Is there a solution to poverty and income inequality?

In a series of recent articles on income inequality in the Christian Post, Ron Sider, a professor at Palmer Theological Seminary proposed:

• High taxes for the rich and tax breaks for the poor.
• More spending on public schools, especially in low-income areas.
• More government-sponsored programs and aid for the poor.

Ken Connor, chairman of the Center for a Just Society, disagrees with Sider’s solutions, saying,

While we should all strive for a just society, let us not fall victim to the deluded notion that government is the best instrument for achieving that goal. Instead, we should strive as individuals and families and churches to stand as examples of hard work, thrift, self-denial, and charity, and let those virtues do their work in transforming society.

As for educational reforms, Connor says,

Reforms like school choice, vouchers, and charter schools have been shown to work, yet the federal educational apparatus opposes them at every turn. The special interests at the NEA and their political patsies prefer the status quo, because the status quo keeps them in power.

So if government solutions can actually be harmful, what’s a better solution? To find out, Read Connor’s entire column and access other articles on income inequality.

What do you think? Leave your comments here.