Originally published at: FREE INCOME! California Town Tests ‘Universal Basic Income’ for Some Residents | Sean Hannity
A town in California is one of the first in the nation to test a pilot program for a “universal basic income” scheme; with a non-profit organization doling out $500 per month to average-income residents.
“Susie Garza has never heard of [Presidential candidate Andrew] Yang. But since February, she’s been getting $500 a month from a nonprofit in Stockton, California, as part of an experiment that offers something unusual in presidential politics: a trial run of a campaign promise, highlighting the benefits and challenges in real time,” reports the Associated Press.
“Garza can spend the money however she wants. She uses $150 of it to pay for her cellphone and another $100 or so to pay off her dog’s veterinarian bills. She spends the rest on her two grandsons now that she can afford to buy them birthday presents online and let them get the big bag of chips at the 7-Eleven,” adds the AP.
“I’ve never been able to do that. I thought it was just the coolest thing,” said Garza. “I like it because I feel more independent, like I’m in charge. I really have something that’s my own.”
“I think poverty is immoral, I think it is antiquated and I think it shouldn’t exist,” said Stockton, California’s 29-year-old Democratic mayor.
Presidential hopeful Andrew Yang is a vocal supporter of a “basic universal income,” arguing all Americans should receive a $1000 per month to protect average workers from the economic dangers posed by job automation and technology.
Read the full report at the Associated Press.
