Posted on 05/29/2018 5:07:43 PM PDT by Kaslin
Sometimes you just need to think outside of the box. That’s apparently the key to success in Stockton, California where their young mayor, Michael Tubbs, has some interesting plans to turn things around for the citizens of his community. One idea, which we’ve seen before in Europe on occasion (without much success), is a guaranteed basic income for some of his residents. Nothing to retire on, mind you. Just $500 per month to keep the basics covered.
But Stockton has other problems, including some gang violence issues. How do you deal with that successfully when so many larger cities have failed? By taking the same approach. Tubbs wants to identify the people most likely to shoot someone and pay them $1,000 a month not to. And before you ask… no. I’m not even joking. (LA Times)
Tubbs, a Stockton native and Stanford graduate who is all of 27 years old, wants to give at least $500 a month to a select group of residents. They’ll be able to spend it as they wish, for 18 months, in a pilot program to test the impact of what’s called guaranteed basic income.
If the very sound of that knocked you half off your chair, this next initiative might finish the job.
Stockton is about to award stipends of up to $1,000 a month to residents deemed most likely to shoot somebody. This program is called Advance Peace, and it’s modeled after a crime reduction program in the Bay Area city of Richmond.
You see, the theory here is that only a small number of people are responsible for a large portion of the violence in the community. They would be the really hardcore gangbangers who are most prone to see violence as a solution. If you can get them to stop shooting people, a big chunk of your gun violence problem goes away. At this point, you’re probably thinking to yourself, holy cow! How did nobody else think of this already? But examining the idea a bit further, you might begin to wonder whether or not this might be seen as some sort of reward program for violent felons. Never you fear. Mayor Tubbs wants you to know that it’s nothing of the kind.
“Let me be clear, Advance Peace is not a get out of jail free card,” Tubbs wrote in explaining the program on Stockton’s public safety website. “Participating in this program doesn’t erase the past, but it does help these young men learn how to make better choices for their own and our community’s collective future.”
We’ve discussed the idea of Basic Guaranteed Income here in the past and I’m not going to wade back in and cover the same territory. But “Advance Peace?” I’m guessing that the only way to identify people who are “the most likely to shoot somebody” would be to select candidates from a pool of people who have some, er… experience in that area. And if they’re already shooting people, don’t you have some other sort of public service program they’d qualify for? I think it’s called “prison” or something like that.
The problem is that this isn’t just some crackpot idea from a guy running for office who is trying to gain attention. He’s already in office, so this has an outside chance of becoming reality. With that in mind, all of you people who enjoy recreationally shooting up your fellow human beings might want to head out to Stockton. This could be worth some extra cash.
...Stockton is about to award stipends of up to $1,000 a month to residents deemed most likely to shoot somebody...
Does the Mayor have a particular Target in mind.
We should send ours there...
how will this 1/4wit know they haven't shot anybody?
Where do we sign up for this free giveaway ? ( hint: get in on this boondoggle while it’s still available. Stockton is a bankrupt city - this free money won’t last long)
Send me four thousand or I keel you!
Madness.
Pure Euro-suididal madness
A monthly stipend for shooters to BLOAT? Sounds like another great Lib idea.
Well, for the welfare minded radical leftist Democrats, this is one way to pay for losers in a loser city.
Let this pansy mayor pay for his bums.
They can use the money to go out and buy a really nice gun
I done ain’t never had no kinda thought bout killin nobody, reckon dey awts tuh gimme ten grand a munt. Fo dat much I gon quit killin da fire ants ebem.
California people certainly do seem to like this sort of thing.
Give money? To stop violent shootings? Well, some people aren’t in it for the money, they just like to see the world burn. (Or shoot people, or whatever.) Crazy!
Look at my furrowed brow! The look of intensity! My (henna) tats!
$1K dammit!
3 more cities and I am set FOR LIFE!
I have never shot anyone and I will promise not to ever shoot anyone. Can I get the money?
Ah, yes...Swatting Conservatives.
Only those with MS-13 experience need apply.
I wish the entire, left-wing, psychotic bunch would actually keep a promise for once, and secede. I would party for a week!
;^)
Anything to destroy the Republic.....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.