California Senator and potential 2020 candidate Kamala Harris unveiled her new plan to provide a basic universal income to every American family earning under $100,000 per year Thursday; possibly doling out $500 per month -or $6,000 per year- for her latest tax scheme.
“American families making less than $100,000 a year could be eligible for a monthly tax credit of up to $500, or $6,000 a year, under new legislation announced Thursday by Democratic U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California,” writes the Sacramento Bee.
“Individuals making less than $50,000 would be eligible for up to $250 a month, $3,000 a year,” adds the article.
“Americans are working harder than ever but stagnant wages mean they can’t keep up with cost of living increases,” said Harris in a written statement Thursday.
The left-wing senator joins fellow Democrats -such as Rahm Emanuel and Barack Obama- who have proposed a basic universal income for the country’s poorest.
Read the full story here.
'NOT SUSTAINABLE': Canada Scraps Failed ‘Universal Income’ Project
The Ontario government decided to ditch its universal income project this week, with Ministers saying the expensive pilot program was “clearly not the answer” for the nation’s working families and those below the poverty line.
Children, Community, and Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod announced the province’s decision Tuesday, saying her government would release “more details at a later date” but confirmed the program would cease immediately.
“The pilot project started in April 2017. It was originally set to last three years, and explore the effectiveness of providing a basic income to those living on low incomes — whether they were working or not,” writes the CBC.
Under the program’s current guidelines, a single person would receive a maximum of $17,000 (Canadian) per year and a married couple would receive $24,000 (Canadian).
There are approximately 4,000 people enrolled in the program.
Read the full story here.
CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN’: City Becomes First in the Nation to Test UNIVERSAL INCOME
A California city is poised to become the first in the nation to issue its residents a free universal income; doling out $500 a month with the hopes if boosting a stagnant economy and failing housing market.
According to Fox News, Stockton, California is set to issue the payments to any of its 300,000 residents living below the poverty line; allowing its citizens to spend the free income on anything they wish to purchase.
The test program is set to launch in 2019 with at least 100 residents enrolled for 18 months. After the pilot program, city officials will decide whether or not to make the policy open to all households.
“The city, which was once known as America’s foreclosure capital, has recently fallen on hard times, with 1-in-4 residents living below the poverty line and the median household income at nearly $8,000 lower than the national median,” writes Fox News.
“It is such a fundamental idea behind America that if you work hard, you can get ahead, and you certainly don’t live in poverty. But that isn’t true today, and it hasn’t been true in the country for decades,” said the Mayor of Stockton.
Read the full story at Fox News.