Perry Campaign Press Release - Fact Sheet: Governor Perry's Economic Empowerment Program

Job Creation:

My first priority as President will be to reignite the engine of American economic growth, by reforming the tax code and requiring federal agencies to adhere to a strict regulatory budget. A growing economy will give those at the bottom of the ladder more opportunities to climb, just as it has in Texas.

Incentivize Work Over Welfare:

Many poor Americans want to leave welfare and rejoin the workforce. But they are hammered by rules that often require them to earn less money, after taxes, in a full-time job than they would earn if they didn't work and remained on welfare.

If I am elected President, I will send to Congress a welfare reform bill that will not cut spending on anti-poverty programs. Instead, it will take the money we already spend on non-health care-related anti-poverty programs and split it into two parts. The first part will be an expanded and reformed version of the Earned Income Tax Credit, so that anyone with a job can live above the poverty line. The second part will consist of a block grant, so that states can care for their safety net populations in the manner that best serves them.

Federal Sentencing Reform:

One of the most significant things we did in Texas while I was governor was reform our drug-related sentencing laws for non-violent, first time drug offenders. Too many Texans were going to prison for these offenses, and once they got out, they found they couldn't get a job because they had a criminal record.

I believe in consequences for criminal behavior. But I also believe in second chances and human redemption, because that is the American story. In addition to helping change lives, in 2014, Texas had its lowest crime rate since 1968, and we have been able to close three prisons.

We can reform federal sentencing laws, just as we have done at the state level, to ensure more young people have a shot at a better life. And we can do so while keeping our low-income communities safe from crime.

Education Reform:

We all know we have to improve our schools. It's a fallacy to assume that the vastly different student populations across the country can be adequately educated with one-size-fits-all policies. We need to empower state lawmakers, school boards and parents to implement policies that address the specific needs of their students, and keep schools accountable and efficient.

And we have to tackle the exorbitant price of a college education. One of the biggest barriers today to entering the middle class—black or otherwise—is the high cost of a college degree. A four-year degree at the typical private college now costs more than $170,000. The median home price in America is $205,000. We are literally asking poor students to mortgage their future in order to gain a college degree. This must end. In Texas, I challenged our state universities to offer a four-year college degree for less than $10,000. Many thought it would be impossible to drive tuition and fees that low. But today, 13 Texas universities have reached that target.

We are on the cusp of an online revolution in higher education— but only if the federal government rolls back the rules that make it almost impossible for students to gain accredited bachelor's degrees achieved with online instruction.

Addressing the Skyrocketing Cost Of Living:

Just as with college tuition we have to reduce the cost of living for those who need every dollar to be stretched as far is it can go. Federal regulations—like Obamacare's employer mandate—drive up the cost of hiring new workers. That not only means that companies hire fewer people, but that those increasing costs are passed along to consumers in the form of higher priced goods and services.

Earlier this year, the Competitive Enterprise Institute estimated that federal regulations cost American businesses as much as $1.88 trillion a year. That's nearly $15,000 per U.S. household. If you add in state regulations, the problem gets much worse.

Conclusion:

If we do these five things—if we create jobs, incentivize work, keep non-violent drug offenders young blacks out of prison, reform our schools, and reduce the cost of living—we will have done more for African-Americans than the last three Democrat Administrations combined.