course and is paid a stipend. At-risk students are handpicked 
by the teacher and school counselors. The students receive 40 to 70 
hours of instruction in business management. They write a detailed 
business plan and receive $50.00 in seed capital to enable them to buy 
products from a wholesaler. They then design posters, flyer, and 
business cards to market their products. They open bank accounts and, 
finally, at the end of the semester, they go out into the marketplace 
and sell their products.
  Shawn Blakely, one of the Young Entrepreneurs of Wichita, is a 
example of its success. Shawn was trying to put together a business 
plan to market special birdfeeders. Shawn's birdfeeders were big and 
beautiful with dazzing designs in the shape of gazebos. This young man 
enlisted the help of his grandfather, a lifelong metal worker, who 
designed a too to produce the complicated designs more quickly. The 
business, Cheep Birdfeeders, took off and continues to thrive. Shawn 
and other members of his family are now employed by the company.
  Another participant in the Wichita program, Monique Landers, decided 
to open a hair braiding business with the skills acquired in the Young 
Entrepreneurs. She did so well with her business that she was honored 
by the association of college Entrepreneurs, who flew her to New York 
City to receive their award.
  Kids like Shawn and Monique can accomplish great things. By teaching 
them the fundamentals of Entrepreneurship, and by walking them through 
the process of establishing their own small businesses, this program 
gives young people an immediate reason to learn. In addition, it gives 
them an opportunity to apply their learning in the real world. Being 
the president of a company can have a wonderful impact on the self-
esteem of a young woman or a young man. The young Entrepreneurs Program 
builds character which will serve these young people throughout their 
lives. Right now, the Young Entrepreneurs Program is reaching out to 
thousands of Young Americans with the financial support of the Koch 
Family and Koch Industries. Their contribution is $1.5 million a year.
  The Young Entrepreneurship Program helps these young people improve 
their reading, writing, mathematics, and verbal communication skills. 
They learn fundamentals of economics. They learn about honesty and 
responsibility. They reap the rewards of persistence and hard work. 
These young Americans are learning about skills to become economically 
independent. This is the kind of stuff that builds self-esteem.
  I thank the Kochs and their company, Koch Industries, for bringing 
the Young Entrepreneurs Program to the young Americans of Kansas, 
Minnesota, and to our Nation's Capital.

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