Poverty is a state of mind. Failure to figure out what prosperity is and failure to implement it. Generally caused, at least in part, by short term thinking.
But Denver is gonna try to fix that by giving money to poor people to see what happens. Kinda-Sorta a limited Universal Basic Income.
This will fail for the same reason that Free Schools failed, that Welfare failed, that Free Healthcare failed…..That all government programs to help the poor and poverty stricken failed….. People who are poor (generally, there are exceptions) are poor because of their mindset. Because of the culture they were raised in….because they cannot succeed with the morals and values that they were taught…..Because their parents never taught them how to get ahead…..Never how to plan for the future.
Is poverty a self perpetuating cycle? Mostly, yes. And I expect that the Denver experiment will fail.
How Exciting!! I hope the reports of those people’s exploits will include that they were part of this experiment. If they would give us a general idea about the recipients, the demographic rundown, we could start a pool and bet on the outcomes. How many frustrated entrepreneurs will take that Thousand dollars and invest in some scratch off tickets and drugs? Maybe even try getting into selling drugs? How many will save a few bucks? Ohhh, it’s gonna be interesting. We’ll know it was a bust if it’s never spoken of again.
the recipients should be given Gopro cameras and a Youtube channel. The results will be epic.
This is just another example of buying poor peoples’ votes… and their drugs… with taxpayer money.
The drug dealers are pleased .
San Francisco tried that already and we know how that turned out.
Dead pool on the giftees anyone???
Poverty has always existed. Because laziness, selfishness, addiction to instant gratification, inability to plan beyond tomorrow and countless other human foibles have always existed. It’s an inherent part of the human condition. To end poverty requires the end of humanity. It’s just that simple.
Actually, I see a different outcome: An “Investment Counselor” will find these people and offer to turn their $12,000 into $24,000. He (might even be a “she” but I doubt it) will suggest they keep $2K for spending money and he’ll go to work on the other 10 doubling it.
With the right approach, and the right paperwork, he’ll capture a sweet mill (~100 of the 140 recipients X $10K) and never be heard from again. And, if he’s hunted down, he’ll have signatures on paper to protect himself with (“past returns are no guarantee of future gains” etc., etc.).
Now, all I gotta do is find that guy and offer to help him…..
i’m amazed, they came up with a plan to reduce the homeless population that will actually work. not so well for the homeless, but it’ll work, as they go about buying a big bag’o’drugs and get wasted. and fail to wake up the next day.
when i advocated this decades ago they called me a monster. i was just ahead of my time.