AUSTIN – Government has a range of policies designed to help the poor. Some claim a rising wealth gap points to an inherent problem with free markets, while others point to government as the source of the problem. To examine the best approach to help people achieve the American Dream, the Texas Public Policy Foundation will host the panel “Government and Poverty: Do Our Policies Help or Hurt” at the 14th Annual Policy Orientation for the Texas Legislature on Wednesday, January 6, 2016 at 3:00 pm CST at the Hilton Austin Hotel in Salon J.
“Whether its land-use restrictions that unnecessarily drive up the cost of housing, occupational licensing rules that make it more difficult to support a family, or a complex welfare system that discourages hard work, many government policies make life more difficult for people seeking to make a better life for themselves and their children,” said The Honorable Chuck DeVore, vice president of national initiatives at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. “This panel aims to shed light on government practices that keep the poor locked in poverty.”
Panelists include:
- Alan Graham, President & CEO, Mobile Loaves & Fishes
- Fred McMahon, Resident Research Fellow, Fraser Institute
- Randal O’Toole, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute
- The Honorable Chuck DeVore, Vice President of National Initiatives, Texas Public Policy Foundation (Moderator)
For over thirteen years, the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Policy Orientation has been one of the nation’s top policy conferences, selling out each year while bringing together lawmakers, policy experts, and engaged citizens from across the political spectrum to discuss critical issues facing the Lone Star State and America. This year’s program includes more than 35 panel discussions and debates on the major issues affecting Texas’ future.
Members of the public and media who wish to attend may register and view the agenda at: www.PolicyOrientation.com
Keynote and plenary sessions will be livestreamed at: txpo.li/TPPFlive
Chuck DeVore is vice president of national initiatives at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. From 2004 to 2010, Chuck DeVore represented almost 500,000 people in the California State Assembly in coastal Orange County.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin, Texas.