The Daily Signal - #369: Exclusive Interview With Dr. Ben Carson

Episode Date: December 20, 2018

Dr. Ben Carson is the 17th secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. After a successful career in medicine and a presidential run in 2016, he joined President Donald Trump to lead an agency that focuses on housing issues and lifting Americans out of poverty to a better life. The Daily Signal’s Rob Bluey and Ginny Montalbano spoke to Carson about his tenure at HUD and how’s he’s making a difference.Also on today’s show:• A touching story about boy who lost his father and then got a Christmas gift that changed his outlook on life.• Your letters to the editor. Don’t forget, your letter could be featured on our show; write us at [e-mail] or call 202-608-6205.The Daily Signal podcast is available on the Ricochet Audio Network. You also can listen on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app. All of our podcasts can be found at DailySignal.com/podcasts.If you like what you hear, please leave a review or give us feedback. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the Daily Signal podcast for Monday, January 7th. I'm Rob Blewey, editor-in-chief. And I'm Jenny Maltabano. On today's show, we're featuring an exclusive interview with Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. We also have your letters to the editor, and we share a touching story about a boy who lost his father and then got a Christmas gift that changed his outlook on life. Dr. Ben Carson joined the Trump administration as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

in March of 2017. Since that time, he's made it a priority to bring reforms to the agency. He also has an inspiring message to Americans who are less fortunate. Dr. Carson himself had a rough childhood, but went on to become a world-famous neurosurgeon and presidential candidate. We spoke to him about a range of topics, including his accomplishments at HUD, the challenges he faces in the role, and what it's like to serve in President Trump's cabinet. And you don't want to miss his uplifting advice for our listeners. Here's the interview. I want to begin by asking you, what's the most rewarding part of your job here at HUD?

Well, there's so many rewarding parts, partly because even though we have the ugliest building in D.C., we have the best people, the best people to work with. And, you know, they're enthusiastic and they understand the mission because the real mission here is to turn this aircraft carrier around. from a place that just sort of houses people to a place that invigorates and empowers people and helps people to actually get out of poverty, become self-sufficient contributors. And for the people who, you know, are elderly or disabled, you know, finding a way to take care of them in a meaningful way so their lives are still meaningful. Well, you're certainly doing some great work.

What would you say your biggest challenge has been, far during your time as secretary? Well, there are a lot of challenges, but affordable housing, I think, is the biggest challenge. And that's a nationwide problem. It's a supply and demand problem. But it's also secondary to some things that we as a society have created ourselves, you know, with all of our zoning restrictions and other regulatory barriers that we're placing. and, you know, Nimbism, which, you know, yeah, I know they need houses, but not in my back yard.

And a lot of that stems from the fact that people still think of, you know, assisted housing as the kind of thing that you saw in the big cities, concentrated skyscrapers, with no planning around them that were left to deteriorate the minute the last brick was left. late. And that's not what's done anymore. It's completely different now. Now we do public partnerships, mixed income, planned neighborhoods, holistic neighborhoods that blend in nicely, and makes it possible for us to have teachers and firemen and policemen living in the same neighborhood where they're working. And those are the kinds of things that are beneficial for everyone. And, you know, the housing is not built in a disruptive way. Certainly, you know, you don't break up an established neighborhood and, you know, you wouldn't do that anywhere. So, you know, we obviously think about these things. And we have lots of examples, you know, where holistic, well-planned

neighborhoods have been done around the country. Beautiful results. Everybody wants to live there. Schools are working well. I mean, these are things that we can do. That's great to hear. I want to ask you about some of the other accomplishments that you've experienced here. One of the things that I know is near and dear to your heart is the Envision Center model. If you could share with our listeners what that looks like and how that vision has been implemented here at HUD. Well, first of all, it actually comes from a Bible verse. In Provert 29, 18, it says, a vision the people perish. And there were a lot of people who really didn't have a vision.

They just wanted to exist. And, you know, America is really about people with vision, about the American dream, thinking about what you can do, all the opportunities that exist. And we want to give that back to people again. And it's not their fault that they don't have a vision. It's the way that they've grown up, the way that their mother grew up. the way the grandmother grew up. And so what envision centers actually are

an opportunity to take 23 federal programs, and each of them have things that are devoted towards self-sufficiency and amalgamating those things, along with state and local government and some of the things that they offer, as well as the private sector, the faith-based groups. and, you know, a whole host of individuals who are interested in empowering people. And some of the examples are one of the agencies actually will train elderly people in child care.

