Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. letter to R.B., February 9, 1995

ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR. Congress of tfje fHniteb States gouse of 3XepresentatibES ©Hasfjington, 2ЭС 20515-2002 February 9, 1995 Thank you for your recent correspondence to my office. I have never said — nor has the Baltimore Sun ever quoted me as saying — that everybody opposes allowing poor people to move to their neighborhoods. In the article to which you refer, I was quoted as saying that people generally resent those "whom the government has decided should be given a boost over and above a helping hand" (emphasis added) . Working Americans generally favor opportunity-based government programs, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, which give poor people financial or education resources with which they can improve their own situations. While people generally support policies intended to expand opportunity for all Americans, they do not favor the kind of equality of result which the HUD voucher plan represents. Simply put, when a group of individuals is allowed to move into a neighborhood by virtue of the fact that they have been targeted for special government perquisites, it is likely to breed resentment among some whose presence in that neighborhood derives from their own hard work and personal initiative. Once again, thanks for sharing your views. Feel free to contact me again regarding those issues which concern you. Very truly yours, &CTV. fJUuih- Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Member of Congress RLE/rjc