[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 112 (Friday, August 1, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1578-E1580]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HELPING AMERICA'S CHILDREN AT RISK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NEWT GINGRICH

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 31, 1997

  Mr. GINGRICH. Mr. Speaker, last night, I had the distinct honor to 
have dinner with Mr. Wintley Phipps, who many Members know from his 
extraordinary singing during Mother Theresa's visit a few weeks ago. 
Following that ceremony, I met with Mr. Phipps to discuss how we can 
ensure that some of our most underprivileged young people can 
participate in the amazing opportunities in the Information Age.
  He responded by assembling more than a dozen of the brightest minds 
in the African-American community--educators, doctors, bankers, 
computer graphics specialists and others. They have developed what I 
believe is a brilliant plan to save those children most likely to be 
considered at-risk as well as reaching out to lower the recidivism rate 
in our prison populations. The group proposes, ``to build a national, 
faith-based, on-line academy that will facilitate and coordinate the 
training of as many as possible of America's children at risk.''
  This is a project which can be attained. Wintley Phipps and his 
associates' idea is of such merit that I submit their statement into 
the Record and highly recommend studying it to all those either reading 
these printed words or viewing them on the THOMAS system.

                    Opening Statement, July 30, 1997

                          (By Wintley Phipps)

       Mr. Speaker, just a few short weeks ago you called me into 
     your office and shared with me your concern that too many of 
     America's children were falling behind in this information 
     age. You asked me to call together a few leaders for an 
     informal dinner meeting, where we could explore concepts and 
     strategies that might result in an initiative offering 
     character development as well as educational and vocational 
     preparedness for life in the 21st century.
       Because of my respect for you, I took your expression of 
     concern as a personal mandate and set upon a course to 
     facilitate this meeting.
       All of the people before you today are people that I love, 
     respect, and deeply admire. The gifts, experience, and 
     passion they display for children and the disadvantaged is 
     not only extraordinary, but awe-inspiring.
       We have with us today; one who has given me invaluable 
     assistance in preparing for

[[Page E1579]]

