Ending poverty is an awesome desire, one we share. The question is how? Look to history and every time our government starts a "war on" anything, we end up with more of it! War on drugs? More drugs. War on illiteracy, education scores have plummeted. Compare the American Red Cross with FEMA the first, a private charity the second a huge government bureaucracy. The American Red Cross accomplished much more than FEMA after Katrina, for far less cost and Without the same complaints of abuse and insult as the government. As our government got involved in the mortgage banking industry, to facilitate home loans to lower income borrowers, the changes invited abuse and greed has led to broken lives. In my opinion and several studies show, the best way to end poverty is with education. As our federal government has become more involved in areas that it has no constitutional authority to be in taxes have been increased and private institutions have contributed less.

Out federal government now spends 67 billion dollars annually the federal department of education has failed miserably. No child left behind has proven to be a failure. We need to look at what we have done and if it is working or not. If it is not working lets try something new. Look at John Stossel's documentary stupid in America that video angered a lot of people but the truth often does. We need to look at the different countries around the world when the United states is paying more per child than any other developed nation, and comes in 41st behind most other nations, something needs to change. In Finland the money is tied to the child so the parents can chose which school to send their child to and competition has improved the quality of the education the child receives. Identical tests were taken by Finnish high schools and American high school students and the Finnish children averaged a 97 on the test and the American children averaged 47 not even passing. Finland pays ½ what we do per child, we are not getting our money's worth, and our children are being ripped off.

In New Mexico the state decided to pay for state college tuition for each child that graduated from high school in the state. Opponents said the state would go broke, we need to understand the difference between spending money and investing money. For example, if we set up more two year nursing programs, dental hygiene programs, auto mechanic, plumber, electrician 1 year nursing programs, small business programs or even integrated some o these into high school. A community college tuition of $3,000 per year for $6,000 to be an LVN averaging $25 per hour working a 40 hr week 52 weeks a year for an annual salary of $52,000 per year with a 9% tax rate is $4680 a year paid in taxes, so the $6000 tuition invested will be paid back in under 2 years. If the nurse works for 20 years the return on the investment is $93,600. The normal working career is 30 years so a great investment. Also consider this is not adding in for inflation and people who have marketable skills are far less likely to utilize government benefits.

The federal government has no money. It is not a rich benevolent uncle that loves us and sends us money as a gift. It is a powerful entity that takes money from our citizens by threat of force. We then get back a portion of the money they took from us, often with strings attached. We should eliminate the federal department of education and let our state and local governments regain control. Parents should control the education their children receive, no one cares as much about our children's education as we do. Our constitution was written very precisely to limit the power of government and protect the rights of the people. Our federal government was to be especially restrained government closest to the problem is most efficient and the people are better able to maintain control. Most of the problems are nation is facing is due to the fact that we have allowed our congressmen to ignore our constitution, the law by which our nation is to be governed. The mortgage mess was created by both parties voting to get involved in the banking industry. Between telling the banks who to loan to or how much to have put as a down payment. what interest rates are charged. Setting up government backed anything invites greed and abuse. The bankers get paid even when they loan to people with bad credit and not enough income to make the payments. Because the bankers get paid and you and I will be forced to pay for the bad debts. We must not allow our federal government to continue to ignore our constitution. We must stand up for our rights all of our rights.

"I weep for the liberty of my country when I see at this early day of its successful experiment that corruption has been imputed to many members of the House of Representatives, and the rights of the people have been bartered for promises of office. " Andrew Jackson

We must stop the federal government from subsidizing friends of theirs, we must eliminate corporate welfare, where they take money from middle class Americans to give to companies. Stop allowing them to decide what science should or should not study with grant money, decided by favoritism. If we were following our constitution lobbyists would not exist cause our federal congressmen would not have the power to benefit companies. We must stop the taking of money from middle class Americans to send to foreign dictators, it rarely ends up where it wil benefit the people of the country. Private charities have a much better track record. We must stop our federal governments attempts to police the world, we have troops in 130 countries 767 bases. This from a constitution that does not allow a standing army or military budgets that exceed 2 years. This was to keep our republic from going the way of Rome. Spreading out around the world.

"The budget should be balanced, the treasury refilled, public debt reduced, the arrogance of officialdom tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands curtailed, lest Rome become bankrupt." -Cicero 63 BC.

We must eliminate most of the federal programs and use the money of our nation to fund education for our citizens. When our people have ample opportunities to receive education at little or no cost, poverty can be eliminated across our nation, in only a decade or so. Americans are a generous people and have chosen to fund charities that have been far more efficient and effective than any government program. To help end poverty world wide. It sounds cold hearted but the truth is

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more then you earn. You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man's initiative and independence. You cannot help a man permanently by doing what they could and should do for themselves.

Abraham Lincoln

When you give a man a fish you feed him for a day if you teach him to fish he can feed himself for a lifetime.

I do not think there is any way to really end poverty in 100 days. The numbers of people in poverty has increased due to NAFTA and other federal government (non constitutional) interference.