By providing opportunity while stressing personal responsibility, we can lift more than 37 million Americans out of poverty. Let’s do it! Although a strong economy and real job growth are the best remedies for fighting poverty and raising the real income of working families – as was demonstrated under President Clinton – we also need to implement commonsense policies to help those hard-working, but low-skilled Americans who are living paycheck to paycheck and sinking deeper in debt.
The following policies can help strengthen our middle class – our nation’s backbone:
- Expanding vocational training programs for unemployed workers, including former welfare recipients
- Raising the minimum wage
- Using enterprise zones and redevelopment in depressed regions
- Investing in economic development programs, such as job-creating and relocation incentives for companies in underserved urban neighborhoods and rural areas
- Restoring workers’ freedom to choose a union
- Supporting affordable housing
- Cracking down on predatory payday lending and unfair mortgage practices
- Expanding access to banks and credit
- Encouraging saving
- Increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit
