DR. BEN CARSON 2016PRESIDENTIALWHITEPAPERSERIES PAPER#10
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2016 Presidential White Paper SERIES Paper #10
Dr. Ben Carson
October 22, 2015
INTRODUCTION they might learn a valuable lesson
about not hoarding and about volun-
Dr. Ben Carson is the former Director of
Pediatric Neurosurgery at the Johns Hop- tarily sharing with others?2
kins Children’s Center in Baltimore, MD.
Carson says his ten-percent tax plan is
Since Dr. Carson has never been elected to
based on the idea of biblical tithing, “…
public office, his public record is fairly thin.
although it could be any percentage…”3
This paper evaluates only Carson’s public
statements and what he has said he would Dr. Carson has supported lowering the Photo credit: Gage Skidmore
do if elected. corporate tax rate to a level lower than the some tax increases. He said it “…was not
global average, which he says is “…between perfect, but better than nothing.”9 Car-
15 and 20” [percent].4 Carson also calls son called the failure of the commission
for a “six-month tax hiatus” with a zero a “…good example of the ‘my way or the
TAXES
percent corporate rate for corporations to highway’ philosophy that runs rampant in
The Club for Growth is committed to bring overseas profits back to the United Washington today.”10 In addition, he has
lower taxes – especially lower tax rates States, however, he would stipulate that called for a tax on insurance companies to
– across the board. Lower taxes on work, ten percent of the money returned would pay for government-provided catastrophic
savings, and investments lead to greater “…be used in enterprise zones that we health care coverage.11
levels of these activities, thus encouraging would set up in some of our major cities to
greater economic growth. create jobs for people who are unemployed Carson stated that “…no American should
and on welfare.”5 have to pay more than 37% of what they
Dr. Ben Carson is all over the map when it earn in taxes.” He then added, “Now we
comes to tax policy. Carson believes that lowering tax rates can make it 42% for those who make over
while eliminating loopholes is a “no- a million dollars just so that the left wing
In a 2013 op-ed in the Washington Times,
brainer.”6 He has also stated his support could be satisfied that somebody’s getting
Dr. Carson appears to endorse a very
for eliminating the IRS,7 and has said, “Our messed up.”12
pro-growth 10% flat income tax rate.1
tax form should be able to be completed in
He expanded upon this idea in his book, In a chapter of one of his books that gener-
less than 15 minutes.”8
America the Beautiful: ally offers a favorable discussion of capital-
Dr. Carson praised the Simpson-Bowles ism, Carson offered an apparent contradic-
In the Bible, God instituted a system of
National Commission on Fiscal Respon- tion: “There is definitely room to argue
tithing, which meant giving 10 percent sibility and Reform, which advocated for about whether the fruits of one’s labors
of one’s profits back to God. Since God should be equally distributed throughout
is all powerful and owns everything, he the society or whether one should be able
2 America the Beautiful, 2012, p. 122
certainly does not need any percentage to directly benefit from working harder
of our profits. So why did he institute 3 Washington Times, 7/17/13 than others around him.”13 The statement
tithing? Could it be that he understood 4 CNBC, 10/7/2015
that all human beings are subject to 5 Ibid.
9 Washington Times, 5/6/14
greed and that by requiring them to 10 One Nation, p. 121
6 One Nation: What We Can Do to Save
give away 10 percent of their profits
America’s Future, 2015, p. 120 11 America the Beautiful, p. 150
7 @RealBenCarson, 4/15/2015 12 National Press Club Transcript, 5/28/14
1 Washington Times, 7/17/13 8 Ben Carson for President website 13 America the Beautiful, p. 722016 Presidential White Paper Series - Dr. Ben Carson
raises further questions about Carson’s less expansion of the military budget.”21 catastrophic health insurance, while at the
stance on taxation issues. Perhaps most significantly, he has repeat- same time supporting some strong pro-
edly expressed his support for a Balanced growth entitlement reform positions.
Budget Amendment to the Constitution.22
While Carson has been an outspoken critic
SPENDING Dr. Carson’s bold proposals to cut spend- of socialism,27 he has also written, “It is
The Club for Growth is committed to ing seem at odds with a warning that he possible, however, to extract socialism’s
reducing government spending. Less recently penned: positive aspects and actually implement
spending enhances economic growth by them within capitalism. For example, pro-
enabling lower taxes and diminishing the …those who want to rapidly reduce the viding basic health care for every citizen
government’s economically inefficient al- federal debt and shrink government can be done quite easily without increasing
location of resources. might be noble in their goals, but must our national debt one penny.”28 Dr. Carson
be patient and gradually accomplish has suggested that the United States could
Dr. Carson has taken strong positions in learn “substantial lessons” from Austra-
favor of cutting spending and a Balanced their objectives, because a rapid reduc-
lia’s socialized medicine system, which
Budget Amendment, but has also put forth tion in the size of government could
he praised for the “substantial benefits”
proposals that would expand some federal create significant unemployment and provided to its citizens.29
spending. other logistical problems that could be
Carson further writes in one of his books
avoided with some compromise.23
On the positive side, he has argued that that government could take responsibil-
legislators who vote to raise the debt ceil- There are some areas of federal spending ity for catastrophic coverage insurance
ing should be replaced,14 and has said, “To where Carson is reluctant to cut. He has away from private insurance companies.30
saddle the next generation with unimagi- supported the restoration of federal fund- He supports this idea by pointing to the
nable debt is not only callous, it is morally ing for ethanol pump construction.24 He Federal Emergency Management Agency
reprehensible.”15 Carson also endorsed also believes that new tax revenues gener- (FEMA), which he claims is the reason
an annual 10% cut in each “governmen- ated from future economic growth should “…that most of us are able to afford our
tal agency and department… as long as be used to fund child care facilities and job homeowners insurance.”31 To pay for
necessary to bring the budget back into programs,25 and he has proposed govern- government-run catastrophic care, he
balance.”16 He has also supported: ment subsidies for medical school educa- proposes allowing insurance companies
tion, calling for “…eliminating or greatly a “15 percent annual profit, 5 percent
Cutting the federal workforce by reducing medical school tuition.”26 of which would go to the government’s
attrition17 national catastrophic health-care fund.”32
Carson supported this form of govern-
Implementing a three-year spending
ment control as far back as 1996, when he
freeze18 and a five-year federal hiring ENTITLEMENT REFORM actually endorsed a “catastrophic health
freeze 19
America’s major middle-class entitle- care fund... supported by a mandatory
Eliminating the Department ment programs are already insolvent. contribution of approximately 10 percent
The Club for Growth supports entitlement to 15 percent of the profits of each health
of Veterans Affairs and folding its
reforms that enable personal ownership insurance company, including managed
functions into the Defense Department
of retirement and health care programs, care operations.”33
(see more below under Entitlement
benefit from market returns, and diminish
Reform)20 Carson is a vocal critic of Obamacare,
dependency on government.
comparing it to slavery and saying that it
Carson has stated his opposition to “end- Dr. Carson has supported the development “…aims to make all of us subservient to the
of new entitlements for government-run
27 America the Beautiful, pp. 94-95
14 Washington Times, 3/11/14
21 America the Beautiful, p. 131 28 Ibid., p. 95
15 America the Beautiful, p. 108
22 Dr. Carson Facebook Post, 4/15/2015; Ben 29 Ibid., pp. 143-144
16 America the Beautiful, p. 109 Carson for President Campaign Website
30 Ibid., p. 149
17 National Press Club Transcript, 5/28/14 23 One Nation, p. 121
31 Ibid., pp. 149-150
18 Ben Carson Facebook Post, 7/21/2015 24 Des Moines Register, 5/5/2015
32 Ibid., p. 150
19 Des Moines Register, 1/24/2015 25 Washington Times, 8/26/2014
33 Buzzfeed Copy of Harvard Journal of
20 Daily Caller, 8/26/2015 26 America the Beautiful, p. 83 Minority Public Health, Autumn 1996
PAGE 22016 Presidential White Paper Series - Dr. Ben Carson
government.”34 He supported the effort to suggested that Social Security could be sary for strong economic expansion. The
defund Obamacare in Congress,35 some- reformed by: Club for Growth supports less and more
thing that many other Republicans were sensible government regulation as a criti-
unwilling to do. He has encouraged more Reformatting the Cost-of-Living cal step toward increasing freedom and
state and local control over the Medicaid Adjustment to follow inflation growth in the marketplace.
