Ben Carson in Trump campaign vs. Trump administration
On Budget & Economy:
Release the economic engine; regulations fetter it down
We have to be fiscally responsible and simultaneously release the most powerful economic engine the world has ever known, rather than fettering it down with all kinds of regulations and requirements. We have the highest corporate tax rates in the
developed world. So why are we surprised when companies want to go overseas? People do not go into business to support the government, they go into business to make money.
A wise government creates an environment that is conducive to business, so that we draw businesses in instead of pushing them away. One of the things that led to the explosion of economic activity that took
America in 1776 to the pinnacle of the economic world in less than 100 years was the fact that we had an environment conducive to innovation, hard work and entrepreneurship.
Source: WorldNetDaily OpEd by Carson, for 2016 Trump transition
May 4, 2015
On Education:
Education has power to lift families out of destitution
I know from my own experience of having been raised in dire poverty by a single mother that education has a great power in bridging socio-economic divides and lifting entire families out of destitution. My mother, who is the hero in my life, was one
of two dozen children. She got married at age 13 and later discovered that my father was a bigamist. With only a third-grade education, she was forced to raise two children by herself. An interesting thing about my dedicated mother is that she never
felt sorry for herself and never became a victim. Her blood, sweat, tears and prayers--not reliance upon or intervention of the government--helped my family rise up. She refused to embrace a victim mentality that many do in today's world.
That is why I stressed the importance of instilling in our children the mindset that they can accomplish anything if they do not think they are victims.
Source: WorldNetDaily OpEd by Carson, for 2016 Trump transition
Apr 14, 2015
On Environment:
Deregulation includes land use & federal housing policy
Trump made deregulation a key part of his 2016 campaign platform, and Carson noted that deregulation includes federal regulations related to housing policy. In his opening statement, he said, "President-Elect Trump has talked about the importance of
deregulation. That applies to housing as well. Overly burdensome housing regulations are bad for everyone and are increasing income inequality.
But when land use for local housing supply is less regulated, workers of all skill types will choose to move to the productive locations. Many forms of land use regulation have perpetuated segregation.
Complex webs of covenants and zoning ordinances across U.S. cities--in particular for low-density development--superimposed on already highly-segregated neighborhoods, have slowed integration."
Source: Ballotpedia.org: 2017 Trump transition confirmation hearings
Jan 13, 2017
On Foreign Policy:
Pinnacle nations before us contributed to their own demise
It is very important for the American people to know that we are the pinnacle nation in the world, and while there have been a number of pinnacle nations before us, a lot of them contributed to their own demise in a similar fashion that we are now.
Whether it be 16th-century Spain or Ancient Rome--these powers spent themselves into trouble. Why would we think we could do the same thing and not be adversely affected?
Historians will write about this critical turning point for our nation, and how we responded to the dynamic forces changing our world. We can no longer afford the continuing dysfunction of opposing partisan rancor or the empty rhetoric of the political
class. If America is to survive the challenges of the modern world, we need to heal, we need to inspire, and we need to revive an exceptional spirit that built America. Respect for one another has become the exception, not the norm.
Source: WorldNetDaily OpEd by Carson, for 2016 Trump transition
May 4, 2015
On Health Care:
Ban Ebola-infected people from entry; treat them elsewhere
As the Ebola infection rate and death toll continue to rise rapidly on the African continent, many of us have become complacent with the measures we have taken to protect Americans from this deadly disease. The Centers for Disease Control and various
infectious-disease specialists have done a yeoman's job in their efforts to prevent infected individuals in our country from contaminating others. They have put excellent protocols in place that would virtually guarantee complete safety.
Unfortunately, all of those valiant efforts cannot preclude human error, which remains an ever-present danger, regardless of intellect.For this reason, I and many others are not comfortable with the idea of bringing infected individuals into our
midst when we can readily treat them elsewhere and happily receive them back once the infectious danger has passed. I have no desire to induce panic, but we must realize that some viruses are known to undergo mutations that make them even more virulent.
Source: WorldNetDaily OpEd by Carson, for 2016 Trump transition
Oct 7, 2014
On Health Care:
There's a strong connection between health and housing
Carson noted that a connection between health and housing would be a key focal point of HUD under his leadership. In his opening statement, he said, "There is a strong connection between housing and health, which is of course my background. Substandard
housing conditions such as pest infestation, the presence of lead paint, faulty plumbing, and overcrowding, which disproportionately affect low-income and minority families, lead to health problems such as asthma, lead poisoning, heart disease, and
neurological disorders. I can tell you that lead poisoning irreversibly affects brain and nervous system development, resulting in lower intelligence and reading disabilities. I am passionate about health as you may have guessed, and where one lives
should not cause health problems. So I look forward to working with HUD's Safe and Healthy Homes program and others on these issues. We cannot have social mobility without a strong healthy foundation in the home."
Source: Ballotpedia.org: 2017 Trump transition confirmation hearings
Jan 13, 2017
On Welfare & Poverty:
War on poverty perpetuates generational dependence
Fifty years ago, this nation began a war on poverty that we have not come close to winning. This is due to the fact that rather than creating a system that lifts people out of a meager financial situation, we have developed a system that perpetuates
generational dependence and an inability to escape hardship. The programs have not worked because the implementation does not match the rhetoric heard in press conferences and announcements. Some have attempted to win the war on poverty and improve the
lives of our community by holding boycotts and assembling demonstrations. This method has made some lives wealthy (the organizers), but not the lives of the people it claims to help. It is crucial that, through various policies and self-reflection,
we get more people from a state of dependence to one of independence. In the African-American community, we do not need to wait for others to help us. We need to use our God-given talents to achieve greatness and raise others up.
Source: WorldNetDaily OpEd by Carson, for 2016 Trump transition
Apr 14, 2015
On Welfare & Poverty:
Housing integration is ok, but why must residents solve it?
Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) asked Carson to elaborate on his views on HUD's role in implementing the Fair Housing Act. Carson responded, "That act says that we want people who are receiving HUD grants to look around and see if they find anything
that looks like discrimination, and then we want them to come up with a solution on how to find the problem. They're not responding to people saying there's a problem, they're saying go and look for a problem and give us a solution.
We have people sitting around a desk in Washington, D.C., and deciding how things should be done.
I don't have any kind of problem with affirmative action or at least integration, but I do have a problem with people on high dictating it when they don't know anything about what's going on in the area."
Source: Ballotpedia.org: 2017 Trump transition confirmation hearings
Jan 13, 2017
On Welfare & Poverty:
Ideal is every person in a home; but we don't have the funds
Asked about limits to public assistance programs for low-income Americans, Carson responded, "We have to be cognizant of our fiscal responsibilities as well as our social responsibilities. Would we love to put every single person in a beautiful unit
forever? Absolutely, that would be ideal. But don't have the necessary funding. But the other thing that I emphasize is that safety net programs are important, and I would never advocate abolishing them without an alternative."
Source: Ballotpedia.org: 2017 Trump transition confirmation hearings
Jan 13, 2017
Page last updated: Nov 02, 2024