Market Solutions for Urban Despair

Regarding the article "Dahmer Case Unleashes Black Anger in Milwaukee," Aug. 16: As Wisconsin's senior US senator, I believe the solution to our drug crimes, our crime crises, and the crisis of inner-city despair is to unleash the potential of the people themselves.We must reject programs that lead to welfare dependency and a self-satisfied bureaucracy, and instead focus on free enterprise, self-help, volunteerism, and empowerment of individuals. In short, we should bring market incentives to bear to cure poverty and joblessness. First, we must enact federal enterprise-zone legislation. This bill would provide incentives that reduce regulatory and tax barriers to small business investment and job creation in distressed urban areas like North Milwaukee. Second, we must enact the Small Business Economic Opportunity Enhancement Act, which would create a "micro-loan" program through community-based nonprofits to help low-income and minority entrepreneurs become successful small business owners. Third, we need to restore tax incentive s for charitable giving. Charities and nonprofits outperform welfare programs, and charities are more in tune with local needs than federal programs administered from Washington. The success of an antipoverty agenda cannot be the success of government bureaucrats, but rather the success of individuals, small businesses, nonprofits, churches, and community-based organizations - all working together to make Wisconsin and America a better place. US Sen. Robert W. Kasten Jr., Washington

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