program.36 Carson is an ardent sup-
porter of pre-tax Health Savings Accounts Increasing the retirement age Dr. Carson’s record on regulatory issues is
(HSAs), calling them the “lynchpin” for a mixed bag. He takes decidedly pro-reg-
Implementing means testing44
putting control of health care “in your own ulatory positions on some issues. Carson
hands,”37 and suggesting that they could has repeated a left-wing talking point by
However, Dr. Carson has, disappointingly, referring to a “…lack of regard for the en-
replace both Obamacare and Medicare.38
has yet to state any support for per- vironment” as one “…of the other negative
Carson has also proposed using HSAs in sonal retirement accounts as part of these aspects of capitalism.”48 Carson supports
place of the current health care system ad- changes. the reenactment of Great Depression-era
ministered by the Department of Veterans Glass-Steagall banking regulations that
Carson has made several other proposals
Affairs. He says the HSAs could be used to were rightly repealed in the late 1990s,49
that could be part of pro-growth entitle-
“…pay for treatment at any medical facil- and asserts that it was deregulation (rather
ment reforms, but he has not elaborated
ity,” while existing “…VA facilities could than government meddling in the market)
in sufficient detail to be entirely clear. For
then be used for specialized treatments that caused the 2008 recession.50 Carson
example, Carson supports the government
for traumatic brain injuries and limb also supports imposing restrictions on pur-
making an unspecified contribution to the
replacement.”39 chasers of patents: “Perhaps no one should
HSAs of indigents,45 but he has not speci-
be allowed to buy such a patent without
Dr. Carson has spoken extensively about fied whether he wishes to pursue this pro-
demonstrating a clear-cut plan and the
the welfare system, specifically criticiz- posal in tandem with a shrinking of gov-
capability to bring the plan to fruition.”51
ing “easy food stamps” and “subsidized ernment entitlement programs. Dr. Carson
health care” for inducing dependency on has also said that the government should On the issue of health care, Dr. Carson sup-
government.40 Carson supports education implement a food stamp-style program ports a pre-existing conditions ban, saying
and work requirements as a condition for to encourage the poor to obtain health he would support keeping that provision
receiving public assistance,41 and supports care from clinics rather than emergency of Obamacare.52 He also supports extreme
phasing out welfare benefits for “…able- rooms,46 but again has not made clear penalties for physicians who commit fraud,
bodied people who make unwise choices whether this would supplement Medicaid even advocating as punishment the “loss of
and expect other people to pay for it.”42 (which would grow government) or replace all of one’s personal possessions.”53 He has
it (which could shrink government). Lastly, called for regulation of insurance company
Carson supports several specific propos- Carson supports linking the receipt of reimbursement rates for doctors, saying
als to restrain the growth of entitlement unemployment benefits to participation in that government should ensure “fair and
programs, including the Super Program “work that needs to be done in the com- consistent remuneration.”54
Amendment to the Constitution, which munity, such as Roosevelt’s New Deal, in
would ban new deficit spending for any which government programs were created None of these stances represent the most
newly created entitlements, and would to provide jobs and stimulate growth….”47 anti-growth position advocated by Carson,
require new entitlement programs to pass While this statement indicates that Carson however. In response to an interviewer’s
Congress by a 2/3 vote.43 Carson also supports a work requirement, it is unclear question about how to make the health
how much Carson would support growing care system more efficient, Dr. Carson said,
