Staff Reports
Harris County, Texas, is generating excitement with its most recent initiative to distribute free cash to a select group of residents. Approximately 83,000 individuals submitted their applications for the Uplift Harris program; the county is now preparing to award $500 per month for a period of 18 months to 1,928 fortunate recipients. The substantial sum of $20.5 million is the result of President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan, which is responsible for this immense generosity.
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Judge Lina Hidalgo supports it, arguing that it is essential to combat destitution and assist struggling families. She seems to plead for approval by asserting that the matter of poverty reduction ought not to be subject to discussion! She claims that Harris County is reportedly the most impoverished county in terms of poverty rates, and that it is in their official capacity as county leaders to simply hurl money at the issue.
However, the program is designed to last for a mere 18 months. Additionally, they are already devising strategies to ensure the continued operation of this incentive train in the coming years. While chirping enthusiastically about their ambitious strategies for "long-term sustainability and gradual expansion," Hidalgo is on the verge of fainting. The translation is… Their utmost effort will be to ensure the continued provision of complimentary funds beyond the initial 18-month period.
This audacious plan was approved by the Harris County Commissioners Court in June 2023; the application floodgates erupted earlier this year until the February 2 deadline. You may wonder who qualifies for this effortless cash. You must be residing in one of the "high-poverty ZIP codes" of the county and be priced at least 200% below the federal poverty line. The alternative means of entering paradise is by qualifying for the county's Accessing Coordinated Care and Empowering Self-Sufficiency program and earning a federal poverty line income of at least 200 percent.
Now, let us pause for a moment and reflect upon this matter. Doesn't it seem a bit suspicious that Harris County is spending money in this manner, especially considering the varied results of basic income programs in other municipalities that have attempted them? It begs the question whether Harris County is carelessly spending this money without regard for the consequences when the funds run out. To my mind, that is a prescription for disaster!
