Filed under: Domestic Policy, Education, Election 2016, Progressives | Tags: Wrong Action, Wrong Diagnosis, Wrong Policy
President Obama’s new suburban integration plan, where he will move poor black families from the projects into higher-quality homes in safer neighborhoods in the suburbs is not something new. HUD tried just such an experiment resettling urban poor in the suburbs beginning in 1994 under President Clinton.
The 15-year experiment called “Moving to Opportunity Initiative” (MTO) moved thousands of mostly African-American families from government projects to better homes in less racially segregated neighborhoods. The project was based on the notion that relocating inner-city minorities to better neighborhoods would boost their education and employment prospects.
Adults, however, for the most part, did not get better jobs or get off welfare. More actually went on food stamps. And their children did not do better in their new schools. In a 287 page study HUD found that adults who relocated outside the inner city using Section 8 housing vouchers did not avail themselves of better job opportunities, and saw a “sizeable negative impact on annual earnings.”
“Moving to lower poverty neighborhoods does not appear to improve education outcomes, employment or earnings,” the study found.
Even worse, crime simply followed them to their new safer neighborhoods. “Males…were arrested more often than those in the control group, primarily for property crimes.”
The same failed program now being pushed by the Obama officials, that moving inner-city blacks closer to good jobs and good schools will close “racial disparities” in employment and education — is just what Clinton officials were saying back in 1994.
The authors of the study doubt any better results will come from a larger or more aggressive relocation program. The original program relocated 4,600 families from several major cities. But there are few things as eternal as a Liberal “good idea.” No program ever fails, it only requires a more expansive program and more money invested.
The Obama people want to nationalize the experiment by relocating millions of people in more than 1,250 cities and towns until social engineers “eliminate racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty.”
The problem, Mr. President, is not the neighborhoods, nor race, nor ethnicity. Talk to Dr. Ben Carson, or Walter Williams, or Thomas Sowell.
“We’re giving every person an equal chance to access quality housing near good schools, transportation and jobs no matter who they are or what they look like,” HUD director Julian Castro said, unveiling sweeping new rules forcing cities to diversify suburbs by rezoning.
Expect exactly the same results, but on a national scale. I wouldn’t expect Congress to offer the money, but that would be even better in the progressive playbook. Then Republicans can be accused of refusing to allow inner-city blacks the opportunity to move to better neighborhoods with better schools for their children.
This is the president who vacations in the most exclusive homes on Martha’s Vineyard, and who keeps trying to shut down the Opportunity Scholarships that are awarded by lottery to poor black kids in Washington DC, that have proved so successful for the children.
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American Elephants 
Yeah, but you can’t trust THAT study. It’s like, old and stuff.
And it’s not just the “spend more money” thing. Defenders of this plan will THIS one will work when the other didn’t because Bill Clinton just wasn’t the right person to implement it (if you haven’t noticed, a number Dems – including Bill Clinton – have chucked Bill Clinton under the bus to further their agenda). When this one fails, it will be because Obama didn’t spend enough money on it (lefty economist Paul Krugman is already sounding this theme about Obama) and that Obama just wasn’t the right president to do it. Oh, and be sure to throw something out there about how the Republicans are to blame because they hate Obama because he’s black. Or something.
Remember, with the liberals, it’s intentions that matter, not the results.
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Comment by Lon Mead July 12, 2015 @ 5:51 pmOf course, but when it’s so obvious why do so few seem to understand that it’s only the intentions? Have members of the black community who were so thrilled to have a black president not noticed that the promised wonderfulness for their people never happened?
And as far as that goes, does Bill really want Hillary to be president?
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Comment by The Elephant's Child July 12, 2015 @ 6:43 pmTo be perfectly honest, no, I don’t think Bill really wants Hillary to be president; there’s way too much ego in play. I don’t think he’d mind if it happened, and he’ll do his part to try and make it happen, but I don’t think you’re going to see a lot of enthusiasm for it.
Additionally, Obama isn’t really that enthusiastic about Hillary, either. He’d much rather have Biden run. But in any case, Obama needs to have a Democrat successor, someone close to being as far left as he is, otherwise about 80% of his preisdency is going to wind up in the trash bin by about 2:35pm on January 21, 2017. The other 20% will be gone within the following four years.
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Comment by Lon Mead July 12, 2015 @ 7:11 pmI hope you’re right about the trash bin. He’s certainly trying hard to drum up a legacy, apparently Kerry believes an Iran deal to be his own legacy as well. We need to get Congress moving on hardening off against an EMP attack. Some Republican congressman had a bill last year, but it never went anywhere. There’s apparently no urgency in Congress, probably because the country seems more concerned about internal affairs than about the Middle East. Excellent talk by Daniel Pipes at Powerline.
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Comment by The Elephant's Child July 12, 2015 @ 7:44 pm