And they can actually get child care certification. They can make more money. And that's a wonderful thing because, you know, the system, as a different, exist now, we're in the process of changing it through our rental reforms means if you make more money, you immediately have to report it so your rent can go up. So you're saying, well, why am I going to do that? Or if you get married or bring another income-producing person into the environment, your rent goes up, or you lose your subsidy altogether. So anyway, they come in, they train this elderly woman in child care. Now she's incentivized to actually do it. And, and

and her three neighbors who are likely to be single moms whose education ended with that first child now have an opportunity to get their GED or associate's degree, bachelor's degree, whatever, become self-sufficient, teach that to her children, and that's how we begin to break those cycles of poverty. And the Envision Centers have facilities to help people be able to get that education and get those degrees, get the training. We hooked them up with a whole host of, you know, apprenticeships and training opportunities for people so they can get the kind of skills that will allow them to become independent. I'm glad you brought it back to some of the people who are seeing progress and being helped. I know one of the other things that you're doing at HUD is telling those stories,

the humans of HUD, if you will. Why is it important to relate it back to the individuals who are turning their lives around. Well, because so often, you know, we get nothing but bad news. And there is nothing that encourages someone, like seeing somebody who was exactly like they were and how they've managed to turn things around. So, you know, the whole website, our whole website is beautiful now. I encourage people to go to HUD.gov. It's really more entertaining than HBO.

You have a really good time looking around and clicking on things, but make sure you click on the humans of HUDs and see some of those stories, one of which is about a woman who was having trouble, finding a place to live, even though she had a Section 8, a Housing Choice voucher, finally was able to find somebody who would take it, enrolled in one of our self-sufficiency programs, got nursing training, became a nurse, became independent,

it became a home owner and is now also a landlord who accepts housing choice vouchers. So, you know, complete 360 there. And there's so much power in telling those personal stories. And I know The Daily Signal, we try to do that as well. How would you say HUD is operating today differently under President Trump and your leadership than in the past? Well, one of the big things, perhaps the biggest thing, is that we now have a CFO. This organization was without a CFO for eight and a half years before I came.

And can you imagine with the billions of dollars that flow through here? And Irv Dennis, who came here from Ernst & Young, 37-year veteran, we are just thrilled the way he's putting in the financial controls and fixing things. Now, some people don't like it. The people who were benefiting from our inefficiencies out there in a fill, getting money under the table and stuff, they don't like it, but that's okay. But he said that Ernst & Young would never have taken this place on as a client, because that's how bad things were.

But that is being changed dramatically. And, you know, we're modernizing our IT systems, creating an electronic dashboard, which gives us real-time information about all the places where money has been allocated. And all of that makes us into a much more efficient organization. I want to ask you about one of the priorities that President Trump has outlined for all of the different cabinet agencies, and that's to take a close look at regulation. And I know we've seen across the federal government a reduction in some of the burdens that have been placed on businesses and people. How does HUD contribute to reducing some of those burdens on the Americans?

Well, you know, I've asked all the divisions to take a deep dive into the regulatory and sub-regulatory environment, and they've come up with over 700. It's pretty impressive. But some of the things that will be very practical, for instance, the manufactured housing. Now, most people, when they think of manufactured housing, they think about trailers. But that's not really the bulk of manufactured housing now. It's, you know, the modular homes that really can be put up fairly quickly are structurally very sound. In fact, tolerate hurricanes better than site-built homes. And in most cases, in looking at one, you wouldn't be able to tell it wasn't a site-built home. And yet, the cost is significantly less. and, you know, removing some of the regulations that really applied more to mobile-type homes has, you know, opened that market up quite a bit.

And those are the kinds of things that we really want to facilitate. Conservatives, they often approach government programs with some suspicion. What's your message to those people who might be critical of government assistance? My message is, if... If you utilize the funding correctly, you empower people and they become self-sufficient. And then you don't have to support them anymore. If you don't, you get an ever-growing, unsustainable number of dependent people. And eventually you won't be able to sustain them.

