Posted on 12/05/2016 3:53:06 AM PST by usafa92
Dr. Ben Carson will be Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the president-elect’s transition team confirmed Monday morning.
“Ben Carson has a brilliant mind and is passionate about strengthening communities and families within those communities,” Mr. Trump said in a statement released by his team.”We have talked at length about my urban renewal agenda and our message of economic revival, very much including our inner cities. Ben shares my optimism about the future of our country and is part of ensuring that this is a Presidency representing all Americans. He is a tough competitor and never gives up.”
Carson heavily hinted at the HUD position in a Facebook post days earlier, writing, “After serious discussions with the Trump transition team, I feel that I can make a significant contribution particularly to making our inner cities great for everyone.”
“I am honored to accept the opportunity to serve our country in the Trump administration,” Carson was quoted as saying in the statement released Monday. “I feel that I can make a significant contribution particularly by strengthening communities that are most in need. We have much work to do in enhancing every aspect of our nation and ensuring that our nation’s housing needs are met.”
Carson, who has never held elected office and failed earlier this year in a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, speculated to Fox News before Thanksgiving that Mr. Trump’s consideration for the HUD position was in part due to Carson’s upbringing.
“I grew up in the inner city and have spent a lot of time there, and have dealt with a lot of patients from that area and recognize that we cannot have a strong nation if we have weak inner cities,” he said Tuesday.
The 65-year-old has no previous policy experience in the field of urban development.
Carson, who was raised in an impoverished area of Detroit, later rose to prominence as a renowned neurosurgeon who drew national political attention this year when he ran in the Republican primary race earlier this year.
While his presidential campaign was short-lived, Carson has continued to make headlines with his early endorsement of Mr. Trump, and his advisory role with the president-elect.
In September, Mr. Trump toured Carson’s boyhood neighborhood in Detroit with the retired doctor by his side. During that trip, the then-GOP nominee pitched African Americans on his plans for inner cities and promised a “civil rights agenda for our time.”
Carson’s role in the coming administration was unclear as late as last week. Even the neurosurgeon’s longtime friend and adviser, Armstrong Williams, told The Hill that Carson wasn’t interested in running a government agency because he’d never served in a federal capacity.
“Dr. Carson feels he has no government experience, he’s never run a federal agency,” Armstrong said Tuesday. “The last thing he would want to do was take a position that could cripple the presidency.”
Dr Carson is 65 years (not enough years left on the ol Earth) old and no way no how will he be able to reverse these savages way of thinking that WE, the taxpayer, owe them a living.
Especially the ones that are third or fourth generation tit suckers.
“our misunderstanding is near total. Actually probably just gross ignorance.”
No, the poster that I was replying to misstated the issue by assuming that Ben Carson was unqualified because he has no direct experience in administration of this type of agency. I disagreed.
I am arguing that the fact that Mr Carson has not headed a department like this does not make him automatically unqualified because leadership, organizational and thinking skills, often transfer regardless of position.
Your observation would add credence to the selection that he has experience living within the system if not administering it.
One of the skills surgeons have is knowing when to remove diseased or malignant tissue. That might also be a transferable skill.
Maybe Carson’s appointment will shut up the white supremacist Alt Right democrat histeria...but on second thought, probably not.
Actually, I’d contend that HUD Secretary is a fairly useless position for a department that should be dissolved. Less concerned about who occupies the office than why we’re spending federal money on the department itself.
He was not ever in the Military /sarc
It’s my understanding that, before he turned his life around, he was not so peaceable.
I like it. Dr. Carson is a role model who rose from the inner city to the heights of excellence before there was such a thing as Affirmative Action. He'll have insight into the quality of life issues for thriving in that tough environment. The construction issues? Do you seriously think anyone but DJT will have final say there?
Bingo!
Great pick and a quality person.
Pray America woke
I think you may have that a little backwards. His skills at going under the center were used as a Congressman to pick our pockets. Now that is a skill set that was transferrable
Hopefully he has a great staff to do the actual management while laconic Ben gives uplifting speeches
In a sense, yes. There can not be any improvement unless there are those who develop a positive attitude who strive to improve things.
Ok,ok.....
I failed to grasp the positive amongst that perceived as irrelevantly negative.
Good grief, nobody’s perfect! Get a grip.
I watched that speech, it was great!
That’s what he said in his book
I am in give him a chance mode.
I am giving Trump himself a chance - I don’t see why I would not give Dr Carson a chance.
It is an executive position in which he will take advice, make informed decisions, and delegate effectively to meet the expectations of the man giving him his marching orders, namely Trump.
I think he will do fine.
We need an ass kicker to clean up the corruption. I am not sure Ben is literate when it comes to accounting cooking the books...........
Agreed, Carson wouldn’t have much effect as SG. He LIVED in urban housing and was also a bit of a thug when he was young... but he overcame this and is living the American dream.
To me, he probably can have a massive positive impact on HUD and these social issues.
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