Jeb Bush: 'Failed' liberal policies stoked Baltimore riots

(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

published 6 May 2015

Jeb Bush says the strife in Baltimore proves the war on poverty "failed" to expand opportunity in America's most disadvantaged communities. In a Chicago Tribune op-ed published Wednesday, the presumptive 2016 candidate writes that Democrats are wrongly responding to the unrest with calls to increase government spending and reform the criminal justice system.

Trouble is, from the War on Poverty to the persistence of liberal big city mayors, the same government programs have been in place for over a half-century — and they have failed. We have spent trillions of dollars in the War on Poverty, and poverty not only persists, it is as intractable as ever. This represents a broken promise. And it feeds the anger of Baltimore. [Chicago Tribune]

More effective solutions to Baltimore's underlying ills, Bush adds, should involve overhauling the education system to make it more accountable, and "acknowledg[ing] that an effective anti-poverty program is a strong family, led by two parents."

"Our goal should be to build up families," Bush writes.

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Last week, Bush offered similar remarks about the potential for education reform to break "dependency" on failed big government policies.

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Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.