Haley Barbour in Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour


On Abortion: States should have the right to regulate & limit abortions

Many on the left advocate a policy of abortion on demand, for any reason, at any time during the pregnancy, with no state regulation or limitation allowed, and paid for by the taxpayers. This extreme position is unacceptable to the vast majority of Americans. It means a government policy of allowing abortion as a means of birth control and sex selection. Most people know this is simply wrong. (Even Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke out against abortion for sex selection in China.)

States should have the right to regulate and limit abortions. At the very least, parental consent or notification should be required before abortions are performed on minors; states should be allowed to impose waiting periods; and late-term abortions should be prohibited except to save the life of the mother.

Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.161 Apr 25, 1996

On Budget & Economy: Reduce government programs for more economic growth

We get too much government at much too high a cost. This lavish government costs us the valuable products and services we would otherwise have, resulting in a smaller economy that grows more slowly than it could.
Source: Agenda for America, by Gov. Haley Barbour, p. 10-11 Apr 25, 1996

On Civil Rights: ADA should allow flexible state & local compliance

The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits job discrimination against the handicapped and mandates that public transportation and other facilities be wheelchair-accessible, was intended to help handicapped Americans. But instead it has caused a blizzard of complaints and lawsuits. The principal beneficiaries? Lawyers.

No one is against creating an environment in which disabled Americans can enjoy useful and independent lives, but the ADA may have important flaws that render it inappropriate for that task.

One step that would go a long way toward remedying the situation would be to allow ADA issues to be handled by state and local governments. This would allow more flexibility in compliance. A city with few wheelchair-bound citizens might be able to come up with a creative solution to their problem--perhaps providing door-to-door car service for a fraction of the cost of retrofitting buses with wheelchair lifts.

Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p. 25-26 Apr 25, 1996

On Civil Rights: When did affirmative action turn into special preferences?

When the term "civil rights" is used today, it is often a not-too-subtle code word for "special preference." The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was intended to ensure a color-blind society in which only individual character and merit mattered. Affirmative Action has come to mean just the opposite. It now means a system of quotas, preferences, set-asides, & government harassment. In many ways, policies that now pass under the name of civil rights have made us a more race-conscious society than ever before.

When did "civil rights" turn into "reverse discrimination" and "affirmative action" into "special preferences"? Many would argue that the wrong turn was made shortly after the triumph of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act of the following year. The acts succeeded. But the emphasis shifted from a quest for equality of opportunity and a color-blind country to one of racial balances and equality of results. The idea, we were assured, was to provide remedies for past discrimination.

Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.147 Apr 25, 1996

On Corporations: Cut regulations that increase the cost of doing business

Proper federal regulatory activity is necessary. Many regulations, however, entail endless red tape but no longer provide benefits for the ordinary citizen. When regulation increases, so does the cost. Because of regulations, conducting business is more expensive. Minimum wage and other labor laws make hiring new workers more expensive. Environmental, banking and civil rights laws raise the cost of equipment, require extensive record keeping and paper work, and drive up the cost of credit.
Source: Agenda for America, by Gov. Haley Barbour, p. 18-19 Apr 25, 1996

On Corporations: Women-owned businesses doubled after Reagan tax cuts

The rewards people receive from participating in the free market economy closely match what each person has contributed to it. Moreover, those rewards are not earned at other people's expense. Thus, after the Reagan tax cuts, according to the National Federation of Independent Business, the number of women-owned businesses nearly doubled (from 2.9 to 5.4 million) during 1982 to 1990, and real earnings for women rose as well. Black and Hispanic unemployment rates declined overall in the 1980s; black employment in managerial and professional occupations rose 46% between 1983 and 1991, and similar Hispanic employment rose 84%. Unfortunately, our tax laws ignore these facts of our economic life.
Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p. 10 Apr 25, 1996

On Crime: Three Strikes gets chronic predators off the street for good

Republicans believe in second chances, but not at the expense of public safety & common sense. There is nothing more infuriating to a victim of crime than to learn that the perpetrator of the crime has a long "rap sheet" revealing multiple prior crimes. How many times, ask such victims, must the criminal justice system determine that a person is a danger to the community before the public will be protected? For the relatively small percentage of all criminals who habitually prey upon communities in the most violent manner, life imprisonment is the only way to protect society. Several states have in recent years enacted "3-strikes-you're-out" laws or repeat offender statutes, following the lead of Washington state in 1993. In those states, many chronic predators are off the streets for good--saving hundreds of lives in the future.
Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.123 Apr 25, 1996

On Crime: Victim's Bill of Rights, including restitution for victims

Innocent victims, having experienced the trauma of crime, must be protected in every possible way, including restitution. They should receive special attention and protection throughout the criminal process, and procedures should ensure that the impact of the harm on the victim is made clear to the offender.

In a growing number of states, proposals for a "Victims' Bill of Rights" have been adopted. Some of the prominent elements of a victims' rights agenda would include the following:

Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.153 Apr 25, 1996

On Drugs: Justice Dept.'s duty is narcotics trafficking

Oddly enough, the Clinton Justice Department has seemed half-hearted in the pursuit of something that really is its duty: narcotics trafficking. Astonishingly, the Clinton Office of Drug Control Strategy has focused on such important matters as the labeling on Royal Crown Cola and the packaging of Big League Chew bubble gum. The feds contend that R.C. Cola's new "draft" label looks like beer and that Big League's bubble gum pouches resemble those for chewing tobacco and thus ultimately will lead children into drug usage. This, in part, is what counts for the Clinton administration's war on drugs.
Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.121-122 Apr 25, 1996

On Education: Give parents vouchers so they can choose kids' schools

Republicans are pushing ideas like school choice through vouchers to assist the American family in paying for the educational services of their choice. The idea is simple: parents know best how to spend educational dollars on their children. Parents know how to judge a school without relying on stacks of reports from Washington. Another benefit of school choice is that it forces schools and teachers to compete for students.
Source: Agenda for America, by Gov. Haley Barbour, p.131 Apr 25, 1996

On Education: Supports charter schools as a means to local control

Charter schools encourage innovation and decentralization. Charter schools are government-funded schools that are created and operated by a group of qualified people. They enter into a contractual arrangement with the state or school system, and as long as they prove they are meeting their contractual agreement, they operate free from state and district supervision.
Source: Agenda for America, by Gov. Haley Barbour, p.135 Apr 25, 1996

On Education: Vouchers apply unlimited market forces to education

We need to empower parents to make choices and seize opportunities for their children's education. Ideas like school choice through vouchers or tax credits assist the American family in paying for the educational services of their choice. Vouchers & tax credits will be available to people of any tax bracket and will open up unlimited possibilities of market forces applied to education.

The idea behind school vouchers or tuition tax credits is simple. Parents know best how to spend educational dollars on their children. And parents know best how to choose a school that is appropriate for the needs and abilities of their children. Parents also know how to judge the quality of a school without having to reply on stacks of reports and conferences in Washington.

Another benefit of school choice is that it forces schools and teachers to compete for students. Competition will force them to keep improving their product, much the way businesses improve their products to compete for customers.

Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.131-132 Apr 25, 1996

On Education: School prayer restores moral awareness to our schools

On the issue of school prayer--or more accurately, voluntary prayer in public schools--most Americans want something done to restore religious expression and moral awareness to our schools. While the state or school must not dictate or prescribe any prayer, the right to voluntary prayer in schools should be protected, whether through a constitutional amendment or through legislation, or a combination of both.

The idea that most religious people are "radical," as they are all too often portrayed in the media, is wrong. The overwhelming majority are mainstream, not extreme. They should not be treated as second-class citizens who may practice their faith in private but never in the public square. People of faith--of all faiths--have played important roles in the progress of the country and the development of our culture. Indeed, our culture is based on traditional American values, derived from our Judeo-Christian heritage, handed down to us, generation after generation.

Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.159-160 Apr 25, 1996

On Environment: Rely on voluntary incentives to solve environmental problems

Environmental problems do exist, and environmental concerns are important. Environmental policy should rely on the natural incentives of private individuals cooperating through voluntary associations. Policy should empower millions of individuals to protect their environment. No amount of coercion will save the planet if the average person truly wants to destroy it. Fortunately, the simple fact is that people everywhere desire a safe and clean environment.
Source: Agenda for America, by Gov. Haley Barbour, p. 79-80 Apr 25, 1996

On Environment: Kangaroo rats are not more important than people's homes

The Endangered Species Act has become a powerful tool in the hands of those who want to stop growth or any use such as is historically found on farms, ranches, and forests. One of the reasons the act is so invasive is that species-listing decisions aren't always based on proven scientific standards. We favor an intelligent policy of species conservation. To put human families out of their homes for the kangaroo rat is just plain wrong.
Source: Agenda for America, by Gov. Haley Barbour, p. 83-84 Apr 25, 1996

