1st in student improvement on test scores, especially for African-American and Hispanic students.

1st in reducing the amount of releases and disposal of toxics -- more than all 49 other states combined.

1st in the nation to allow a patient to appeal an HMO's decision to deny
care.

1st to create a prison ministry to help offenders reintegrate into society.

1 of only 3 states to require reductions of harmful pollution from older,
unpermitted utility plants.

1 of only 10 "highly successful" states in reducing welfare rolls between
1995 and 1998.

4th in growth in total personal income.

9th in teacher pay, when adjusted for cost of living and teacher experience.

$1.8 billion investment in healthcare initiatives.

1.2 million jobs created, representing more than 10 percent of new jobs
created nationwide and 48,000 new businesses.

Lowest unemployment rate in twenty years -- 4.7 percent.

Doubled the number of adoptions of abused and neglected children in Texas.

Education: Established tougher academic standards and strengthened accountability to improve student performance.

Created charter schools.

Texas is a national leader in education reform: test scores are up among all students in all grades, especially among Hispanic and  African-American  students.

45 convictions, 72 indictments/misdemeanor charges, and 8 imprisonments related to the 1996 campaign finance scandal, improper conduct by Clinton-Gore cabinet officials, and Whitewater.


America under Clinton-Gore:

The number of uninsured Americans increased by more than 8 million.

Almost 70 percent of fourth graders in the highest poverty schools cannot read at basic level.

Teachers were victims of 1.8 million crimes at school, including 657,000
violent crimes.

Illegal drug use among high school seniors increased 78 percent.
Federal prosecutions of gun-related offenses decreased by 46 percent.

More than 12,000 U.S. soldiers are on food stamps.

Enacted a $115 billion tax increase on Social Security benefits.

Federal government is the nation's largest polluter, costing taxpayers
nearly $400 billion for cleanups.


Gore Attacks on Texas Record & The Truth:

Attack: "50th in spending for teachers' salaries"

   Under Governor Bush, the state minimum salary for teachers increased 33 percent, including a $3,000 across-the-board pay raise for every teacher.

   In 1999, Texas ranked 24th in the nation, up from the 43rd ranking when Governor Bush took office.  When adjusted for cost of living and teacher experience, Texas ranks 9th in teacher pay.

Attack: "49th in spending on the environment"

   Under Governor Bush, environmental spending increased 29%, up $369 million.  State funding for Texas' environmental agency increased 14%, up $84.5 million. In 1997, Texans approved $60 million in bonds to restore state parks, and  Governor Bush and the Texas Legislature provided $10 million more in 1999.  Launched the Lone Star Legacy Campaign, believed to be the first in the nation, to establish a permanent endowment fund for every state park, state wildlife management area, and state fish hatchery. The endowment has already received $10 million in pledges to help restore and maintain Texas' state parks.
 
Attack: "48th in per-capita funding for public health"

   Last year, Governor Bush and the Texas Legislature dedicated a record $1.8 billion dollars for health care initiatives in Texas, including:
$100 million in prevention and intervention strategies for improving children's health.  $50 million to fund long-term health care needs for children. Governor Bush signed legislation providing health insurance for more than  423,000 children. In 1997, Governor Bush signed legislation requiring HMOs to cover the cost of immunizations for children, removing a significant barrier to children getting their shots on time. 4.8 million Texans under HMO coverage or insurance policies will benefit from the new law, saving families approximately $330 on immunization costs for each child covered.

 Attack: "47th in delivery of social services"

    Under Governor Bush, welfare rolls have been cut in half, while providing $18 million in transitional benefits to help those still moving into
meaningful jobs.  Increased childcare funding by $357 million -- an 87 percent increase from his Democrat predecessor.  Texas received more than $1.3 million in adoption bonus grants from the federal government for increasing the number of foster children adopted. In 1998, 1,548 abused and neglected children were adopted in Texas, more than twice the number adopted in 1996.  Provided a $220 million funding increase to protect children: includes 380 new caseload workers and salary increases to help abused children and increased funds for foster care. 

Attack: "42nd in child-support collections"

   Governor Bush supported and signed legislation increasing child-support enforcement funding by $63 million.  In 1999, Texas posted the largest annual increase of $111.4 million in child-support collections, representing the largest amount ever collected and outpacing the growth in caseload by 8 percent.  Texas also collected a record $23.6 million in this past year from new payroll deductions by automating the administrative income withholding system. When an employer hires a new worker, an inquiry is made to see whether the new employee owes child support. The division sent 35,604 administrative income withholding orders in '99-- an increase of 339 percent over the previous year.  Child-support collections in Texas were the responsibility of the Attorney General, until January 1999 a Democrat.

 Attack: "41st in per-capita spending on public education"

    Governor Bush made education his number one budget priority. State funding for public schools increased by $8.3 billion, representing a 37 percent increase in state funding per student.  Under Governor Bush, 56 percent of all new state spending was dedicated to public education.

Provided $200 million to abolish social promotion.

Provided $25 million for after-school programs.

Texas has led the nation on improvement of student test scores.

Attack: "5th in percentage of population living in poverty"

   Under Governor Bush, the poverty rate decreased 21.5 percent and the total number of Texans in poverty decreased 17 percent.  Under Governor Bush, the child poverty rate decreased 19 percent and the overall number of children living in poverty also decreased 19 percent.
Under Governor Bush, Texas has experienced unprecedented economic growth.  The current average unemployment rate is 4.7 percent, the lowest in twenty years.  Under Governor Bush, more than 1.2 million jobs were created in Texas, representing more than 10 percent of new jobs created nationwide. In addition, more than 48,000 new businesses have opened. 

 Attack: "1st in air and water pollution"

   Texas reduced the release and disposal of toxics by 43 million pounds - a 14 percent reduction - more than all the other 49 states' total reduction combined.  Under legislation signed by Governor Bush, Texas becomes only the 3rd state in the nation to require pollution reductions and permits from older, unpermitted utilities - a 50 percent reduction in four years. Under two pieces of legislation supported and signed by Governor Bush, Texas will reduce their emissions by more than 250,000 tons each year -- the equivalent of removing 5.5 million cars from Texas roads.  More than 96% of Texas public drinking water meets all standards, up from 88% in 1995.
 
Attack: "1st in percentage of poor working parents without insurance"

    Last year alone, Texas provided over $4 billion in health care to the uninsured.  Texas has slowed the growth of the uninsured to .3% over the Governor's term, while the national rate has increased almost four times as fast.  Last year, Governor Bush signed legislation provided an $80 million increase for Medicaid reimbursements to physicians and hospitals providing care for the poor.  Texas has experienced record job growth and received historic tax cuts that are helping businesses provide and Texans afford quality health insurance.

Attack: "1st in percentage of children without health insurance"

   Governor Bush signed legislation providing health insurance for more than 423,000 children.  Under a separate program, Governor Bush and the Texas Legislature provided $25 million to make children of legal immigrants eligible for the children's health insurance program.
Approximately 75 percent of Texas' 1.5 million uninsured children are  eligible for subsidized health insurance. Uninsured children from families with incomes too high to qualify for subsidized insurance can purchase low cost coverage through the Texas Healthy Kids Corporation, created in 1997 through legislation signed by Governor Bush.

Attack: "1st in executions (avg. 1 every 2 weeks for Bush's 5 years)"

   Governor Bush has enforced the death penalty in a fair and just manner.  Texas is a safer place to live: violent crime has decreased 20 percent and violent juvenile crime has decreased 38 percent under Governor Bush.  Restored local control, ended social promotion and rewrote the academic curriculum to insist on basics.