Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) (shown above left) has released a controversial plan that would pay lower- and middle-income Americans thousands of dollars each year — in exchange for doing literally nothing.
“Tlaib’s bill would give direct cash help to those at the bottom of the income distribution — annually offering $3,000 to individuals and $6,000 to families — in an attempt to reduce poverty in the United States and bolster the wages of the poor,” The Washington Post reported about the plan.
In an interview with a Fox affiliate in Detroit, Tlaib described her Lift (Livable Incomes for Families) Plus Act as essentially “earned income tax credits on steroids.”
“This is basically a broader umbrella for families that make $50,000 or less if you are single, or $100,000 or less if you are a family,” she also said.
Tlaib is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
And yes, she’s aligned politically with self-described Democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
This new plan would cost “trillions” of dollars, according to The Washington Post.
When a mother struggles to find early childhood pgms that will feed her child 2 meals/day & a father cries on his doorstep about being unable to keep up w/ the cost of living for his family, it's clear we need bold ideas to tackle poverty & lift everyone.https://t.co/LXEQtf1Qwj
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) June 10, 2019
90 % of people in poverty are children, elderly, disabled, students, caretakers or already working. 4 out of 10 are struggling to afford basics like food, housing & health care. #LIFT+ Act will help 3 mill children/9 million families living in poverty.https://t.co/iajNnc0kh5
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) June 7, 2019
Writing in Fox News, Justin Haskins, executive editor and research fellow at The Heartland Institute and editor-in-chief of StoppingSocialism.com, said the proposal “serves as yet another reminder that many Democrats have absolutely no clue how basic economics works.”
“Giving cash even to those who are unwilling to work would discourage them from finding a job, working more hours, or applying for a promotion,” he also wrote. “Why work harder — or even at all — if government is going to send you a check every month for doing nothing?”
“This one problem alone,” he added in his opinion piece, “would severely and negatively impact economic growth.”
“The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports there are currently more than 7.48 million job openings. How many millions more would be available if people were encouraged by checks from the government to cut back their hours or avoid work altogether?”
Rep Tlaib's New Plan Practically Encourages Poverty https://t.co/v696jpY4YF
— keith andrew bounds (@keith_bounds) June 10, 2019
Giving people money doesn't reduce poverty, helping them build character does. https://t.co/ktW6PefJ49 #FoxNews
— Joseph Granda (@joseffgranda) June 10, 2019
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