On Environment: Allow drilling in ANWR

The responsible development of US oil and gas reserves should be encouraged. Energy security as a continuing national goal cannot be ignored. We must make energy security a national objective. For example, the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) with its evidence of immense oil and gas reserves should be opened to oil and gas exploration.
Source: Agenda for America, by Gov. Haley Barbour, p. 94-95 Apr 25, 1996

On Environment: "Sustainable development" represents a scarcity mentality

A new environmental policy will require that we reconsider some of the fundamentals. For example, a chief flaw of current policy is that it is built on a sustainable development concept. This represents a scarcity mentality. The sustainable development model postulates a static quantity of scarce resources that must be carefully husbanded. However, we know that in many cases scientific discoveries have changed the equation. Because of our reliance on the sustainable development concept, we have a tendency to control output, to restrict material and energy use instead of ensuring that residuals are not dumped on the property of others. We have focused on emissions reduction rather than pollution prevention.
Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p. 71 Apr 25, 1996

On Environment: 1982 Law of the Sea treaty is socialistic and ill-considered

In March 1983, Pres. Reagan issued a proclamation confirming American sovereign rights and control over all living and nonliving resources within 200 miles of US coasts. Reagan's actions were a sound alternative to the ill-considered 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This UN proposal would create a socialistic system of control and regulation of the seas. It embodies an outmoded 1970s view of the world. Reagan would not approve the convention. It should not be ratified.

If the nation is to realize the full potential of President Reagan's vision, we must create a forward-looking oceans policy that recognizes our many and complicated interests. Our National Oceans Policy must ensure that we retain robust scientific research capabilities, both in government and in universities. An appropriate oceans policy will replace the current bewilderingly fragmented patchwork of laws and regulations that prevents American firms from fully utilizing the ocean's vast potential.

Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.277-278 Apr 25, 1996

On Foreign Policy: Political leadership; economic strength; military power

US foreign policy must rest on 3 principles of peace through strength:
  1. Political leadership: The US must once again be prepared to exercise leadership across the full spectrum of international relations. It can do so through bilateral or multilateral cooperation with other democracies or organizations, where appropriate. But if that is not possible, the US must be prepared to act on its own.
  2. Economic strength: The US has the world's most free, most prosperous, and most technologically advanced economy. That preeminence must be maintained notwithstanding intense foreign competition, often government subsidized, in every world market.
  3. Military power: The US must provide the resources necessary to protect its territory and interests, and those of its allies. Our fundamental requirement is a strong, competent, and effective military, not only to prevail militarily when in our country's interest, but more fundamentally to dissuade potential adversaries from challenging the US.
Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.166 Apr 25, 1996

On Foreign Policy: Fund defense budget & support NATO

    The underlying principles for US foreign policy must be translated clear-cut objectives:
  1. The US will take all necessary measures to prevent the proliferation and threat or use of WMD.
  2. The US will adequately fund its defense budget and stop the erosion of our military capability.
  3. The US will not risk lives unless it is unequivocally in the American national interest to do so; with US forces under US or NATO command, not under UN command.
  4. Support NATO as the most effective mechanism for collective security in the world.
  5. Membership in NATO and the UN will not prevent the US from taking necessary political and/or military action.
  6. Promote increases economic opportunities for Americans to do business in Central and Eastern Europe.
  7. No longer accept uneven trading relationships with countries that do not grant US businesses access.
  8. Economic and political support for emerging democracies.
  9. Clear and forceful regional policies based on US national security interests.
Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.167-172 Apr 25, 1996

On Foreign Policy: Fund defense budget & support NATO

    The underlying principles for US foreign policy must be translated clear-cut objectives:
  1. The US will take all necessary measures to prevent the proliferation and threat or use of WMD.
  2. The US will adequately fund its defense budget and stop the erosion of our military capability.
  3. The US will not risk lives unless it is unequivocally in the American national interest to do so; with US forces under US or NATO command, not under UN command.
  4. Support NATO as the most effective mechanism for collective security in the world.
  5. Membership in NATO and the UN will not prevent the US from taking necessary political and/or military action.
  6. Promote increases economic opportunities for Americans to do business in Central and Eastern Europe.
  7. No longer accept uneven trading relationships with countries that do not grant US businesses access.
  8. Economic and political support for emerging democracies.
  9. Clear and forceful regional policies based on US national security interests.
Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.167-172 Apr 25, 1996

