Staff Reports
In Ann Arbor, Michigan, the University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions team has been doling out cash left and right to low-income small business owners and entrepreneurs through a program called Guaranteed Income to Grow Ann Arbor. That’s right, folks, the government is just handing out free money to people who can’t seem to get their acts together! It’s like a participation trophy for adulthood.
Residents of Ann Arbor who scored a spot in this two-year pilot program will be seeing their second check today, and you can bet they’re all too happy to collect their monthly $528 stipend. Can you believe it? They get free money just for trying to run a business or be an entrepreneur. What’s next? Free ice cream for everyone who thinks about starting a business? It’s enough to make a hardworking taxpayer’s blood boil.
And get this: the payments will keep on coming until 2025. That’s years of free cash for folks who probably can’t even balance their own checkbooks. But oh no, the madness doesn’t end there. The program’s associate director, Kristin Seefeldt, says this whole thing is about “celebrating residents who do much to strengthen our community but are still struggling to make ends meet.” Give us a break. How about celebrating the folks who actually pay taxes and keep the economy churning?
If you thought getting in on this sweet deal was a piece of cake, think again. The requirements to cash in on this government handout are as loose as a goose. All you’ve got to do is be a resident of Ann Arbor, at least 18 years old, and have an income at or below 225% of the federal poverty line. In other words, if you’re not swimming in dough, you’re probably eligible. It’s practically an invitation for freeloaders!
And don’t even get started on the types of folks who are eligible for this gravy train. Whether you call yourself an entrepreneur, a small business owner, an independent contractor, or a gig worker, you’re all welcome to the free money buffet. It’s like the government wants everyone and their grandma to join the party. Why not just give handouts to anyone with a pulse while they’re at it?
This program is the perfect recipe for breeding dependency on the government. Instead of promoting hard work and self-sufficiency, it’s encouraging folks to sit back and collect monthly checks without breaking a sweat. It’s a sad state of affairs when earning an honest living takes a back seat to waiting for that next government payout. Let’s hope the good people of Ann Arbor wake up and smell the overreach before it’s too late!
