Paul Ryan’s Obsolete Thinking About Poverty
In the speech introducing his plan, Ryan talked of a young single mother, now working part-time as a retail clerk, who aspires to become a teacher’s assistant. States and local governments laid off more than half a million workers—including many entry-level teachers—in the crisis of 2009. They’re not hiring them back. So what happens if and when this hypothetical clerk meets the goals of her contract and obtains some kind of certification?
.. The reform-conservative idea of crediting child tax credits against payroll taxes would improve the situation, but better still would be straightforward European-style mother’s allowances. These put a more secure and predictable floor underneath income, especially for part-time workers. The experience of Germany suggests that even relatively small mother’s allowances canconsiderably reduce the incidence of abortion, a goal that should appeal to many conservatives.
.. It’s also true that certain oligopolies and monopolies—notably cell-phone and cable-television companies—structure their fees to ensnare unwary and unsophisticated customers. Consumer protection and deregulation need not be alternatives to each other. Canada’s governing Conservative Party has introduced effective and popular rules to protect consumers from cell-phone overcharges. Republicans who inveigh against “crony capitalism” might do well to direct their ire here.
.. One of Donald Rumsfeld’s famous rules was, “If you can’t solve a problem, make it bigger.”