Posted on 02/08/2018 9:36:08 AM PST by SeekAndFind
If the states are supposed to be laboratories for democracy, where new ideas that reflect regional attitudes can flourish, then cities are like micro-laboratories. Local governments can try out ideas that would never get statewide traction. Unfortunately, some California cities are more like laboratories run by Dr. Frankenstein, where frightening concepts are given life — and local residents have few other choices than to flee to other places.
Most conservatives are familiar with the goings-on in San Francisco, where stringent rent-control laws have — I know you’re surprised by this — led to the least affordable rents and most unaffordable home prices. Parts of the “City by the Bay” resemble an open-air cesspool, given the homeless problem caused by myriad public policies. It’s magnificently beautiful, though, so the city remains a magnet despite its officials’ best efforts to destroy it.
But what happens to a city that has few natural advantages, a less-desirable climate and nothing in particular to draw people to it? Apparently, Stockton — an historic San Joaquin Valley agricultural and port city 80 miles east of San Jose — is trying to cram every conceivable bad experiment into its 64.75 square miles. The latest idea is to offer a “universal basic income” to a few dozen residents to see what happens when you give people money for nothing.
KQED News pinpoints some of Stockton’s enduring problems: “Wage stagnation. Rising housing prices. Loss of middle-class jobs. The looming threat of automation.” We can add some others: A dreadful violent-crime problem, trash-strewn streets, a vacant downtown that could be a movie set for a third installment of Blade Runner, crumbling public services, overpaid public employees, high taxes, and a troubled city budget.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
One quick result will be that all the local prices will increase in proportion to the free money being pumped into the community. Expect to see much higher prices for Kool cigarettes, malt liqueur and basketball shoes.
They are already in Compton. Did you mean Stockton?
The “new Mayor of Stockton” is a 26 year-old Black kid! What could possibly go wrong? Actually, with all the Mexicans living in Stockton, I’m sort of surprised that they would elect this guy. One of our former neighbors, moved to Stockton about 15 years ago after retiring as a Pan Am 747 pilot and bought a 60 acre farm with the proceeds from the sale of 5 acres here ( about a million dollars). He ended up bankrupt, driving a fertilizer truck when he died of a heart attack at the wheel. Now his widow, farm gone, has to cope with Stockton as “home,” fearful of leaving her apartment there because of the Mexican gangs and drug dealers, nearly all of whom are also illegal Mexicans.
Time to buy a chain of liquor stores in Stockton. Government will be funding the business.
Keep them under control to insure the democRATS get their votes.
We will be printing out maps of Stockton with all the Welcome Freeloader sites marked in red.
That will go with the one way bus tickets to Stockton.
We will be working on ways, to give them a $25 gift certificate if they stay in Stockton for 90 days.
Because the money is coming from “the government” it will create a multiplier effect boosting the entire economy.....
If it were coming from evil corporations it would be trickle down crumbs.....
(Source: Marx economics 101)
Hate to rain on the liberals parade of great new ideas, but,
Don’t we already do something similar, in that, people on public assistance are getting a basic level of support? With public assistance payments, food stamps/EBT, section 8 housing subsidies, aren’t we already doing this basic income thing for the needy?
Or is this basic income supposed to be over and above, and on top of, whatever other public assistance benefits someone is entitled to? Will this basic income replace any of the existing aid given to the poor?
In an earlier report that said there would be no questions asked and no records kept. In other words this will become a Democrat slush fund to buy votes, nothing more, nothing less.
I like when cities enact these programs. less riffraff in other cities.
Why do I get the feeling that as a California resident (San Jose) I will be picking up the tab for this insanity.
They’ll be showing up to the weekend cockfights in tuxedoes now.
Stockton is a Dump, I moved out when I turned 18 and never looked back except for visits to Mom. She moved to Tucson,AZ so we never went back to sick old Stockton.
This free money is just one more way to drive Stockton back into Bankrupt status. Town is full of MS-13, Drugs, and Crime.
Hmmmmm ... maybe Texas can pay liberals to move to California?
Become bankrupter.
The “new Mayor of Stockton” is a 26 year-old Black kid!
We only have to look at all the Muslims, Hispanic types and other foreigners crowding our hospitals for care of every condition. We just had the come to America, Obama and Pelosi will give you a home, food, medical, education and anything you want. It is time to cut all entitlements/gravy to you work or you starve.
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