Los Angeles County’s guaranteed basic income program is underway, with 1,000 residents now receiving $1,000 a month for the next three years, officials said Tuesday.
The recipients were chosen randomly from more than 180,000 people who applied for the program.
“Given the huge number of L.A. County residents who applied, it’s abundantly clear that a guaranteed basic income is an idea whose time has come,” Supervisor Sheila Kuehl said. “I’m confident that we will see what other pilots have already shown: that a guaranteed basic income, by giving people a bit of financial breathing room, allows them to stabilize their lives and that of their family.
“Three years from now, I feel confident that this L.A. County program will be seen as a foundation stone that led to expanded programs providing economic opportunity and stability to every eligible American household,” Kuehl continued.
The county Board of Supervisors voted to develop the pilot program last year to address poverty and income instability. Participants must be at least 18 years old, have a household income under $56,000 for a single person or $96,000 for a family of four and have experienced negative impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The L.A. County participants were chosen by the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Guaranteed Income, which is researching guaranteed income programs across the country. Recipients receive the money via debit card. They range in age from 18 to 91 and live in communities throughout the county, speaking languages including Armenian, Cantonese, Farsi, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish and English, according to officials with Breathe: L.A. County’s Guaranteed Income Program.
The program administrator, Strength Based Community Change, will keep in touch with the selected participants and assist them throughout the duration of the program to help them reach their personal and financial goals, officials said.
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Jaded by reality… says
I wonder what kind of follow-up was done to verify these people’s circumstances! Most people lie; many are committing some sort of fraud. Know a couple people who applied for those PPP loans who probably shouldn’t have. One person took out a 2nd business license in another name to get more money, and suddenly they were remodeling their home.
My spouse and I grew up poor. We had cheap, low quality food. Everything was white or yellow wrap, or store brand. We drank powdered milk. I had one coat that lasted three years—big first year, just right, then snug the third year. Shoes were a little big and were worn until they fell apart. One nice pair, one pair of sneakers, one pair of sandals/flip flops. One pair of jeans. School clothes then changed to hand-me-down rags for after school. One dress worn every Sunday for two years for church. One TV. One family car. Nothing fancy or flashy. No vacations.
How poor are these people? Because we’ve interacted with people through our service jobs in the public sector. Is someone really poor if they: have expensive, flashy cars, tattoos, fake nails, boob jobs, name brand clothing, shoes, and purses, have closets full of clothes and shoes, have expensive jewelry, smoke, drink, smoke pot/do drugs, take vacations, go to sporting events, go to concerts, go out often to restaurants/bars, own guns, have numerous TVs, and so on?!
I think the definition of poor or low-income has changed over time. Also, many—not all—are victims of their own poor choices. Don’t take advantage of education, get involved with the wrong people, get involved in crime and drugs, etc. I’d be curious to see the short term and long term results of this. Does it really turn things around for people or is it a waste of money and full of fraud?
(Yes, there are homeless, and there are people with physical, mental, and cognitive disabilities. Not really talking about them.)
ACE says
WHO DID THE DRAWING AGAIN..?
AND HOW MANY RECIPIENTS ARE PERSONAL FRIENDS OF SUPERVISOR KUEHL..?
OR FRIENDS OF FRIENDS…
LOTS OF POOR FOLKS HERE THAT NEVER HEARD OF THIS…
SEEMS TO ME THAT THE INCOMES ALLOWED ARE TOO HIGH…
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America's Most Pure As The Driven Snow says
Socialism!
Stinger says
A form of it, yes. A limited experiment to determine if this will help. I question whether it will or not, but I’m willing to await the results.