A prominent billionaire cautioned the nation this week that providing assistance to struggling families would create a dangerous culture of dependency, delivering the warning from a jet whose fuel, hangar, and flight path are subsidized by the public he was addressing.
The billionaire, whose companies have received tax breaks, government contracts, and one memorable bailout, explained that self-reliance is the foundation of character, a lesson he learned from his father, who gave him the company. He added that struggling people simply need grit, a quality he defines as being born correctly.
Sen. Dutch Ravelle praised the remarks as commonsense economics and accepted a donation on the tarmac. The billionaire then flew to a conference on income inequality, where he was the keynote speaker and, technically, the subject.