On Foreign Policy: Russian return to imperial activity would be tragic mistake

The future of Russia will be determined by the Russians themselves. Therefore, we favor a sober, practical view of Russia's possible future--and a US military capability to match that more realistic view. But instead of this realism, the Clinton administration holds a romanticized view of the Russian Federation and its leadership, largely driven by the theoreticians at the Department of State. Even as Russian troops crashed the cities of Chechnya, President Clinton traveled to Moscow to stand arm-in-arm with President Yeltsin. Such displays are contrary to the interests of spreading democracy and ties to the West within the former Soviet Union and in Central and Eastern Europe. We favor a policy that leaves no doubt in the mind of any Russian leader that a return of Russia's imperial activity against its neighbors, or a resolution of military competition with the US, would be a tragic mistake.
Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.173 Apr 25, 1996

On Foreign Policy: Move US embassy to Jerusalem & recognize Israeli sovereignty

Two particularly controversial aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict--Jerusalem and aid to Palestine--require special note. The US government has for over 40 years withheld recognition of Jerusalem as sovereign Israel territory; the time has come to end this legalistic timidity for it only encourages some enemies of Israel to think they can still claim the whole of Jerusalem. Moving the US embassy to Jerusalem is a good first step toward ending this illusion.

Second, the US government has pledged to help Yasir Arafat's Palestinian Authority with money and other assistance; but such assistance should only be forthcoming if the authority lives up to its many agreements with Israel (and especially the promise to crack down on violence against Israelis).

Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.268-269 Apr 25, 1996

On Free Trade: Use the WTO and NAFTA to insist on domestic interests

The US will promote increased economic opportunities for Americans to do business in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and Asian nations moving toward more open, market-oriented economies. The US must pursue innovative mechanisms to encourage American trade and investment in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

The US will continue to seek cooperative trading partners throughout the world, but we will no longer accept uneven trading relationships with countries that do not grant American businesses the opportunity to compete in their markets.

Where trading partners continue to build barriers to open trade, the US must use the World Trade Organization, NAFTA, and domestic laws to insist on the rights of our exporters and domestic interests.

Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.171-172 Apr 25, 1996

On Free Trade: Focus on making the WTO work for American interests

The US must focus its attention on making the WTO work for American interests. The WTO is charged with enforcing the numerous new market-opening provisions won in the Uruguay Round. We must push the WTO to fulfill its mission. Where countries have not opened their markers in compliance with WTO requirements, the US should call them to account and, where necessary, utilize the WTO's new dispute resolution procedures. The WTO dispute settlement regime must become a platform for promoting market access for American business, and we should make aggressive use of it to eliminate foreign practices that violate the WTO's rules.
Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.182 Apr 25, 1996

On Government Reform: Remove barriers; enhance individual opportunity

Excessive and unnecessary government barriers to economic progress and higher living standards must be eliminated or reduced. We need public policies that enhance individual freedom and opportunity and enable individuals to provide adequately for themselves and their families. To that end, we must also provide an environment congenial to entrepreneurship, innovation, business creation, and growth.
Source: Agenda for America, by Gov. Haley Barbour, p. 3 Apr 25, 1996

On Gun Control: Gun control doesn't work; moral choices do

There are few issues that better illustrate the difference between Republicans and liberal Democrats on the issue of crime than gun control. At the heart of the matter is a debate about personal responsibility. Gun control proponents insist that the easy availability of firearms causes crime. The American people know better. They understand that crime is the result of criminals making wrong moral choices, and that gun control does not work. They know that even if the federal government set out to disarm every American, it could never prevent criminals from getting guns. After all, criminals, by definition, are those who operate outside the law.

The most effective way to stop gun crimes is to stop gun criminals. That is accomplished by enacting laws carrying tough sentences for crimes committed with firearms and enforcing such laws aggressively.

Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.125-126 Apr 25, 1996

On Health Care: Opposed Clinton's plan for government-run healthcare

A milestone in our national debate about health care came last year when Americans rejected the Clinton plan. This plan, which would have created a government-run health care system, ran to some 1,400 pages of fine print and was so complex that nobody really understood it. But we did know two things: it would have left us less free, and in the end, less healthy.
Source: Agenda for America, by Gov. Haley Barbour, p. 51 Apr 25, 1996

On Health Care: States should mandate that insurers do not cancel policies

The biggest fear people have about their health insurance is that it might be canceled if they become sick. They also worry that if it's not canceled, the cost of the premiums will become ruinous. If health insurance policies don't protect people from th risks of high medical costs, what's the point of health insurance? We don't need government-run medicine to fix this problem. It can be addressed by providing a guarantee that insurance policies can be renewed.
Source: Agenda for America, by Gov. Haley Barbour, p. 57 Apr 25, 1996

On Homeland Security: The US must secure peace through strength and dominance

Source: Agenda for America, by Gov. Haley Barbour, p.167 Apr 25, 1996

On Homeland Security: Adequate resources for readiness, as well as needed hardware

The US will adequately fund its defense budget and stop the erosion of our military capability brought about by the Clinton administration. This will include adequate resources for training and readiness, as well as needed hardware. Moreover, the American defense industrial base will be strengthened to prevent further deterioration of its capacity to respond to national needs.

The "hollow military" of the 1970s is increasingly evident in our current force structure. After the enormous efforts by the Reagan and Bush administrations to rectify the neglect of a previous antimilitary Democrat administration, we once more observe a downward spiral in the capabilities of our forces.

Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.168 Apr 25, 1996

On Homeland Security: Need missile defense against blackmail and terrorism

We face an increased threat from ballistic missiles of all ranges, armed with conventional, chemical, biological, or nuclear warheads. (Ballistic missiles are the means of delivering some of these rapidly proliferating weapons.) This growing global threat to American security and that of its allies is the proximate consequence of the looming threat of the proliferation of WMD and their means of delivery.

Effective defenses are urgently needed to counter the ballistic and cruise missiles' potential for blackmail, terror, disruption, and destruction.

Thanks to Reagan-Bush investments in Strategic Defense Initiative, technology is ready and deployment can begin within the next 3 years. But the policies, plans, and programs of the Clinton administration are an obstacle to this objective and must be changed.

Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.218-219 Apr 25, 1996

On Immigration: Expedite removal of those who are in the US unlawfully

Many people come to the US illegally to partake of our publically funded social services. The US should deny such services to those here illegally, except for emergency care. We should also implement effective procedures to expedite removal of those who are in the US unlawfully, with emphasis on those who have committed serious crimes.
Source: Agenda for America, by Gov. Haley Barbour, p.248 Apr 25, 1996

On Immigration: Official English unites Americans

The Bilingual Education Act of 1968 was intended to improve the education of non-English-speaking children. The goal of this legislation was to allow these students an equal education by removing language barriers. The legislation did not advocate any particular method of instruction. Starting as a modest effort, it has now ballooned into a $13 billion-a-year industry. The bilingual system, however, has not only failed the very students it should be helping, but it has also failed every taxpaying citizen who wants to help these students learn English.

Official English unites Americans, who are speakers of more than 300 different languages, by providing a common means of communication. "E pluribus unum"--out of many, one--is a guiding principle of this nation.

It is imperative for all students to learn English. It is the key to increased economic opportunity and the ability to become a more productive member of society, which benefits all.

Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.141-142 Apr 25, 1996

On Immigration: Humanitarian & political admissions OK; but not economic

To maintain America's leadership in world affairs and preserve the moral authority upon which it is built, we must continue to extend our generosity to those who need shelter on political and humanitarian, but not economic, grounds. We cannot--and should not--accept responsibility for protecting all of the world's refugees or humanitarian migrants, but we must continue to do our share and to encourage others to join us in that effort. We must strengthen our ability to detect those whose claims to our protection are unfounded so that we can extend it to those truly in need because of political and humanitarian passions.

Dependents of American citizens must be given preference over others; the reunification of other families lawfully here should be encouraged as well when it is possible to do so without causing economic dislocation.

Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.249 Apr 25, 1996

On Principles & Values: Return to founders' idea of personal responsibility

The founders of our country were aware of the necessity of personal "self-government" among a democratic people. Individual freedom and personal responsibility go hand in hand. Though government policies play a part, the best guarantor of a healthy society has always been individual citizens and their community organizations: churches, families, and charities. Though the realization that we are part of a greater community, we can revitalize and renew the values we share as a society.
Source: Agenda for America, by Gov. Haley Barbour, p.161 Apr 25, 1996

On Tax Reform: Capital gains tax is a double tax

We believe that tax reform should follow a series of principles aimed at keeping taxes low, fair, and nondisruptive to economic decision-making. Any tax reform should include these qualifications:
Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p. 12-13 Apr 25, 1996

