Urban poverty is a serious issue that has existed for years and will most likely exist for many years to come. Chapter 12 in CQ Reader discusses how urban poverty has come about and ways to combat it. As with every issue, it boils down to politics. Liberals want to have social programs and federal aid, while conservatives want the government to have a smaller role and individuals to take personal responsibility. Greg Mankiw, a Harvard economics professor, stated, “Economic theory says that the wage a worker earns, measured in units of output, equals the amount of output the worker can produce.” While this is simplifying the idea and there are other factors involved, there is truth to this statement. A worker can only be paid for what the value of their work is worth. I believe the best way to increase the value of a worker’s worth is through productive educational programing.

Richard Doar, a fellow in poverty studies at the American Enterprise Institute, explains that the importance of job training and educational programs that help prepare young people for work. Michael Tanner, a senior fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute, delved into the importance of programs to help people prepare and find jobs by providing job training and educational programs. He adds discouraging pregnancy outside of wedlock to his list of ways to aid society. While I disagree with that statement to a certain extent, I appreciate his clarification that it is an economic judgment and not a moral one. The bottom line is giving members of society the tangible tools that can help them succeed will do just that. As the Chinese proverb goes, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

As a society, we need to also help those who we may fear or have different feelings towards. Becky Pettit, a University of Washington sociologist, showed proof to the “prison to poverty” cycle. She showed how poverty lead to crime which leads to imprisonment. A vicious cycle that causes the rate of young African-American men who dropped out of high school and were in jail to almost quadruple. The Ready, Willing, and Able transitional jobs program is great way to help formerly homeless or incarcerated men have a second chance. In life we all make mistakes and it is important to have groups that are willing to help those that need it. A 2010 Harvard University studied showed that Ready, Willing and Able reduced reoffenders by 60 percent. This reminds me of a recent TED talk I watched. Adam Foss, a prosecutor, believes in the reallocation of prison funds to provide help for those who can benefit from programs to better their futures. Instead of throwing people in jail, Foss believes that providing proper education can help make society a better place. I agree with him and truly believe that he is changing the role of the prosecutor for the positive.