government to create these kinds of work
The first thing we need to do is
34 Washington Times, 10/11/13 programs.
get rid of for-profit insurance
35 Washington Times, 9/25/2013
companies. We have a lack of policies
36 Washington Times, 8/11/14
REGULATION
37 National Press Club Transcript, 5/28/14 48 Ibid., p. 76
Excessive government regulation stymies
38 New York Times, 5/7/2015 individual and business innovation neces- 49 Bloomberg, 5/4/15
39 Military.com, 8/28/2015 50 America the Beautiful, p. 78
40 One Nation, p. 29 44 Dr. Ben Carson Facebook Post, 8/26/2015 51 Ibid., p. 138
41 America the Beautiful, p. 176 45 Real Clear Politics, 2/7/13 52 Dr. Ben Carson Facebook Post, 7/21/2015
42 Ibid., p. 106 46 America the Beautiful, p. 148 53 America the Beautiful, p. 146
43 Washington Times, 10/28/2014 47 Ibid., p. 89 54 Ibid., p. 147
PAGE 32016 Presidential White Paper Series - Dr. Ben Carson
and we need to make the government ket system.63 president to negotiate trade agreements.72
responsible for catastrophic health He has also said the Trans-Pacific Partner-
However, he has criticized unions for ship has “…aspects of it that are reason-
care. We have to make the insurance
amassing unfair political advantages,64 able,” but says it needs to be renegotiated,
companies responsible only for and he opposed the union protests against “…because right now we have a lot of
routine health care. 55 Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, writ- special interest groups who benefit.”73
ing that their demands did not “…come
Carson has also asserted that, “…essen- under the traditional banner of collective
tially all of the insurance companies would bargaining.”65 Though Carson seems to
have generally supported Walker’s Act 10 SCHOOL CHOICE
have to become non-profit service organi-
zations with standardized, regulated profit reforms,66 he does not appear to have taken The Club for Growth supports broad
margins.”56 This de facto nationalization of a position on Right-to-Work legislation. school choice, including charter schools
private companies would be extremely an- and voucher programs that create a com-
Carson has flip-flopped on the minimum
ti-growth and a direct assault on economic petitive education market including pub-
wage, at first criticizing President Obama
liberty. Carson’s advocacy for it raises seri- lic, private, religious, and non-religious
for suggesting that raising the minimum
ous questions about his understanding of schools. More competition in education
wage would make significant progress at
the problem of government overreach. will lead to higher quality and lower costs.
reducing income inequality.67 But, one year
Dr. Carson has taken pro-growth positions later, Carson said he supported a higher Ben Carson is a strong supporter of school
in several regulatory areas. He: minimum wage,68 and he’s also indicated choice, but has mixed views on the issue of
his support for indexing it to inflation.69 federal involvement in education.
Supports implementing
Carson has said, “I think having charter
a cost-benefit test for all proposed schools, having school vouchers, things
government regulations57 FREE TRADE of that nature, are extremely good be-
Opposes net neutrality regulations, Free trade is a vital policy necessary for cause unless you are competing for those
maximizing economic growth. In recent students, it’s very likely you’re going to be-
saying “to restrict people from paying
decades, America’s commitment to ex- come complacent.”74 He has put his money
for something better or faster is not a
panding trade has resulted in lower costs where his mouth is on this issue by person-
sound idea”58
for consumers, job growth, and higher ally funding education scholarships.75
Supports building the Keystone levels of productivity and innovation.
Carson opposes Common Core, saying that
Pipeline,59 and seems to support
Dr. Carson has said relatively little on “For primary and secondary education, the
offshore oil drilling60
trade. He has suggested that the United bedrock concept that has always guided us
Supports revamping the EPA, retooling States could “downgrade trade associa- has been ‘local control.’”76 However, Car-
it to focus on research and making it tions” with Russia in response to their son opposes eliminating the Department
less of a law enforcement agency61 invasion of the Ukraine,70 and he supports of Education, saying that he would alter
increasing tariffs on finished goods while its function to include monitoring higher
cutting them on raw materials.71 More education for “political bias,” among other
On organized labor, Carson generally
recently, Carson stated his opposition to things.77
supports collective bargaining,62 and has
granting Trade Promotion Authority to the
attributed the rise of the American middle
class to unions rather than the free mar-
TORT REFORM
The American economy suffers from
63 Ibid., p. 162 excessive litigation which increases the
55 Mega Diversities, 3/1/13 64 Ibid. cost of doing business and slows economic
56 America the Beautiful, pp. 147-148 65 Ibid., pp. 92-93
57 Dr. Ben Carson Facebook Post, 8/26/2015 66 Ibid. 72 Bloomberg, 6/11/2015
58 National Review, 3/18/2015 67 Washington Times, 1/28/14 73 CNBC, 10/7/2015
59 Bloomberg, 5/4/2015 68 The Hill, 5/8/2015 74 NewsmaxTV, 4/15/13
60 America the Beautiful, p. 137 69 Phoenix Business Journal, 8/19/2015 75 Education Week, 5/13/2015
61 Dr. Ben Carson Facebook Post, 8/18/2015 70 Washington Times, 3/25/14 76 Ben Carson for President Campaign Website
62 America the Beautiful, p. 92 71 America the Beautiful, p. 79 77 Buzzfeed, 6/19/2015
PAGE 42016 Presidential White Paper Series - Dr. Ben Carson
growth. The Club for Growth supports Carson is such a newcomer to Republican Obamacare, school choice, welfare, and
major reforms to our tort system to politics that he hasn’t voted in a GOP pri- government dependency.
