>>> TWO YEARS AGO THE THEN MAYOR
OFSTOCKTON CALIFORNIA HAD AN
IDEA.
TESTING A UNIVERSAL INCOME BY
PROVIDING 125 RESIDENTS AN
ADDITIONAL $500 A MONTH FOR TWO
YEARS.
NO WORK REQUIREMENTS, NO
ONE-TIME CHECKS.
JUST SEND PEOPLE THE MONEY EVERY
MONTH FOR TWO YEARS.
PEOPLE THAT RECEIVED THE MONEY
WERE TWICE AS LIKELY TO FIND
FULL EMPLOYMENT THAN THOSE THAT DID NOT.
DID NOT.
THEY SHOWED LOWER RATES OF
DEPRESSION.
LESS THAN 1% WENT TO TOBACCO AND
CAPITOL.
JOINING ME NOW IS THE MAN BEHIND
THAT PLAN, THE FORMER MAYOR OF
STOCKTON MICHAEL TUBS.
HE IS OUT TODAY WITH ME IN
FINDINGS FROM THAT TWO-YEAR
EXPERIENCE.
WHO QUALIFIED TO GET THAT $500
PER MONTH.
>> YOU HAD TO GIVE AT A ZIP CODE
AT OR BELOW THE MEDIAN INCOME OF
$46,000.
SO THERE WAS FOLKS THAT MADE
MORE AND FOLKS THAT MADE LESS,
AND IT WAS TO SHOW HOW THIS
POLICY HELPS EVERYONE THAT
EVERYONE COULD STAND TO BENEFIT
AND IT SEEMS PRESSING GIVEN WHAT WE HAVE SEEN RECENTLY WITH THE
WE HAVE SEEN RECENTLY WITH THE
FALLOUT OF COVID-19.
THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXTRA
MONEY, THEY WON’T NEED TO.
>> LET’S SCREAM THAT FROM THE
MOUNTAIN TOPS.
I SPENT TWO YEARS ARGUING WITH
PEOPLE SAYING $500 IS NOT ENOUGH
TO REPLACE WORK AND THE VAST
MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT CAN WORK
DO WORK.
AND WHAT WE SEE IN THE BASIC
FINDINGS IS THE NOTION THAT $500
WAS ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO PAY FOR
RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION, CAR
FICTIONS, PAYING FOR CHILD CARE.
TAKING TIME OFF FROM THE
PART-TIME JOBS THEY PIECE
TOGETHER TO INTERVIEW FOR A
FULL-TIME JOB.
SO MANY PEOPLE ARE TRAPPED IN
LOW-WAGE WORK OR PART-TIME JOBS
BECAUSE THEY’RE LIVING PAYCHECK
TO PAYCHECK.
AND TO TAKE TIME OFF FROM WORK
TO INTERVIEW FOR A DIFFERENT JOB IS LOSING MONEY.
IS LOSING MONEY.
SO IT LOIALLOWED THEM TO BE
ENTREPRENEURIAL.
>> THAT IS SUCH A SALIENT POINT.
THE IDEA THAT WHEN YOU’RE GIVEN
EXTRA MONEY AND NOT TOLD HOW YOU
CAN SPEND IT.
NOT THAT YOU CAN SPEND IT ON
THIS OR THAT.
NOT TOLD, AND YOU CAN SPEND IT
ON THINGS THAT YOU ACTUALLY
NEED.
TALK TO ME ABOUT THE WAYS IN
WHICH PEOPLE FIND THEMSELVES
TRAPPED IN THIS CYCLE OF
POVERTY, OR TRAPPED IN A JOB
THAT DOESN’T PAY ENOUGH.
>> POVERTY COMPOUNDS.
IT IS SO INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE.
ONCE YOU’RE BEHIND ON BILLS YOU
GET PENALTIES.
YOU GO TO A CHECK CASHING PLACE
YOU OH MORE MONEY.
