Results From The City That Just Gave Away Cash

[ZiprHead]

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/03/09/975009239/results-from-the-city-that-just-gave-away-cash?utm_campaign=npr&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=nprnews&fbclid=IwAR2kTwVQqI8iHuZCs1LDMUOs6jhVsAijpREkxuiCi6u_XxuI4LzBoPOvIMc

In 2019, he founded the Stockton Economic Empowerment Distribution, or SEED. Funded by philanthropic donations, SEED gave 125 individuals $500 a month for two years. The individuals were randomly selected from neighborhoods with a median income at or below $46,033, which is Stockton's median household income. There were no strings attached. No drug tests. No work requirements. Just $500 every month for people to spend as they saw fit.

A team of independent researchers saw an opportunity to conduct a parallel experiment. Stacia West of the University of Tennessee and Amy Castro Baker of the University of Pennsylvania collected data from those who received $500 a month, and also from people in a control group, who received nothing.

The Stockton study found that families who received the money were most likely to spend it on essential items like food, home goods, utilities and gas. As for the effect on job seeking, the study found that after one year, the percentage of recipients who had full-time employment grew from 28% to 40%. That was more than twice the rate for the control group, which rose by only 5%.

 

[TV and credit cards]

Amazing what a little breathing room will do for people’s prospects. Breaking the shackles of low wage paying moneygrubbing capitalists just enough to improve one’s lot in life.

On the other hand, people would also be able to afford to take time off to vote. State laws prohibiting such handouts are likely being written up now in Republican controlled legislatures.

 

[Treedbear]

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/03/09/975009239/results-from-the-city-that-just-gave-away-cash?utm_campaign=npr&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=nprnews&fbclid=IwAR2kTwVQqI8iHuZCs1LDMUOs6jhVsAijpREkxuiCi6u_XxuI4LzBoPOvIMc
...

Excellent article! It clearly demonstrates how capitalism really does work when people actually have the capital to participate.

 

[Trausti]

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/03/09/975009239/results-from-the-city-that-just-gave-away-cash?utm_campaign=npr&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=nprnews&fbclid=IwAR2kTwVQqI8iHuZCs1LDMUOs6jhVsAijpREkxuiCi6u_XxuI4LzBoPOvIMc
...

Excellent article! It clearly demonstrates how capitalism really does work when people actually have the capital to participate.

And it was funded by private donations. Capitalism is pretty cool.

 

[Treedbear]

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/03/09/975009239/results-from-the-city-that-just-gave-away-cash?utm_campaign=npr&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=nprnews&fbclid=IwAR2kTwVQqI8iHuZCs1LDMUOs6jhVsAijpREkxuiCi6u_XxuI4LzBoPOvIMc
...

Excellent article! It clearly demonstrates how capitalism really does work when people actually have the capital to participate.

And it was funded by private donations. Capitalism is pretty cool.

I'm happy that you're happy. It's one way or the other.

 

[Swammerdami]

And it was funded by private donations. Capitalism is pretty cool.

What does this even mean? Does Trausti think that, had the recipients known the money came from gummint, then instead of spending it on improving their lives and finding good employment, they would have considered the money ill-gained and bitterly spent it on liquor and hard drugs?

Or, almost as stupidly, is he bragging that a billionaire spent $1.5M to help 125 individuals, and would have spent $1.5T to help 125 million individuals, but was too angry to do so? Presumably angry at the people who want to censor Dr. Seuss?

 

[prideandfall]

What does this even mean? Does Trausti think that, had the recipients known the money came from gummint, then instead of spending it on improving their lives and finding good employment, they would have considered the money ill-gained and bitterly spent it on liquor and hard drugs?

Or, almost as stupidly, is he bragging that a billionaire spent $1.5M to help 125 individuals, and would have spent $1.5T to help 125 million individuals, but was too angry to do so? Presumably angry at the people who want to censor Dr. Seuss?

to our resident regressives, "capitalism" is identical to "god" in the sense that if anything good happens, it's because god did it. and if anything bad happens, it's because something fucked up god's plan and it's our fault.

therefor, anything and everything that can be construed as "positive" that happens within the morass of capitalism is automatically both due to capitalism and evidence of how capitalism is the One True Path.
anything and everything that can be construed as "negative" (or in this case perhaps as evidence that naked predatory capitalism is inherently oppressive to most human beings) that happens is automatically due to laziness or inherent inferiority, and evidence of how capitalism is the One True Path.

 

[Treedbear]

What does this even mean? Does Trausti think that, had the recipients known the money came from gummint, then instead of spending it on improving their lives and finding good employment, they would have considered the money ill-gained and bitterly spent it on liquor and hard drugs?

Or, almost as stupidly, is he bragging that a billionaire spent $1.5M to help 125 individuals, and would have spent $1.5T to help 125 million individuals, but was too angry to do so? Presumably angry at the people who want to censor Dr. Seuss?

to our resident regressives, "capitalism" is identical to "god" in the sense that if anything good happens, it's because god did it. and if anything bad happens, it's because something fucked up god's plan and it's our fault.

therefor, anything and everything that can be construed as "positive" that happens within the morass of capitalism is automatically both due to capitalism and evidence of how capitalism is the One True Path.
anything and everything that can be construed as "negative" (or in this case perhaps as evidence that naked predatory capitalism is inherently oppressive to most human beings) that happens is automatically due to laziness or inherent inferiority, and evidence of how capitalism is the One True Path.

Maybe there's a need to differentiate between regressive and progressive forms of capitalism. Because as with any ideology it has to be applicable to all citizens. To the extent that anyone is exempt from the rules of communism then it isn't true communism. The same goes with socialism. And likewise if you claim to believe in capitalist ideals then you believe that everyone has the right to have access to capital. Capitalism requires laws and ethical codes and protections for individuals as well as corporations. And it requires some means by which everyone is guaranteed the opportunity to own and manage capital and use it to invest in their future. That's why I'd say that capitalism, true capitalism, is the source of what is good and the one true path. It's folly to put your faith in a God or some natural human tendency towards sharing one's personal wealth. That seems more like religion to me. People don't want to live in poverty, or to depend for basic necessities on those outside their family. If someone is given a reasonable chance to succeed they'll run with it. That's just basic survival.