ABSTRACT

Economic growth in a community must be designed to raise the conditions of all people and all businesses in a community. There is a double loss if groups are left behind as the community grows. The creation or extension of an economic underclass that is not part of the economic advance means that the community is not gaining growth at the maximum possible rate because it has excluded a portion of its assets from the larger effort. At the same time, it has created a set of individuals who require support from those whose fortunes have advanced and who now must contribute, through taxes at a minimum, to the care of others. This means the expenditure of wealth on taxes rather than investment or the purchase of goods and services that yields several additional iterations of spending in the community.