On Technology: Remove limitations on privatizing airports

Infrastructure development should be based on market, not government, determinations. For example, airlines, cities, and the flying public have a much greater interest in determining how many airports are needed--and where--than does the FAA. Limitations on privatizing airports should be removed. Limitations on toll roads about be removed, and the user fees generated to cover the costs of construction and operation should not be funneled through the federal government. These steps would help channel infrastructure development to those areas that transportation users have deemed the most useful--not to those industries that have the most political clout or to those districts where members of the congressional transportation committees reside.
Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p. 31 Apr 25, 1996

On War & Peace: Don't place US forces under UN command

When our armed forces are committed, they should be commanded by the officers with whom they have undergone their training and in whom they have the greatest faith-their American or NATO commanders. We would not place American forces under UN command.
Source: Agenda for America, by Gov. Haley Barbour, p.169 Apr 25, 1996

On War & Peace: Deny rogue countries access to WMD

The US will take all necessary measures to prevent the proliferation and threat of weapons of mass destruction around the world. Countries such as North Korea, Iran, Iraq, and Libya are rogue regimes with the financial means to buy and develop the technology of mass destruction. That, coupled with their demonstrated support of international terrorism, makes them a direct threat to the US and its allies.

The US must pursue active and aggressive diplomacy in dealing with the proliferation of WMD, as the Bush administration did against Iraq in the aftermath of the Gulf War. Together with our allies if possible, but unilaterally if necessary, we must deny rogue countries, ethnic, political or religious fanatics, or other aggressors access to WMD. Moreover, the US must develop a military capability to protect it & its allies against this threat. It must be clear to both the US and potential adversaries that the US military can and will prevail even under the threat or use of WMD against our forces

Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.167 Apr 25, 1996

On Welfare & Poverty: Welfare is harmful in many, many ways

Our welfare policy has been a disaster. Liberals insist that we don't actually spend that much on it. Yes, they admit that the system might benefit from some tinkering. But, they inevitably add, the only people who speak against welfare are people who don't want to help the poor. They are wrong. What they adamantly refuse to acknowledge, either through genuine blindness or sheer demagoguery, is that welfare is harmful--in many, many, ways.

Only 2 decades ago, those who warned that the deterioration of family life would undermine civil society were apt to be dismissed as worrywarts, if not kooks. Today, on the contrary, their insight is downright trendy.

Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.101 Apr 25, 1996

On Welfare & Poverty: Real welfare reformers seek to uphold the American family

We believe a seismic change is in order. Above all we believe in upholding the American family as a unit capable of inculcating its children with the qualities that make them able to lead challenging and independent lives. Hence, today's real welfare reformers propose to:
  1. end the entitlement status of AFDC and related programs
  2. impose time limits for welfare eligibility
  3. stop subsidizing illegitimacy
  4. enforce work requirements
  5. replace an array of federal programs with a few simple block grants to the states; and
  6. return decision-making regarding welfare to state and local government, which is to say, state and local taxpayers.
Within that consensus agenda, there is considerable room for debate. One approach would federally mandate a reform agenda for the states, especially with regard to illegitimacy. Another approach gives priority to prying control of welfare out of the hands of official Washington: to make reform last, it must be shaped & implemented on the local level.
Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.105 Apr 25, 1996

On Welfare & Poverty: Enterprise zones let poor neighborhoods get honest jobs

Enterprise zones, a policy that's been kicking around for years--and applied here and there in timid, grudging half-measures--should be put into effect throughout our inner cities. Distracted by the ideological mirages of quotas, a higher minimum wage, and federal make-work programs, Washington has forgotten what our poor neighborhoods most need--honest jobs.

Enterprise zones are not based on theories but on a simple truth: No company wants to locate in poor, dangerous, and ravaged neighborhoods. These same communities, moreover, are often beset by high taxes and regulatory intrusion. Government, local and federal, has managed to turn these areas into permanently dependent constituencies with almost no private economic activity.

The best way to entice private business into these stagnant areas is to remove those hindrances. Cut taxes, radically. Eliminate every needless regulation. And, wherever possible, get the politicians and bureaucrats out of the way of business.

Source: Agenda For America, by Haley Barbour, p.151-152 Apr 25, 1996

The above quotations are from The Agenda for America
A Republican Direction for the Future
by Gov. Haley Barbour (R, MS).
Click here for other excerpts from The Agenda for America
A Republican Direction for the Future
by Gov. Haley Barbour (R, MS).
Click here for other excerpts by Haley Barbour.
Click here for other excerpts by other Governors.
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