Former Representative West never holds back. Here, he paints a picture of the mistake it is to rely on the motives, and the ability, of big unrestricted government.
1.".... as people reflect on the struggles and accomplishments of African-Americans over many decades, many agree that “more can be done” to ensure economic opportunity for all Americans.
2. ... the demand that the “more” must be done by government through a stronger safety net, wealth redistribution and mandated equality measures overshadows the years of evidence that indicate more often than not, government programs fail.
3. [Well intentioned programs] disincentivize wise choices, diminish individual will, limit educational opportunities, and create burdensome regulations that hinder entrepreneurship and increase the cost of living for families embracing the notion that advancement is their responsibility.
4. .... urban planning, for example. “Smart growth” measures implemented by cities that are designed to reduce urban sprawl, which prices lower- and middle-income families out of the housing market by limiting the quantity of housing, the land available for housing, and the types of housing that are allowed.
5. Housing economist Wendell Cox finds that the white home ownership rate is 50 percent above the rates for Hispanic and African-American households, and he attributes much of this difference to prescriptive zoning, which drives up the cost of housing. Government-driven solutions declaring a right to own a home is not the answer. That [Democrat] philosophy led to the subprime mortgage crisis.
6. In the area of education, charter schools offer parents — particularly those in urban areas — educational options for their children where previously they were relegated to a failing public school. Charter schools are smaller than conventional public schools and serve a disproportionate and increasing number of poor and minority students.
7. ... according to the Center for Education Reform, charter school students are more likely to be proficient in reading and math than students in neighboring conventional schools, achieving the greatest gains among African-American, Hispanic and low-income students. So why would the first African-American president cancel the District of Columbia’s school voucher program in April 2009 for deserving minority school children in one of America’s worse school districts?
8. Proponents of higher minimum wages say they will help the working poor, yet they often price the lowest-skilled workers out of the market so they essentially earn nothing.
Black teenagers are at the greatest risk of being priced out of the labor market. From 1948 to 1955, unemployment of black and white teenage males was essentially the same — 11.3 percent and 11.6 percent, respectively. However, after the minimum wage was raised from 75 cents to $1 in 1956, unemployment rose significantly for both black and white teenage males, with blacks bearing more of the burden.
By 1969, the unemployment rate was 22.7 percent for black teenage males and 14.6 percent for white teenage males. Today, the unemployment rate for black teenagers is close to 40 percent — and we wonder what is happening in our inner cities with rising criminal activity, especially with black males."
ALLEN WEST AND PAMELA VILLARREAL Nanny state takes toll on black America - Washington Times
Big government: three strikes and you're out....?
