READ HERE - Article by Ryan Stygar
From the tech-hub of Silicon Valley to the pristine beaches of San Diego, California is a cultural and economic icon.
But all is not well in the Golden State. California has the highest poverty rate in the country, with 18.1% of Californians living at or below the federal poverty line. However, the federal census does not account for how California’s notoriously high cost of living affects families whose income exceeds the federal poverty limit. The Public Policy Institute of California reported that this “near-poverty” demographic accounts for an additional 18.5% of the state’s population. “Overall, therefore, more than 35% of Californians, perhaps 15 million human beings, are living in severe economic distress . . . .”
In sum, Californians are suffering. As the crisis persists, legislators are increasingly willing to take political risks to alleviate their constituents’ pain. One idea—once considered too radical for debate—has gained popularity in Sacramento: Universal Basic Income [UBI]. California’s AB2712, introduced in February of this year, seeks to make UBI official state policy.