The Frontier Centre for Public Policy is hardly a liberal think tank; in fact, it seems to be quite the reverse. Nevertheless, it has some interesting ideas a liberal (or a Liberal) might want to think about.
There is, for example, an article by Tommy Thompson, former Governor of Wisconsin and President Bush's former Secretary of Health and Human Services on Welfare Reform.
Much of the article focuses on cutting welfare -- which is a good thing only in the sense that if welfare is not needed that's good (but if it is needed and is cut that's bad).
But some of the article speaks about what people need to be able to get jobs and leave social assistance:
"Wisconsin Works built the expectation of work and personal responsibility into the welfare system. We invested in childcare, transportation, and job skills training to make it not only easier for mothers to go to work, but to keep that employment. The message we sent was clear: "Government is not here to take over your lives, it is here to help you so that you take over your own life and become whatever you want to become"."
And here the liberal and the conservative can agree. Empowering people to take responsibility for themselves, and giving them the tools to get jobs ("We invested in childcare, transportation, and job skills training") and keep jobs makes sense.
That's why doing the right thing -- for example establishing affordable public transit -- is the sensible thing to do. Helping people out of poverty is not just bleeding heart stuff; it has economic benefits. A just society, where everyone has the opportunity to find their own salvation (economic I mean) is a prosperous society -- a nation of poor people is a poor nation.
Anyway, read the FCPP website and decide for yourself if their ideas merit consideration:
http://www.fcpp.org
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