The Wealth Gap Isn’t About Race…

A recent census report highlights the income disparity between Black, Hispanics, and Whites. It focuses on everything but the problem. The disparity is not a function of race but rather of education and personal responsibility. It is easy to suggest that race is a factor but income is an outcome of productivity and has nothing to do with a person’s skin color. It has everything to do with what their value is to the market place.


Why do some people have more income and wealth than others? It is simply the product of years of investment in education and job skills. By investing in education and improving job skills through experience individuals create personal wealth. Of course you must invest and save the income you produce to accumulate greater wealth rather than spending every penny made on wants and desires, but I contend it is behavioral and has little to do with race.

Does that mean the Black community or Hispanic community have failed to produce greater wealth? Yes, but not because they are Black or Hispanic. There are many White people that have failed to produce wealth for themselves as well. What is the cause? Is it simply the color of their skin? Of course not. Skin color is irrelevant to success.

When you dig into the statistics, education is a key indicator of success. Of people that are educated (regardless of skin color) wealth over a lifetime is much more likely. What is the graduation rate of each race? The graduation rate is horrific for inner city minorities and therefore makes them less likely to succeed. If you can’t read, you have a harder time creating wealth.

Personal responsibility is a value instilled in families that creates a foundation for creating wealth. Personal responsibility ranges from strong family values, two parent households, and a strong commitment to self reliance. Government programs have undermined every aspect of personal responsibility. Therefore, any disproportionate number of people from any race on government programs is likely to be a key indicator of failure. The more reliant a person is on government programs the less likely they are to be successful.

So just because you are Black, White, or Hispanic doesn’t matter. Race is a red herring. Anyone in America that educates themselves and avoids a reliance on government programs, believes in the values of personal responsibility is more likely to create wealth. The scary thing about this report is it will be followed by a chorus of people that will want to expand the government programs that are actually creating the problem. The entire effort to increase the wealth of minorities will be focused on increasing government programs, and that will just exasperate the problem instead of fixing it.

The cure to any problem is rarely a government program…

A Plan to Redistribute Wealth

I agree with President Obama that it is our responsibility as citizens of this great nation to redistribute our wealth to those less fortunate than those of us that have “succeeded” so far in life. I have put together my own plan, and if you think about it, you can probably come up with a similar plan that leverages your skills and success. If we all put together a plan maybe the federal government will stop implementing its plan that is currently ruining this economy and the country.


On with my plan:

• I have written three books, two of which include advice for people on how to achieve success by becoming passionate about life. One of the books is specifically focused on teens (since I have two) and what it takes to be successful in life.

• I have started a new business that I hope will generate even more income for me which in turn will generate even more tax revenue to be redistributed.

• Over the years I have accumulated a wealth of knowledge that I often share with my children, my wife, friends and extended family. This wealth of knowledge I share is often accompanied by additional ideas on how to be more successful in life. By redistributing my wealth of knowledge I am helping others become better at what they do so they can create even more wealth to distribute.

• I am writing another book that I hope will generate more wealth in both ideas and revenue that will be another source of wealth to redistribute.

These are just a few of the things I am doing to redistribute my wealth. Add this plan to the wealth I am already creating by being a productive member of the society and it starts to add up. Imagine the amount of additional wealth we could create if every one of us committed to sharing our wealth of experience with our youth and individuals not as fortunate as ourselves. The amount of wealth that will be created and distributed will be significant.

Instead of taking from us in a compulsive manner, how about letting us distribute our wealth by creating and sharing new ideas in the free market place? People love to share their wealth when it is their choice to do so. People hate to have their wealth stolen from them. It is also important that the people receiving the wealth appreciate the source of that wealth.

In the spirit of our upcoming July 4th celebration of liberty from compulsive taxation of an overbearing central government, what better way to celebrate than to make a plan for wealth independence?

Isn’t this a plan for the redistribution of wealth that will really work?