Posted on 10/12/2015 1:55:31 PM PDT by markomalley
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson used a Sunday campaign stop in Georgia to accuse politicians of using poverty to bolster their voting constituencies. In his eyes, open-ended welfare has not only perpetuated poverty, its sustained a loyal voting bloc for certain politicians.
“False compassion is patting them on the head and saying, ‘You can’t take care of yourself and I’m going to give you food stamps, a housing subsidy and free health care,'” Carson said according to the Gainesville Times. “And all the things you need so you can stay dependent and vote for me.’”
His criticism of welfare is not new. During the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February, Carson also said welfare makes people dependent on government. At the time he blamed Democrats for being the ones who use welfare to buy votes. He has said a better approach would be a system that provides people with the tools to get themselves out of poverty.
“[I have] no desire whatsoever to hurt the poor,” Carson noted. “But I believe in true compassion, providing the poor with a mechanism to climb the ladder of success.”
Studies examining whether welfare creates dependency have shown varying results. The conservative Heritage Foundation found in a 2011 report that increases in welfare create more dependency. Even the left-leaning Brookings Institution found in 2002 that welfare can cause dependency, concluding education and job training are key to preventing poverty.
Carson has been able to lead much of the Republican field. Recent polls show him second only to Donald Trump. In some polls, Carson has been able to narrowly take the lead. Both Carson and Trump have positioned themselves as Washington, D.C., outsiders. A stance that plays well with many voters tired of what they sees as a troublesome insider culture.
During his Georgia speech, Carson also criticized judiciary activism and efforts to change the moral framework of society.
Trump, Cruz and Carson are all making excellent points. It’s a shame the media will not acknowledge any of it. Just nasty guys picking on Hillary over an innocent email or two.
Anyone collecting ( or living on ) welfare and food stamps (EBT) should lose the right to vote while on public assistance . Easy to check . It should be a national voter eligibility requirement .
Keep talking Dr Carson. I have no idea where this will all end up but watching you make Leftist Media Plantation heads explode by speaking truth to them is a delight to watch
Welfare and subsides have successfully cut my giving way down. I decided that if the government was going to take my money and give it to things I do not approve I would not give as much willfully. I have about 3 specific thing I donate to and ignore all the rest, especially anything that has to do with inner city, victim relief run by the government etc...
We’ve all known this for quite some time...
If we got rid of welfare the taxpayers would have more money to give to private charities. Then the people who “need” welfare can go to these private charities and get assistance.
We didn’t have food stamps prior to 1939 and I don’t recall hearing about people dying in the streets.
A noble goal. Just how would Dr. Carson accomplish that?
It's worse than 40 acres and a mule.
It’s patently obvious why Trump and Carson are leading this field. They are out there speaking the truths that nobody else dare speak.
Your family and the mule had to work that 40 acres to survive.
Yep and not one of your "Conservative" politicians would ever say it.
Hear, hear.
Drum this home, Ben.
NOTHING guarantees poverty like dependence of the government.
The democrats buy your vote by keeping you poor.
I would LOVE them to have this exact discussion during a debate!
Maine used to have a law that disallowed welfare recipients from voting. If you ‘lived off the town’, you could not vote.
IIRC that lasted until the 1930s.
It’s allowed under the US Constitution IMO.
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