Retired neurosurgeon and former Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson made headlines last week with his Senate confirmation hearings to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Asked what would be the best possible thing the federal government could do for a person on government assistance, Carson offered a pithy response.
“Get them off it,” he said.
The answer drew chuckles for its candor. Three thousand miles away, far from the confirmation hearing room, Carson’s response elicited a different response from someone watching the hearing on TV. Paul Webster cheered. A former congressional aide who grew disillusioned with the way government addresses poverty, Webster now works for Solutions for Change, a nonprofit dedicated to solving homelessness.
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