Edwards, part II: Another glimpse at his “innovative” anti-poverty ideas

(Part I is here.)

Our non-candidate, purely nonpartisan antipoverty center director guy gave the Florida folks an inkling of those “innovative and practical ideas” to solving poverty he’s promised us all his center would find. They include (Maestro, a drumroll please!):

? Raising payroll taxes so Social Security can lumber on

In an earlier meeting with reporters, Edwards called Bush’s plan to change the Social Security program “a disaster. It undermines one of the greatest anti-poverty programs in American history.” … Edwards, and most Democrats, say Bush should raise the cap on the payroll taxes that go into the trust fund.

? Palm Beach Post

? Raising the minimum wage

? Doing “something” about inner city schools

“We will be looking at what’s working, things like raising the minimum wage, expanding the earned income tax credit, and doing something about inner city schools,” Edwards said in a news conference before his speech at the Broward County Democratic Party’s annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner.

? Sun-Sentinal

? Raising taxes ? by euphemism

A better alternative [to Social Security reform], he said, would be to roll back tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and use the money to shore up the retirement program.

? Sun-Sentinal

? Offer up more of that trademark, substance-free hokum ? the kind you’d expect from a candidate for political office (vote for me, I’m against poverty!), although certainly not from a serious academic

[Edwards] said the plan is not only to study poverty in America but to look for ways to end poverty and get involved in “meaningful projects that could make a difference.” …

“It may seem like an impossible goal, to end poverty, but that’s what the skeptics said about all of our other great challenges,” he said in prepared remarks. “We believe in hope over despair, possibilities over problems, optimism over cynicism. We believe in doing what is right even when others say it can’t be done. And we believe in fighting desperately for people who don’t have a voice. That’s what the Democratic Party has always believed in and that’s what we will always believe in.”

? Palm Beach Post