Michigan- U.S. Senator Rand Paul visited Detroit today,  at the Detroit Athletic Club, to talk about the details of his “Economic Freedom Zones” plan, which he alleges will help revitalize urban communities.

This taps into the idea former U.S. Rep Jack Kemp had about “Enterprise Zones”, These zones were supposed to “spur economic growth in urban areas”.

I see this as classic race politics, in that it is no different morally and constitutionally, than the Big Government social programs of the Democrats.

First of all, every urban city in the nation is plagued by high murder rates, high illiteracy rates, a lack of stable homes and the bigotry of low expectation in a community that once thrived on high expectations and the noble concept of “each one reach one, each one teach one”.

Secondly, add to that the Federal and State laws that have marginalized local workers for decades such as the Davis Bacon Act, Prevailing Wages and Project Labor Agreements.

Throw in the devastating impact that the Department of Education has had on our public schools and how, especially in the urban cities, the path to “American Exceptionalism” has been all but off the table for millions of children due to the selfishness and greed of teachers unions and career politicians.

Trying to sell Black Americans, or any American living in urban communities, the idea of promising corporations tax breaks for doing business in their community is not only misleading, it strays away from the reality that we need to strengthen our free market nationally via repealing bad labor laws, while also getting rid of a failed tax code.

In effect, free market solutions are good for the nation and should not be subject to race politics or regional favors, while the rest of the nation gets beat up by “Big Government”.

Sen. Paul also suggest slashing individual income taxes to a flat rate of 5 percent and lowering payroll taxes while getting rid of capital gains taxes.

Excuse me! Instead of picking winners and losers, as Paul’s plan would do, why not sell the idea of a flat tax or fair tax to Detroit residents. Talking in plain English to the people, relating the plan to them in a manner that they might understand, detailing how they would benefit locally just as any other community in the nation would?

It is clear to me that Sen. Paul is banking on exploiting the Constitutional illiteracy of local voters and the lack of understanding about the role of government. Paul is seemingly looking to pick up votes rather than educating about free market solutions that are good for all of the American people..

If Detroit is going to economically recover, there must be, first and foremost, a revolutionary change of values among its residents. They are going to have to “buy in” to their role in promoting public safety and putting more emphasis on higher expectations and increased literacy both traditionally and constitutionally.

It is going to have to start in the home! No public policy will matter, for no corporation is going to put a business in a zone where the CEO of the company is more likely to be murdered there than he is in Iraq or Afghanistan…..Would you?

Finally, scrapping the current tax code and implementing a flat tax of 10-17 percent would benefit all Americans . We don’t need to promote tax plans that liberate some from tyranny, while leaving the masses in economic bondage.

Repealing the Davis Bacon Act at the federal level would have an immediate impact, potentially creating over 200,000 new job opportunities in urban.

Communities where local workers who are mostly non-union, unskilled labor would have an opportunity to get job training and employment in industries where harsh labor laws currently marginalize them and feed them false promises with quota systems.

Repealing Prevailing Wage in Michigan would have the same impact at the state level as repealing the Davis Bacon Act. The beneficial effects would be immediate and long term, seeing more schools built and roads repaired in Michigan cities.

If Sen. Rand Paul and the Republican Party are sincere about seeing urban cities revitalized rather than simply using smoke screens to win votes, they should stand proudly on the Republican platform of limited government, individual freedom, free market solutions and a strong national defense.

Republicans need to demonstrate how the party’s ideas of lower taxes and various other reforms will serve the city of Detroit, the State of Michigan and the American people.

Playing the game of race politics and selling out the masses of the American people to the benefit of the some of the people, is not the right solution.

It is certainly not demonstrative of the Republican Platform which says it stands for a true Free Market.