$9 Trillion Didn’t End Poverty — What to Do?

Another brilliant op-ed from the CATO Institute:

Despite all this common sense, Democrats refuse to endorse welfare reform that would emphasize actual work experience. They would spend money to send single moms to college or train them in a specific skill for which there may be no demand in the job market. Republicans are not doing much better by encouraging social spending on programs like marriage initiatives, suggesting that coupling off the poor will somehow raise them out of poverty. In the past 40 years, we have spent at least $8.9 trillion (in constant 2003 dollars) on the “war on poverty.” Isn’t it time that one of the candidates admit we cannot spend our way out of poverty?

If education, pregnancy prevention, and employment are the solutions to poverty, we need a candidate that advocates policies that promote them. Education reform, including school choice, would provide a real opportunity for children to start on an equal playing field, prevent “at risk” students from dropping out, and produce a more competitive national workforce. Pregnancy prevention programs need to educate teenagers about how to avoid pregnancy, as well as emphasize the life-altering repercussion of parenthood as a minor. Finally, job growth results from a dynamic economy. Lower taxes, less regulation on business and industry, and freer trade would produce the jobs necessary to escape the bonds of poverty.

Many people get a bit upset when I tell them that American conservativism (the Russell Kirk brand) is really a milder form of socialism. Kirk says so himself, but most self-styled conservatives really don’t understand this is the approach to governance that conservative political philosophy embraces.

So in case you are wondering, yes – I am very concerned about the multitude of social programs announced by the President last night. Don’t get me wrong – Bush is far better than the alternative, but I can’t help but wonder how much farther down the rabbit hole of social spending programs we have to travel. . .