restore a more just and less costly balance mary in decades, having registered as an
in tort litigation. independent and with a third party.”81 However, the sum of Carson’s positions on
matters of economic liberty raises consid-
Carson seems to support tort reform, While Carson does not have an exten- erable concern. At times, he seems to allow
saying, “It is extremely difficult to esti- sive history of political endorsements socialism and free market capitalism to
mate how much money is wasted in the or involvement, he did endorse several stand on parallel planes. At other points
health-care arena because doctors engage Republicans for U.S. Senate in 2014,82 he seems to show a lack of understand-
in defensive medicine to avoid lawsuits.”78 though these endorsements seem to have ing about how free markets operate. This
However, other than stating his support been made regardless of ideology, since the philosophical fuzzy-mindedness becomes
for Loser Pays legislation,79 he has not endorsees cover the ideological spectrum. apparent in Carson’s own political pref-
gone into specifics about what tort reform Senator Bill Cassidy, who was elected erences. As recently as last year, Carson
should look like. from Louisiana, appears to have been the said of himself: “I have been a Democrat,
only one for whom Carson actively cam- I mean quite a flaming liberal Democrat,
Carson has also hinted that he supports paigned.83 and I have been a Republican, quite a very
government attempts to regulate the conservative Republican. And now I’m an
number of attorneys: “I hope at some point Carson has made only a few substantial Independent. I have voted for people in all
the legal establishment will recognize political donations, the majority of which different parties.”
the problem and attempt to regulate the were given to Republican candidates or
number of attorneys produced. If they do business or professional political commit- Like his stated partisan affiliations, Car-
not, society at large will have to produce a tees.84 However, in 2002 and 2005, Carson son’s policy proposals and suggestions
solution.”80 made $800 and $250 donations to Demo- have been all over the map. His references
crat U.S. House candidates David Thomas to what he calls the “positive aspects” of
and Peter Beilenson, respectively.85 Dr. socialism are confounding, and his pro-
Beilenson eventually became an avid sup- posals for health insurance reform come
POLITICAL FREE SPEECH porter of Obamacare,86 while the hard left straight out of the Left’s playbook. Carson’s
Maximizing prosperity requires sound blog Daily Kos made a fundraising pitch philosophical inconsistencies cause one
government policies. When government for David Thomas’ campaign in 2004,87 to seriously consider whether his good
strays from these policies, citizens must be showing that neither of these Democrats proposals are rooted in a core ideology
free to exercise their constitutional rights was of the conservative variety. These two that believes in free markets and economic
to petition and criticize those policies and donations thus raise questions about the freedom.
the politicians responsible for them. depth of Carson’s commitment to conser-
vative, free market principles. Based on his lack of consistency, we are
To our knowledge, Carson has never made unable to conclude that Ben Carson would
a public statement about political free be a pro-growth president.
speech or the laws that affect it.
SUMMATION
Dr. Ben Carson has had a remarkable and
POLITICAL ACTIVITY & ENDORSEMENTS impressive career in medicine, and he has
an amazingly inspiring personal story.
Robust political activity is essential to
Aspects of his policy positions seem to
producing a federal government that is
flow naturally and impressively from his
more respectful of free markets and pro-
experiences, such as his sound views on
duces more pro-economic growth policies.
The Club for Growth’s PAC has been active
in some of the more central battles within
81 Wall Street Journal, 1/23/15
the Republican Party nominating process
in recent years, supporting pro-growth 82 Washington Times, 5/20/2014; @
candidates over pro-government ones. RealBenCarson, 10/2/2014
The Wall Street Journal noted, “Mr. 83 @RealBenCarson, 10/30/2014
84 www.fec.gov
78 America the Beautiful, p. 153-154 85 Ibid.
79 Ibid., p. 171 86 Baltimore Sun, 6/28/2012
80 Ibid. 87 Daily Kos, 8/6/2004
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