In a letter to the editor on Kansas.com, Kathleen Butler, Wichita, made the claim that a Taxpayer's Bill of Rights is the wrong answer. Her answer is educational and gives us a perfect example of the difference between conservatives and liberals; a different approach to societal problems like poverty and welfare programs.

What is her answer to "free up tax dollars"? "If the TABOR folks want to free up tax dollars"...One idea was that we "should petition to require a license to become a parent -- with the prerequisite being a decent job and parenting classes. That'll free up some of the tax dollars we are spending on an overburdened foster care, educational and welfare system."

On the welfare issue, she makes a point that approaches a major problem from the wrong perspective; liberals may see the problem, but their "answer" creates more of the same. I came across a Walter Williams article that is titled, "How Not to Be Poor" that addresses the issue from the conservative approach. An excerpt:

Avoiding long-term poverty is not rocket science. First, graduate from high school. Second, get married before you have children, and stay married. Third, work at any kind of job, even one that starts out paying the minimum wage. And, finally, avoid engaging in criminal behavior. If you graduate from high school today with a B or C average, in most places in our country there's a low-cost or financially assisted post-high-school education program available to increase your skills. Walter Williams, May 11, 2005 See the full article.

Dr. Williams is correct, this is not rocket science and should be taught in every school, organization and church as the way to avoid poverty and allow people the opportunity to prosper. The conservative approach gives back dignity and control to individuals not government programs that feed on and promote a victim status.

Liberals who say that TABOR supporters don’t care about the poor and disadvantaged because we want spending limits and accountablity to the taxpayers instead of the continued unchecked escalation to increase funding for programs should be countered with the conservative answers like this one to empower people to obtain the American Dream – Truth about the four things that people can do to personally prosper and be liberated from the need for government programs. Then, at some point the need for whole programs would actually end and everyone would be a winner.