Lent C. Carr, II: Eradicating Poverty in Our Lifetime--The Bipartisan "PEACE AGENDA"

Candidate for U.S. Congress, North Carolina’s 9th District Championing the Poor, Fighting for Justice, Delivering Economic Dignity

THE PROBLEM: Poverty Is a Policy Choice — and a Moral Failure

In the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, over 38 million Americans still live in poverty. Millions more live one missed paycheck away from disaster. From rural towns in Anson and Richmond Counties to struggling neighborhoods in Mecklenburg, poverty is not caused by laziness, but by broken systems that reward the wealthy and punish the working poor.

North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District—rich in talent, faith, and resilience—still faces rampant inequality:

• Families in food deserts without access to fresh, healthy meals

• Seniors choosing between medicine and rent

• Veterans sleeping on the street they once fought to defend

• Mothers working two jobs with no healthcare or childcare support

• Rural counties disinvested and disconnected

Homeless Elderly American Woman in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District

Poverty persists not because we lack resources, but because we lack the political will to confront greed with grace, and injustice with investment.

MY VISION: Economic Dignity for Every North Carolinian

As your next Congressman, I will lead a moral, economic, and legislative movement to eradicate poverty in our lifetime. This is not a utopian dream—it is a moral imperative backed by sound policy, fiscal strategy, and grassroots empowerment.

MY PLAN OF ACTION: The "PEACE AGENDA" to End Poverty

P.E.A.C.E. stands for: Prosperity, Equity, Access, Community, and Empowerment. This comprehensive legislative and community platform will:

1. Prosperity Through Living Wages and Job Guarantees

• Federal Living Wage Act: Champion legislation to establish a federal minimum wage tied to inflation, beginning at $20/hour, adjusted annually.

• Federal Job Guarantee: Work with progressive coalitions to ensure a job for every able American, focusing on infrastructure, green energy, care economy, and public service.

2. Equity in Taxation and Wealth Distribution

• Tax the Ultra-Wealthy: Introduce progressive tax reforms on billionaires and large corporations to close loopholes and ensure the ultra-rich pay their fair share.

• Universal Basic Income Pilot: Launch UBI pilot programs in rural and urban poverty zones across the 9th District—delivering direct cash payments to families in need.

• Child Poverty Eradication Bill: Reinstate and expand the Child Tax Credit that lifted millions out of poverty before it was irresponsibly stripped away.

3. Access to Affordable Housing, Healthcare & Education

• Housing is a Human Right: Fund affordable housing, pass anti-gentrification legislation, and build community land trusts in low-income areas.

• Medicare for All: Guarantee universal, single-payer healthcare—no co-pays, no deductibles, no more choosing between rent and insulin.

• Tuition-Free Community College & Trade Schools: Invest in education pipelines from high school to skilled trades and college—especially in rural and poor communities.

4. Community-Led Economic Development

• Rural Empowerment Zones: Designate distressed counties in NC-09 as empowerment zones, offering federal grants for local businesses, co-ops, and nonprofits.

• Black and Brown Farmer Investment Act: Provide reparative investment and land access to marginalized farmers who’ve historically been denied USDA support.

• Digital Equity Infrastructure: Bring broadband internet to every home, school, and church in our district—because opportunity today requires connectivity.

5. Empowerment Through Justice and Fair Representation

• End Criminalization of Poverty: Push federal mandates against cash bail, debtor’s prisons, and criminal penalties for poverty-based offenses.

• Restore Voting Rights: Guarantee automatic voter registration, end purges, and ensure formerly incarcerated citizens have a voice in shaping their future.

• Community Voice Investment Board: Create a federally funded board of grassroots leaders in NC-09 to guide spending and local development priorities.

Lent Carr, and volunteers of National Congressional Voting Caucus for Human Rights

LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES I WILL CHAMPION IN CONGRESS

✅ The "Eradicate Poverty Act of 2026" – comprehensive legislation aimed at eliminating poverty by 2040

✅ The "American Jobs & Justice Guarantee" – ensuring full employment, wage justice, and racial equity in public investment

✅ The "Affordable Housing and Homelessness Prevention Act"

✅ The "Care for All Act" – supporting caregivers, expanding childcare, eldercare, and home care

✅ The "Rural Renaissance & Food Security Act" – ensuring no community or child goes hungry

MY COMMITMENT: Moral Leadership Rooted in Experience

As someone born into the struggle, raised in the fire, and refined through faith and service, I’ve felt the sting of poverty and injustice. I’ve also seen the power of collective action and policy to uplift the forgotten.

I will not be bought by lobbyists. I will not bow to corporate greed.I will stand shoulder to shoulder with the poor, the working class, our veterans, our seniors, our rural families, our children, and the voiceless—until we eradicate poverty in our lifetime.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT

We don’t need pity.We need power.We need policy.And we need people like you—willing to vote, speak, and stand for a better tomorrow.

🔗 Learn more at www.lentcarrforuscongress.com🗳️ Volunteer. Donate.

Vote. Help elect Professor Dr. Lent Carr, II, and let’s make poverty history in NC-09.