The fight to eliminate and relieve Americans of the dreaded coronavirus continues. Over the weekend, new shutdowns of major events, schools, college campuses, restaurants, and more took place. Preventing the spread of COVID-19 is a high priority and yet, there are very real concerns about the economic ramifications of so many shutdowns.
In the midst of all this, 2020 Democrat Tulsi Gabbard has a proposed solution, reports Fox Business. The Hawaii congresswoman is presently backing the idea of “universal basic income,” a policy entailing the supply of $1,000 each month to Americans who are at least 18-years-old.
The idea of universal basic income first originated during the presidential candidacy of tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang. However, like other leftist proposals, universal basic income relies upon the fantasy of free-for-alls and does not truly serve as an effective means of relief for coronavirus.
Why Does Gabbard Support Universal Basic Income?
As the war veteran continues seeking the presidency, she has maintained that a monthly and temporary $1,000 to every adult American will counteract the negative impacts of COVID-19’s threat against “economic stability.” Gabbard furthermore declares that directly providing financial relief to Americans in the aforementioned manner will prevent bureaucracy entanglements and/or greed from big corporations.
The problem with universal basic income is that money doesn’t grow on trees. It may sound good on a surface level; however, similarly to raising the minimum wage, history has proven that the free market always adjusts to handouts of this nature.
.@jaketapper @CNN Will they support my legislation to implement an #EmergencyUBI for every American to receive direct assistance through $1,000/mo for the duration of this crisis? The most simple, direct means to ensure people can take care of themselves & loved ones #DemDebate
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) March 16, 2020
Lawmakers in Washington continue working on various forms of relief and legislation to not only counteract coronavirus, but also push back against some of the economic harm it’s causing. Many employees whose places of work have shut down are still receiving paid leave.
Sympathy and an interest in helping those who are hit hardest by COVID-19 are understandable; however, socialism is not any less dangerous merely because of a coronavirus outbreak.
Where Does Gabbard’s Presidential Candidacy Stand?
At this time, Tulsi Gabbard maintains as a candidate for president of the United States. She’s made recent headlines for not only supporting universal basic income, but also for being purposefully kept off of last night’s primary debate stage.
The Hawaii congresswoman managed to win a delegate in American Samoa, thus qualifying her to appear on the debate stage; however, the DNC then moved the goalpost at the last second, stating that debating candidates must have at least 20% of delegates in order to qualify. This move engendered widespread backlash from not only Tulsi supporters, but also other Americans.
What do you think about Tulsi Gabbard’s support of universal basic income? Do you agree that this is truly the best way to combat the adverse economic impacts of COVID-19? Let us know in the comments section below!
