No Strings Attached: Stockton California Is Giving Its Residents $500 A Month – IOTW Report

No Strings Attached: Stockton California Is Giving Its Residents $500 A Month

DC: Stockton, Calif., is hosting an economic experiment, choosing 100 of its own residents to receive $500 a month in private funds to approximate the effects of a universal basic income.

The Economic Security Project (ESP) is funding the 18-month project, spending $1 million to conduct the test and monitor how the hand-picked residents spend the extra cash each month. ESP is partnering with Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, who says there will be “no strings” for accepting the payments.

“And then, maybe, in two or three years, we can have a much more informed discussion about the social safety net, the income floor people deserve and the best way to do it because we’ll have more data and research,” Tubbs told Reuters.

The universal basic income, in theory, combats poverty by doling out a fixed amount of cash per month to low-income or unemployed residents to create a guaranteed safety net for. Finland is currently running a two-year trial, giving 2,000 unemployed residents about $685 a month. Finnish authorities are not planning to extend the trial and will analyze the data collected after the program ends in December.  more here

SNIP: They can get it all back from them by raising local taxes.

23 Comments on No Strings Attached: Stockton California Is Giving Its Residents $500 A Month

  1. I have a better idea. How about if Stockton CA gives IOTW commenters a half million bucks to share and we’ll tell them exactly how their economic experiment would turn out.

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  2. Swami see illegal drug prices skyrocketing, a heavy influx of new drug dealers, a mysterious increase in Opioid deaths, cost of 40 ouncers to double, more tattoo parlors, a noticeable increase in crime, and a sudden urge for homeless bums to show interest in relocating to Stockton.

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  3. All the money will go to retired city employees who can pull political strings (AKA union) because Stockton cannot meet pensions for these people, the city is broke.

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  4. The only goal that will accomplish is demand for higher payments from the government. People will want even more for doing less, and less, and less than that. What a grade school moron came up with this?

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  5. From a Reuters article from June 28, 2012 titled, Stockton, California files for bankruptcy.

    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-stockton-bankruptcy/stockton-files-for-chapter-9-bankruptcy-idUSBRE85S05120120629

    “SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Stockton, California, became the largest city to file for bankruptcy in U.S. history on Thursday after years of fiscal mismanagement and a housing market crash left it unable to pay its workers, pensioners and bondholders.”

    “The Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing, a rare event for U.S. municipal debt issuers, was left as the only option to close a deficit of $26 million in Stockton’s budget for its the new fiscal year, according to city officials.”

    “City Manager Bob Deis said he was out of options to balance the city’s budget after deep cuts in recent years to Stockton’s work force. City leaders rejected further cuts to the police department as Stockton is experiencing a surge in violent crime.”

    So how in the hell do they now have money to throw away on this social engineering crap?

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  6. Guys, read the article. It’s being paid for by “Economic Security Project”. who ever the hell that is, but they’re saying it’s not tax payers money. The end result of this will be an increase in the cost of Hot Weapons, Ammo, weed, bongs, crack cocaine, Air Jordans, and Purple Drink.

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  7. Stockton has accepted Marxist economics or is trying to sneak in another Reparations scheme such as farm aid for people who have a flower in a pot (scandal a few years back, now a norm) . Obviously, giving the unemployed $500, contingent upon taking the bus ticket also provided ,resulted in the loss of a social burden but also the loss of a vote. So, remove the ticket part. At some point Leftist city employees will discover, through rigorous analysis, that the recipient was almost able to benefit except that the money was too little. Why not $1000.00 per month or later $1800.00 until the recipient ‘earns’ self esteem? Once the number is reached, and it will be more than elderly broken SS recipients receive, then the program can be administered through ATMs with cost of living increases. A new program that can never be deleted is now formed, critics will be known as racists, jobs being lost because you let it slip that the scheme is not a good idea, every city begins similar programs called” Mercy and Love” but known privately as ” Buy the Vote,” and the currency is once again devalued…when the workers riot, they will fizzle out due to economic woes while the recipients merely wait while the money keeps coming in..Know this..The Left has NEVER had a good idea and spend their lives destroying everything good that they touch..

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  8. @BoTsar JUNE 4, 2018 AT 6:03 PM:
    “I’ll tell you what will happen: Residents that get the money will want more and residents that don’t get it will riot.”

    It’s Stockton; those that don’t get the money will just steal it from those that do. By the way, what is $500 in Pesos?

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  9. Stockton effectively went BELLY UP 15 years ago. The progressive in the White House figured the American taxpayers had way too much $ in their wallets so why not send IRS thugs to take $ from them to give to bankrupt cities. Sotckton is one.. About 2 years later a city W by NW of Stockton ; Valley Joe went belly up and GWB again figured taxpayers has too much $ so lets take some away from taxpayers and send it the the city by the bay. For Easterners Valley Jo is on the Bay; but N by N East of Frisco.

    So as Maggie said 30 years ago progressives are always glad to spend SOMEONE ELSE’S $! 30 years later she is still right. Stockton is spending other peoples money!
    And has been for over a decade!

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