THE INCOME MAKES SO MUCH SENSE
TODAY BECAUSE WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT PROVIDING PEOPLE A
FINANCIAL FLOOR, AN INCOME
FLOOR, A FINANCIAL VACCINE, IF YOU WILL.
YOU WILL.
WHAT WE KNOW FOR FOLKS THAT ARE
THE RICH GOT RICHER.
AT A TIME WHEN ESSENTIAL WORKERS
ARE RISKING COVID AND DEATH TO
MAKE POVERTY WAGES.
IT’S RIDICULOUS THAT WE SHOULD
HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT
RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE TO $15.
SO A GUARANTEED INCOME IS NOT A
PANACEA FOR EVERYTHING.
BUT IT IS A POWERFUL FOOD
BECAUSE I’M ON FIRE THAT THE
DATA SHOWS WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE
TRUE BEFOREHAND.
IF YOU GIVE PEOPLE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND IN WAYS
THAT YOU AND I WOULD RESPOND.
>> SO JUST ONE OTHER PART OF
THIS STUDY REALLY STUCK WITH ME.
I’M PREGNANT, I HAVE AN ALMOST
2-YEAR-OLD, AND I KNOW WHAT IT’S
LIKE TO BE SUPER STRESSED OUT. AND TO NOT WANT TO TAKE THAT OUT
AND TO NOT WANT TO TAKE THAT OUT
ON MY KID.
WATCHING TV WITH MY KIDS,
BREATHING AND DO HOME WORK WITH
THEM.
MY KIDS HAVE ALWAYS HEARD NO.
IT MAKES ME WANT TO CRY, THE
IDEA THAT PEOPLE WOULD NOT HAVE
THE ABILITY TO DO THOSE BASIC
THINGS THE EXTRA MONEY WOULD
HELP THEM BE HUMAN AND TO HELP
THEM HAVE QUALITY TIME WITH
THEIR FAMILIES.
>> CONGRATULATIONS, MY WIFE IS
EXPECTING IN A COUPLE MONTHS AS
WELL AND WE HAVE A 15 MONTH OLD.
SO UP WITH OF THE BIGGEST THINGS
IS A GOVERNMENT AT IT’S BEST
SHOULD ALLOW PARENTS TO BE
PARTICIPANTS.
AND SOMETHING AS SMALL AS $500
MAKES A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
READING TO YOUR KIDS OR NOT.
BETWEEN BEING STRESSED, ANXIOUS,
AND SHOWING UP, AND YOU HIT IT
ON THE HEAD.
WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT DIGNITY
ATTACHED TO WORK BUT WE HAVE TO
ATTACH DIGNITY TO HUMANITY.
THE INCOME FLOOR ALLOWING PEOPLE
TO BE HUMAN.
WE’RE NOT PUT ON THE EARTH TO
WORK ALL OF THE TIME AND THAT’S
IT.
WE’RE PUT ON THIS EARTH TO BE IN
RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR PEERS,
PARTNERS, AND FAMILIES.
AND WE GUARANTEE THAT UNPAID
LABOR THAT MOSTLY WOMEN DO IN
TERMS OF CARE GIVING AND I THINK
IT IS INCITING BUT ALSO
DEPRESSING BECAUSE THERE ARE SO
MANY PARENTS THAT WANT TO DO
THESE THINGS WITH THEIR PARENTS
BUT THEY CAN’T BECAUSE THEY’RE
WORKING AND WORKING AND WORKING
AND FALLING FURTHER AND FURTHER
BEHIND.
>> IT HELPS THE KIDS TO HAVE THE
PARENTS SPEND TIME WITH THE
KIDS.
BEFORE YOU START SAYING DON’T
HAVE KIDS IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD
THEM, THE REPLACEMENT RATE FOR
THIS COUNTRY IS ON THE DECLINE.
WHEN YOU HAVE A SENIOR, IF YOU
WANT SECURITY ANDOCIAL SECURITY
THE BENEFITS YOU WORK FOR AND
PAID FOR YOU NEED TO MAKE THE
POPULATION STAYS AT THE SAME