Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden continues the Leftist quest for a utopian society. His idea is not new, but considering that Leftists control the federal government and we have an executive branch that sees very few limits on its power, talk of giving cash to every newborn shouldn’t be dismissed as a silly notion that will never go anywhere.

Speaking earlier this month at the University of Southern California School of Law and the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, Wyden said universal savings accounts for newborns would “really put a dent in the poverty rate.”

He described the country’s current tax code as a “dysfunctional, rotten mess of a carcass.”

While he has yet to write the legislation, Wyden cited a 2009 proposal by Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, as a possible blueprint for a future plan that would give all children born in the U.S. $500 toward the cost of college, buying a home or to be used toward retirement.

If putting “a dent in the poverty rate” is the goal, then why only $500? Why not $50,000? I’m on board for putting “a dent in the poverty rate.” But achieving that goal requires us to face the reality of poverty and the behaviors and situations that increase its likelihood. Former Bill Clinton advisor William Galston has described the way forward in very clear terms: graduate from high school, don’t have children until you’re married, and wait until you’re in your 20s to have those children. Those who follow these recommendations are very unlikely to live in poverty.

In the meantime, we can’t ignore the very real poverty that exists around us. We have a moral responsibility to help the vulnerable. And we do. Private charities, churches, community groups, and individuals are addressing the issue by helping neighbors and neighborhoods.

While I don’t question Sen. Wyden’s motive and caring, I DO question his recommendation. My concern is that he is part of today’s federal power structure and, as we’ve seen with ObamaCare and the president’s frequent talk about imposing policy by bypassing our elected representatives, talk can turn into a federal mandate very quickly.