Washington is currently locked in a debate over a federal government "stimulus" package but millions of Americans in poverty remain locked out of that debate.
If we are to stimulate our economy for real growth, we must empower more Americans to move up the economic ladder. We won't be healthy as a nation until we do. Republicans have in the past been accused of caring more about the statistics that define the poor than the reforms necessary to lift the poor out of poverty. However, if we are to be true to the foundational principles of the Party of Lincoln--free enterprise, individual liberties and access to equal opportunities--then we know that any efforts to improve our economy must include a pathway of empowerment and opportunity for the poor.
Some have faith in government in order to create such a pathway; Republicans have faith in people. Thus, a truly effective stimulus package would rely less on government solutions and more on individual solutions that encourage enterprise, job training and educational opportunities for those seeking to free themselves from the shackles of poverty. HUD Secretary Jack Kemp once noted, "the purpose of a great party is not to defeat the other party but to provide superior ideas, principled leadership and a compelling cause." The Republican Party now has an obligation to provide solutions and ideas that demonstrate our capacity to lead on behalf of the poor of America and to provide them a pathway to legacy wealth creation. No cause can be more compelling than that!
-Michael Steele