There was a lot of talk last week about the 50th anniversary of Lyndon Johnsons war on poverty. Fifty years and $20 trillion later (yes, thats trillion with a T), the statistics suggest we dont have much to show for it. The poverty rate in 1965 was 17.3%. Today its 15%. Perhaps its time to try something different that would actually help the poor. Not surprisingly, there were a lot of ideas floated this week to combat poverty. For example, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) suggested a massive overhaul of the federal welfare system by essentially turning the funds over to the states and letting the laboratories of democracy take the lead. But he also highlighted another critical factor: the family. Senator Rubio said:Social factors also play a major role… The truth is, the greatest tool to lift children and families from poverty is one that decreases the probability of child poverty by 82%. But it isnt a government spending program. It’s called marriage. Fifty years ago … 93% of children born in the United States were born to married parents. By 2010 that number had plummeted to 60%. It should not surprise us that 71% of poor families with children are not headed by a married couple. Values issues matter. No government program can make up for the breakdown of the family. When talking about economic policies, more Republicans should follow Senator Rubios lead and emphasize the importance of strong families to the successful formation of strong and stable societies.
Posted on: Wed, 15 Jan 2014 18:35:31 +0000
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