A Progressive Experiment That’s Doomed to Fail

Formerly bankrupt Stockton teams up with foundation to see what happens when some residents are given a “universal basic income.”

Steven Greenhut February 8, 2018

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.......To Read More.....

My Take - I think we need to thank the people of California for their vision and boldness.  We now know if California is adopting some loony leftist scheme - it's almost assuredly a bad idea, and the rest of us should absolutely avoid it.  Just think how much money Californians have saved the rest of America?

Thanks California!