Bucks County Herald – December 29, 2011

Michael Smerconish and Poverty

Dear Friends,

Good morning. Michael Smerconish is one of my favorite broadcasters. I often listen to him on the radio in the afternoons (WPHT 1210). The Central Bucks native periodically fills in for Chris Matthews on MSNBC- TV and writes weekly columns for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Smerconish is a very busy fellow.

He always presents thought provoking topics and encourages listeners to voice their opinions. In my opinion, Smerconish is a moderate.

Last week, I heard him discuss Ted Nugent’s views on poverty. Google describes Nugent as an American Rock’n’Roll, sporting and political activist icon. He appeared in the Washington Times (Dec. 16) with strong opinions regarding the cause of poverty and its cure. Nugent belongs on the far right of the political spectrum. The Washington Times is a very conservative newspaper.

I’d bet that all of you have an opinion about the cause and solution for poverty. When Michael Smerconish gave Ted Nugent’s summary, the listeners went ballistic. To be fair, it’s noteworthy that Nugent has had a checkered career including two wives and 8 children, including three out of wedlock. Is Nugent the pot calling the kettle black?

Here are the sobering statistics. The number of children living in poverty is on the rise. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that almost one in three children are living in poverty.

"This is not the fault of kids," Nugent began. "The fault is with the parents or lack thereof. The majority of people who are poor in America are poor because they knowingly made poor decisions. Being poor is largely a choice decision: if you drop out of school, fail to learn a skill, have no work ethic or get divorced, a life of poverty is often the consequences.

"The children of parents who choose a life of poverty often pay a horrible price and so does all of America," Nugent continued. "Poverty rates among college graduates, those who learn a trade or skill and parents who stay married are much lower."

Nugent provided five tips to end the poverty cycle. Smerconish listeners jumped at the chance to weigh in. Some agreed enthusiastically with Nugent’s opinions; others were passionately critical.

What to do about poverty? Here’s what my Google search of Nugent’s five points revealed:

1. We need a government that respects free markets and the private sector. There fore there’d be more opportunity for people who choose it.

Punish poor decisions instead of rewarding them. The fewer social welfare programs, the better. Force people into making smart, responsible decisions.

Encourage churches and civic organizations to help children in poverty instead of building larger and more ornate churches.

Restructure schools year round…8 AM to 5 PM. We need to make it easier to fire poor teachers and reward good ones…and bust up the National Education Association (teachers’ union).

If you can’t afford to have kids, quit having them and expecting the taxpayer to pay for them. Men and women with no visible means of support other than the taxpayers’ dime shouldn’t be having children. That may sound ugly but it’s much uglier to expect the taxpayer to pay for mindless baby making machines, which guarantee the cycle of poverty.

Nugent concluded his five tips with this chestnut: "Never reward poor choices unless you want more of them," he wrote. "That’s so simple, it’s stupid."

In a moment, I’ll let you know why I like his idea of running schools year round. It’s the only one of the five that made practical sense to me.

But first, Americans Elect. Org is gaining momentum. Americans Elect plans to be on the Presidential ballot in all 50 states next year. If successful, voters (called delegates) will be able to nominate a Presidential and Vice Presidential ticket via the Internet. The two major parties are worried. The Duopoly may be ending.

The Republican Party is floundering. It can’t decide on which of the seven Presidential candidates to support. In my opinion, none would stand a chance to upset President Obama.

On the other hand, the Democratic Party seems Luke warm in its support of President Obama.

So, the notion of a third party may become appealing. I’ve heard New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s name mentioned. But a better candidate would be Michael Bloomberg, New York City’s popular and successful Mayor. I could support Bloomberg in a heartbeat. The Mayor of New York City is considered the second most demanding position in American government after the Presidency.

Let’s return to Ted Nugent’s idea of running public schools all year round. Newt Gingrich had a similar notion when he was the Speaker of the House of Representatives 20 years ago. Gingrich said that we could stop poverty cycle by creating public orphanages so poor children would be safe, clothed, and fed. Sending urban children home to violent neighborhoods after school was counter productive, he said.

Gingrich had a point. Look at the cost of housing prisoners. The Los Angeles Times wrote that the U.S. spends $60 billion on the 2.2 million prisoners each year. That article was dated June 8, 2006, five years ago. The number of American adults is 230 million. One in 32 are under correctional supervision; one in 142 are actually in prison. Worse, the rate of recidivism is 60 percent.

For years, I’ve been encouraging lawmakers to fund public schools to educate and take care of children 24/7. Yes, it would be expensive…but the taxpayers would only have to pay for 20 years, just one generation rather than no end in sight.

Finally, friends, I hope that you have a Happy New Year. Let us pray that 2012 is better for everyone.

Sincerely,

Charles Meredith

PS. GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich has attracted attention on a Route 1 billboard near Morrisville. The giant billboard shows a photo of Gingrich with this message: "Faithful Republican…Unfaithful Husband," plus the sponsor’s signature: "Welcome to the Ashley Madison.com Era." The website promotes extramarital affairs. Gingrich is the perfect poster child for this outfit. A confessed adulterer, Gingrich has been married three times. Good grief! What’s next?