California city testing guaranteed income.

[jmesser1982]

I found this quote interesting. Nothing says independence like relying on a government handout.

 “I like it because I feel more independent, like Iâ€m in charge. I really have something thatâ€s my own.”

https://apnews.com/758f8d90cb664ba5bca303f93e46da3a

[lrrps21]

She uses $150 of it to pay for her cellphone.

Unemployed for 18 years and she spends 30% of the UBI on a cell phone.

[Hightop77]

Welcome to the future.



“I think poverty is immoral, I think it is antiquated and I think it shouldnâ€t exist,” said Michael Tubbs, the cityâ€s 29-year-old Democratic mayor.

Stockton demographics
43% Hispanic
12% Black
22% Asian

[ScarletHayes]

I'm assuming this money is coming from the city's tax revenue?  What could possibly go wrong with this?  

[cincydawg]

I've suggested we "give" everyone who earns nothing $15 K a year, and nothing else.  Nobody would be in poverty.

It would be cheaper than current programs.  If they earn a bit, they lose part of this free money but not all of it until they reach say $30 K in income.

And yes, many would spend it on a cell phone, their dog, and chips for their grandkids.

[zigbee]

The stupidity is breathtaking.  Herbert Hoover said it back in early 1930s....hand out money and self esteem is gone and so is will to get ahead and work for a living.   Bunch of dummies.

[cincydawg]

I tried to tote up how much "we" spend on "poverty" in the US.  It's a depressing figure, especially if you include Medicaid.

Just dole out money to CITIZENS and let them waste it if they want, would be a lot cheaper and END poverty technically.

[zigbee]

I tried to tote up how much "we" spend on "poverty" in the US.  It's a depressing figure, especially if you include Medicaid.

Just dole out money to CITIZENS and let them waste it if they want, would be a lot cheaper and END poverty technically.

The idea is to see people getting out of poverty and offering money like that just encourages it.   Bad idea.

[P1tchblack]

California is full of ignorant people, so this is not surprising.

[cincydawg]

I tried to tote up how much "we" spend on "poverty" in the US.  It's a depressing figure, especially if you include Medicaid.

Just dole out money to CITIZENS and let them waste it if they want, would be a lot cheaper and END poverty technically.

The idea is to see people getting out of poverty and offering money like that just encourages it.   Bad idea.

I don't think it would encourage it any more than the current programs.

And I'd note this "city program" is being funded privately, not by the city.

[Hightop77]

I tried to tote up how much "we" spend on "poverty" in the US.  It's a depressing figure, especially if you include Medicaid.

Just dole out money to CITIZENS and let them waste it if they want, would be a lot cheaper and END poverty technically.

I wish you would just stop reciting this.  You could pass out $100,000 a year to many of these people and they would blow it very quickly and then we would still have to give them food stamps, Medicaid, housing, etc.  If we don't have the discipline to deal with it now, what makes you think we would just because we hand them some cash?  Government programs don't go away.

[jmesser1982]

I tried to tote up how much "we" spend on "poverty" in the US.  It's a depressing figure, especially if you include Medicaid.

Just dole out money to CITIZENS and let them waste it if they want, would be a lot cheaper and END poverty technically.

I have seen various figures for the total amount spent on the losing war on poverty. They range from 15 trillion to 23 trillion. A fair amount of money regardless.


This year the federal, state, and local governments will spend close to a combined $1 trillion to fund more than 100 separate anti-poverty programs. In fact, since Lyndon Johnson declared “war on poverty” in 1965, government efforts to fight poverty have cost more than $23 trillion.

https://www.cato.org/publications/commen...ar-poverty

[cincydawg]

And imagine how much of that trillion is spent on overhead, staffing, etc.

A MUCH smaller group could manage my program.

[jmesser1982]

And imagine how much of that trillion is spent on overhead, staffing, etc.

A MUCH smaller group could manage my program.

No doubt but here is the flaw in your proposal. Give everyone 15 grand a year. My bet would be people like the old crackhead in the original story would be broke in a month. Drugs, rims and stereo systems are costly. The bleeding hearts would be crying about how the govt is killing people by starving them. Personally I would not give a dang, let them starve. But the rino's in congress would never stand for it.

[cincydawg]

Yes, that would happen, but folks would know they had no excuse, so there would be no pity for them.

All these fancy programs do the same thing, but with great complexity.  Give a person a SNAP card and they sell it for 30 cents on the dollar and spend that on crack.

Just give them a photo ID card with money on it.  Have folks ascertain they are citizens and have no known income and given them money.

No Section 8, no medicaid, no welfare, no SNAP, just money, done.  Bye.

Waste it, that's on you.  It would END poverty in the US as we measure that.