And eventually you'll have all kinds of riots and class warfare. So I say, think ahead. You've got to think like a chess game. not like a checker game. President Trump has recently asked you to lead the White House Council on opportunity and revitalization. What does it mean to you to serve in this leadership role? Well, it's actually sort of a natural place because many of the opportunity zones,

which are selected by the governors in all 50 states as well as the five territories in D.C. are already the places that we serve. And now to have this extra infusion of capital into these areas on a win-win basis is singing my song, exactly. You know, for those who may not be familiar, the opportunity zones were created as resolved with the tax cut in Jobsville of 2017. and provides an opportunity for people to take unrealized capital gains and invest them in economically deprived areas. And if you leave that investment in for five to seven years, first of all, you get the deferral on paying the capital gains tax for five to seven years. But you also get a 10% decrement on the taxes that you, may owe, if you put it in for seven or more years, that's up to 15%.

And if you leave it in for 10 years, then you have to pay no capital gains at all on the new money that resulted from the investment. So it's a pretty powerful incentive, but more importantly, it's estimated that it'll bring at least $100 billion into these zones. And of course, as they start to be revitalized, that automatically attracts other things. So, you know, there's the peripheral effect that is even greater than the $100 billion. This week, HUD released its annual homelessness count. What do the latest numbers tell us?

Well, first of all, you know, it is a tremendous problem because you have a lot of pressures on price. prices going up, rental prices, home prices, much faster actually than wages are. And so we have a significant supply and demand issue, and it's leaving a lot of people out in the coal. Now, a lot of the people who are homeless are in sheltered situations. They're in transitional homes or emergency shelters. In fact, the majority, the vast majority of them are. But that doesn't mean that we don't need to solve that problem.

Now, the number actually went up slightly, 0.3%, which is just a matter of a few thousand people. And in light of the fact that we've got this real pressure on pricing, you know, we obviously, if we weren't making a lot of progress, it would be going up steeply. We wanted to go down, which means working with the municipalities, to create affordable housing. That's absolutely critical. And, you know, we could easily explain away the increase by just talking about, you know, Irma and Harvey and Maria and the people who had to go into the disease.

disaster shelters, and if you subtract that out, then the number's going down. But, you know, I don't really like to concentrate on what the reasons are as much as what are the solutions. How do we actually get to it? And you have to look at focused attention on a specific problem. So, you know, for instance, we focus attention on the veterans through HUD and through the VA, which provides the wraparound services while we provide the housing. and that number year over year has gone down 5.4%.

Tremendous success there. Also families with children. That's gone down 2.7%. So, you know, obviously we're making progress. 31 states have decreases in the amount of homelessness. So there is progress, but we still have a lot more progress to make. and it is potentially an issue that can be solved. But it requires federal, state, and local cooperation.

And where we have that, that's where we see the most progress. Yeah, there are certainly so many groups, both in the public sector and private sector, you know, working to combat this. And it's a big focus of our president at the Heritage Foundation as well, K. K. Kohl's James, to address the issue of poverty. You know, one of the things that comes up frequently, it seems, with government agencies is religious liberty. And there was a recent case out of Washington State.

I'm not sure you're familiar with the particular details, but from my understanding, a Washington State Senior Living Center recently banned its residents from saying Merry Christmas or singing religious Christmas carols. And they claim that the reason that they couldn't do this is because they accept funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Now, whether it's this case specifically or others like it, what are your comments with regard to actions that people might take like this? I hope someone doesn't think that we're behind anything so arcane and silly as keeping people from, you know, greeting people in that way. But I'll look and make sure that there isn't anything. I don't know of anything like that.

That would be ridiculous. Yeah, Alliance Defending Freedom, which is arguing the case. case has said that there's no HUD rule or any government rule that would prohibit such a thing. And it was, you know, probably a convenient excuse that the local operator was trying to make. I suspect so. But, you know, it is an issue in our society now, the polarization, people getting into, you know, their little corner and thinking that it is the only way and nobody else can have an opinion that varies from theirs or they're their enemy to be destroyed. I don't know where this kind of thinking came from. That certainly was not at the beginning of this nation's origins.

Rob and I recently had the opportunity to interview Armstrong Williams, and he had nothing but praise for you, and he described your role as having a calming effect on President Trump, citing the prayer you delivered in a cabinet meeting one time. Can you talk about your relationship? Actually, the president is, I think it's a bad rap. He's actually a very nice person. But, you know, he doesn't, he has a hard time ignoring attacks. Let's put it that way. If people weren't attacking him so much and were working with him, they would find a really very different person.