     this meeting, Mr. Frank Hilton of Caslink. Caslink is an 
     Internet provider and web hosting company located in Falls 
     Church Virginia. With him is the Vice President of Caslink 
     Mr. Robert Adkinson.
       I'm sure you know Dr. Ben Carson, Head of Pediatric 
     Neurosurgery, John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md. Dr. 
     Carson's achievements and contributions to the well-being of 
     children are recognized all over the world. Dr. Carson also 
     heads the USA Scholars Fund, a scholarship program for youth 
     dedicated to scholarship and excellence.
       Dr. Clarence Hodges, former Deputy Assistant Secretary, 
     U.S. Department of State and the Former Commissioner U.S. 
     Administration for Children and Families. He is presently 
     Vice-President North American Division of SDA.
       Dr. Calvin Rock, former President of Oakwood College, 
     Huntsville, Alabama. Dr. Rock more than any other person 
     alive has done more to ensure that I would have a chance to 
     obtain a college education and live up to my fullest 
     potential. For this I will always be deeply grateful. He is 
     presently one of the Vice-Presidents for the General 
     Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist and heads an 
     operation called Operation Reachback. Operation Reachback is 
     a group of Christian professionals dedicated to giving back 
     blessings and opportunities to those less fortunate.
       Mr. H. Melvin Ming, Chief Financial Officer and Vice-
     President of Administration and Operations of the Museum of 
     Television and Radio.
       Dr. Harold Lee, Secretary of Columbia Union Conference of 
     SDA. Also a member of the board of Operation Reachback.
       Mr. Rudolph Stafford of the Pastor of the Riverside SDA 
     Church in Nashville, TN, also a member of the board of 
     Operation Reachback.
       Ms. Deborah Myers, a social worker with the DC government 
     adult protective services program. Ms. Meyers has also done 
     extensive research into the intergenerational impact of 
     criminal behavior.
       Mr. Howard Bullard, originally from Los Angeles, CA, is a 
     specialist in the area of computer technology and computer 
     graphics.
       I'm sure you know my friend Mr. Pat Nolan, currently 
     President and CEO of Justice Fellowship and Senior Vice-
     President of Prison Fellowship Ministries. Pat, a former 
     Republican leader of the Assembly in the State of California, 
     authored California's enterprise zones.
       Also with us are Doctors Hal and Betty Walker and President 
     and co-founder of A-MAN, the African-American Male 
     Achievement Network. Betty is a former middle school 
     principal while Hal is the only one in this room to date who 
     has been honored with an exhibit on his achievements in the 
     Museum of American History. Hal, a scientist, was the one who 
     designed the laser that was fired and reflected back from the 
     moon during the Apollo 11 moon landing.
       Mr. Speaker, all of us assembled here today share your 
     concerns.
       We come prepared to take whatever steps are necessary to 
     design and deploy a vehicle which may prove to be the 
     salvation of many of our youth.
       We believe that every child to be successful in life must 
     have:
       First: A Vision of destiny-directed life that anticipates a 
     bright, successful future. They must have a vision of some 
     positive contribution they can and must make to the world 
     with their gifts.
       Secondly: they must have a core set of Values that frame a 
     moral commitment. Simple universal values such as courtesy, 
     gratitude, honesty, respect for God, respect for others, and 
     self.
       Thirdly they must have Vocational/Educational preparation 
     that validates and facilitates their potential contribution 
     to society in the Information Age.
       Mr. Speaker, as you are well aware, our young people, by 
     and large are not being prepared for the vocational realities 
     that will come with life in the new millennium. As this 
     nation and the world transitions to an information-based 
     economy; those who are trained in using information 
     technology will have access to important economic and social 
     benefits.
       Those who do not have access to communications and 
     informational technologies will lack the necessary skills to 
     compete in the 21st century.
       Those youth who are trained to use computers at home will 
     also have a decided advantage over those who do not.
       If all our children do not have equal access to the same 
     books or reference materials, this raises the frightening 
     reality that those who are the information have-nots of today 
     are at great risk of becoming society's economic have-nots 
     tomorrow.
       Mr. Speaker, we as Americans can ill afford the social and 
     economic impact of two nations divided by the ability to 
     obtain access and mastery of the National Information 
     Infrastructure. This new societal division carries with it 
     the threat of unrest and civil disturbance.
       Already statistics tell us that six percent of teenagers, a 
     disproportionate number of them being high school dropouts, 
     six percent of teenagers commit 50% of all crimes.
       Mr. Speaker, according to a statistic supplied by the 
     Correction Education Association, sixty percent of prisoners 
     who left America's prisons returned to prison. But of the 
     prisoners who received post-secondary degrees while in 
     prison, the recidivism rate nationally was 10-14%.
       In the state of Texas the recidivism rate was 48%. The 
     University of Houston offered degrees to prisoners from 1986-
     1992. Of those who left Texas prisons with Bachelor's 
     degrees, 5.3% returned to prison. From Houston Chronicle, 
