Ronald Reagan on Welfare & Poverty President of the U.S., 1981-1989; Republican Governor (CA)

Maimonides said handouts are lowest form of helping needy

"We see today a second generation, and even a third generation of citizens, growing up, marrying, having children, accepting public welfare for three generations as a way of life. The 11th century Hebrew physician and philosopher, Maimonides, said there are eight steps in helping the needy. The lowest of these is the handout; the highest is to teach them to help themselves."

Pitfalls of rationing scarcity rather than creating plenty

In 1980, that Republican leader won 91 percent of the Electoral College. In 1984, when it was "morning again in America," he won 58 percent of the popular vote and almost all of the electoral college, carrying 49 states. And in 1989, when he retired from public life, he had led not only an administration, but a revolution--the Reagan Revolution.

There will never be another Reagan Revolution, because there will never be another Ronald Reagan. But there can again be Morning in America.

1964: Early advocate against LBJ's Great Society

Goldwater's campaign was astonished when its switchboard lit up with calls pledging money, Reagan later wrote. "The speech raised $8 million and soon changed my entire life." In the 1970s, the conservative movement took over the Republican Party; Reagan was elected president in 1980--in part, on his promise to dismantle much of the Great Society.

For those without skills, we'll help get them skills

"We have to move ahead," Reagan said, "but we're not going to leave anyone behind." THAT is the Reagan message Romney should have emulated.

Switch from project-based to tenant-based subsidy program

Cut back AFDC & other targeted poverty programs

Despite the sea of happy children’s faces that graced the “feel-good” commercials, poverty exploded in the inner cities of America during the Reagan years, claiming children as its principal victims. The reason for this suffering was that programs targeted to low-income families, such as AFDC, were cut back far more than programs such as Social Security. As a result of cuts in such targeted programs-including school lunches and subsidized housing-federal benefit programs for households with incomes of less than $10,000 a year declined nearly 8% during the Reagan first term while federal aid for households with more than $40,000 income was almost unchanged.

Championed “workfare” as California Governor

Many homeless choose to be; ACLU fosters homelessness

Reagan said, “Well, it’s been so exaggerated. Millions, there aren’t millions. Real research reveals probably 300,000 or less, nationwide. And a lot of those are the type of people that have made that choice. For example, more than 40% of them are retarded, mentally deficient people, that is the result of the ACLU. Look at the girl in NY who went to court after Koch had ordered her to get off the street and be put in a shelter. She went to court and actually fought, under her Constitutional rights, to go on living in that cardboard box on the street.“

Development zones to reverse decline of our cities

REAGAN: In the inner-city areas, that in cooperation with local government and with National Government, and using tax incentives and with cooperation with the private sector, that we have development zones. Let the local entity, the city, declare this particular area, based on the standards of the percentage of people on welfare, unemployed, and so forth, in that area. And then, through tax incentives, induce the creation of businesses providing jobs and so forth in those areas. Through these tax incentives, a business that would not have, for a period of time, an increase in the property tax reflecting its development of the unused property that it was making wouldn't be any loss to the city, because the city isn't getting any tax from that now.

As CA Governor, opposed AFDC as rewarding lack of work

Reagan had especial contempt for government touts whose job performance was appraised by the length of their welfare client lists. “They go out and actually recruit people to be on welfare,“ he complained. His prejudice against AFDC was practical as well as moral. He believed it discriminated against the destitute-by encouraging the shiftless to promiscuity.

The California Welfare Reform Act became law in August 1971. Reagan called it ”probably the most comprehensive“ such initiative in American history. It had an inspirational effect on welfare policy across America, but Reagan would have to wait until 1996 before his basic dream, the repeal of AFDC, became a reality