But I don't know that they actually want to find a different person. I think they enjoy, you know, the show. And that's why they keep attacking everything. And he keeps responding to them. He's a wonderful person. I enjoy being around him. My wife enjoys being around him. And I hope before all this is said and done,

you know, we see an environment where everything isn't always attack mode. And when people actually see how smart he is, he's a very smart guy. I mean, I've been around a lot of smart people, but, you know, he has very good energy. insights and instincts, and his wife does too. She's very good at identifying bad people. You know, finally, Secretary Carson, I want to ask, you have lived such a remarkable life. The American dream, I think many people would point to growing up in a rough community

and becoming a world-famous doctor and the successful surgeries that you performed, to running for president and now serving. in this role. What is your message from your own personal experience to those out there who, you know, maybe down and looking for a message of hope? I would say, just remember that the person who has the most to do with what happens to you is you. And the choices that you make, if you have a normal brain, you are endowed with a most special gift. The human brain is the most. fantastic organ system in the universe. It remembers everything you've ever seen, everything you've

ever done, everything you've ever heard. It can process more than two million bits of information and one second. You can't overload it. I mean, it is just an amazing thing. If you program it the right way, the possibilities are almost limitless. Having said that, it is our duty and we will be rewarded for it if we make sure that all the people in our society have an opportunity to develop that brain. And we need to provide opportunities, ladders of opportunity, and help people move up that ladder. And that will only enhance the strength of our society when we do that. Secretary Carson, thank you so much for being with the Daily Signal. It's always a pleasure.

Do you have an opinion that you'd like to share? I'm Rob Blewey, editor-in-chief of the Daily Signal, and I'm inviting you to share your thoughts with us. Leave us a voicemail at 202-608-6205, or email us at letters atdailysignal.com. Yours could be featured on the Daily Signal podcast. Thanks for sending us your letters to the editor, Each Monday we feature some of our favorites, both on this show and in our Morning Bell email newsletter.

Ginny, we had quite a response to your story about the White House Christmas decorations. So what's in the mailbag? Well, first up, Cindy Gordon writes, I love the first lady. Melania, you are awesome. You have great taste. The red trees seem symbolic of the precious blood spilled. It breaks my heart to think of the moms and dads, wives and husbands, and children who gave their family members for a country that no longer understands freedom. If your message is that of sacrifice, Melania, it needs to be felt.

If it doesn't mean that, please message me, and next year, I will help you decorate. I'm really good at it. Well, and our next letter comes from Mike Marini of South Lake Tahoe, California, who writes, Thank you, Ginny Montalbano for standing up for America. There is so much negativity about our country and its disappearing values. Those of us who believe in all the good things that are America need to speak out. I am tired and gravely disappointed in the many who disrespect our country and especially the many sacrifices of our men and women in the military. I was one of them years ago. I understand their commitment and passion for our country. I shake my head at the attitudes of many, young and old, and the gutless actions of many politicians who coutow to such.

Your letter could be featured on next week's show. Send an email to Letters at DailySignal.com leave a voicemail message at 202-608-6205. Liberals have pretty much cornered the market on 101-style podcasts that break down tough policy issues in the news. Until now, did you know that every week Heritage Explains intermingles personal stories, news clips, and facts from heritage experts to help explain some of today's hardest issues from a conservative perspective? Look for Heritage Explains on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. It was Mother Teresa who said,

quote, we shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do. And for a teenager in Texas, a smile is now possible thanks to a generous Christmas gift that covered the cost of his braces. Here's the story from K-E-N-S-TV in San Antonio.

With my dad's death and stuff, it's been really rough on the family. Jonathan Coyro knew that braces would fix more than just a smile. I have some really, like, I have a lot of gaps in my teeth, and I've been really insecure about it. But when his father passed away, the dream of a perfect smile was gone. When Jonathan knew that we can't afford the braces because it was close to $5,000.

I just kind of just dealt with it. I was just thinking I'm just going to live with it. I'll be able to pay for it maybe when I grow up. First thing I told Jonathan is don't worry about it because he was trying to give me his birthday money. Then a Christmas miracle changed everything. I'll see you a lot. So you're going to be my patient. So me and my team, we try to find a way to make him smile,

to make him happy about how he looks. So today, Jonathan got his braces. Thankful for future smiles and the one smiling down on him from heaven. If he was here, I don't know. I hug him and cry. And he'd probably do the same. That is truly a heartwarming story. We're going to leave it there for today.

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