     Feb. 1996.
       The LA Times cite the same statistics but went on to add 
     that the inmates in Texas who received just a 2-year degree, 
     not a 4-year degree, the recidivism rate of 13.7%. In other 
     words, the longer prisoners stayed in the College program the 
     lower the recidivism rate.
       Mr. Speaker, I have spoken to several Black College 
     Presidents who would love an opportunity to work with these 
     men via a Directed Distance Learning Program.
       Not only will this program work to keep young men and women 
     from returning to prison, it will also keep many from ending 
     up in prison in the first place.
       We believe a program like this one must be built to offer 
     every child at risk:
       (1) Access and Mastery of the National Information 
     Infrastructure.
       (2) On-line character, and educational assessment; as well 
     as access to On-line remedial support. This tutorial support 
     will be aimed at correcting individual character deficiencies 
     uncovered.
       We envision On-line High School and College Courses also 
     being offered through the National Academy for Directed 
     Distance Learning. These courses will be designed for and 
     target at-risk children. Educational and role-model mentors 
     will also be available to children falling behind.
       Mr. Speaker, we propose to build a national, faith-based, 
     on-line academy that will facilitate and coordinate the 
     training of as many as possible for America's children at 
     risk. These children will be identified and qualified from 
     the names supplied by various existing agencies such as 
     Prison Fellowship's Angel Tree Program.
       Mr. Speaker, for this program to succeed, children in the 
     pilot programs must have PC software, hardware equipment and 
     training to master their use.
       Some of the expected societal benefits of a program like 
     this are:
       1. The ability to begin upgrading the computer skills of 
     children at-risk without investments in major educational 
     institutions.
       2. Reduced cost.
       3. Reduced civil tensions.
       4. The ability to deliver remedial tutorial educational 
     services tailored to the need of individual youth.
       5. The advantage of an individual being able to use 21st 
     century technology and equipment, supplied as part of the 
     delivery system of their localized work.
       6. The ability of an individual to go over the educational 
     presentation multiple times until understood.
       7. The ability to use core materials in many parts of the 
     country.
       8. The ability, if needed, to do various forms of multiple 
     language education where a stereo-related track would allow 
     for English on one track, a second language on another track, 
     or where selected materials can be placed into a translation 
     mode through postproduction procedure.
       9. Immediate and continuous training of youth.
       10. The use of materials in established institutions which 
     may provide economic benefits to local teachers.
       It is important to note that Northern Telecom proposes to 
     accomplish the concept we envision but through their own 
     closed network. Mr. Speaker, we forsee utilizing the open 
     existing Internet structure through the use of PC's paid for 
     by donations from private corporations, foundations, and 
     individuals.
       Mr. Speaker, we envision corporations designating unique 
     enterprenurial initiatives that will allow young people to 
     earn the money to purchase a computer, insurance for that 
     computer, as well as other ongoing On-line costs.
       Mr. Speaker, we also envision a national advertising 
     campigan utilizing sports, film, television, and music heroes 
     to inspire and persuade young people to come inside off of 
     the basketball court and experience the joys of learning and 
     preparing for economic success in the 21st century.
       Michael Jordan, the top money-maker in the basketball world 
     will make over $300,000 a game; $10,000 a minute assuming he 
     averages about thirty minutes per game. Assuming $40,000,000 
     in endorsements next year, he'll be making $178,000 a day 
     working or not. Assuming he sleeps seven hours a night, he 
     makes $52,000 every night while he visions of sugar plums 
     dance in his head. If he goes to see a movie, it will cost 
     him $8.00 but he'll make $18,500 while he's there.
       If he decides to boil a five-minute egg, he'll make $618 
     while boiling it. He makes $7,415 an hour more than the 
     minimum wage after the wage hike. If he wanted to save up for 
     a new Acura NSX which costs $90,000 it will take him a whole 
     twelve hours. If someone were to hand him his salary in 
     endorsement money they would have to do it a rate of $2 every 
     second. Assuming at the beginning of the year he puts the 
     federal maximum of 15% of his income into his tax-deferred 
     401k account he will hit the federal cap of $9,500 at 8:30 am 
     on January first.
       If you were given a tenth of a penny for every dollar he 
     makes you'd be living comfortably at $65,000 a year.
       He'll make about $19.60 while watching the 100-meter dash 
     in the Olympics.
       He'll make about $15,600 while the Boston Marathon is being 
     run. While the common person is spending about $20 for a meal 
     in his trendy Chicago restaurant Michael Jordan will pull in 
     $5,600.

[[Page E1580]]

       Next year he'll make more than twice as much as all of our 
     Presidents will for all their terms combined.
       Amazing, isn't it.
       But: Jordan will have to save 100% of his income for 270 
     years to have a net worth equivalent to the net worth of Bill 
     Gates, owner of Microsoft.

     

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