SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Dori: Universal basic income bill rewards deadbeats with your money

Feb 6, 2020, 6:45 AM

Universal basic income, Joe Nguyen King County Executive...

Democratic Sen. Joe Nguyen. (Office of Joe Nguyen)

(Office of Joe Nguyen)

A Washington lawmaker wants to bring universal basic income to this state.

Sen. Joe Nguyen (D-Seattle), has introduced a bill in which the government would give deadbeats $500 a month for doing nothing.

This is the same legislator behind the 32-hour workweek bill, the bill that would cut workers’ pay, destroy jobs, and send away revenue-providing companies.

The universal basic income would begin as a two-year pilot program, but you know the state would choose to go forward with it after those two years. It begins at $500 a month, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that number increased, as taxes and spending always do.

Dori: Why socialism appeals to the ‘woke and broke’ crowd

We have low unemployment right now. If you are employable and want a job, you can get one. If you’re not employable, you may have to work on your skills a bit.

We should of course have a safety net for people who are physically and mentally unable to work. But for others? They need to work like everyone else.

The state doesn’t need this pilot program. I can tell you exactly what will happen. The deadbeats participating in this universal basic income trial period will be turned into even bigger deadbeats.

“If we believe that tax breaks for large corporations work, maybe it will work directly for people who are impacted,” Nguyen told Seattle’s Morning News.

What an absolute travesty. Sen. Nguyen, do you know how much your party has raised taxes, has exploded the budget? You’ve asked everybody in the state to pay those taxes. And now you’re telling us a tax cut would be a good thing? Your party hasn’t done one thing in the last 20 years to save us money. When we tell you that we need a tax break through our $30 tabs vote, what does your party do? You refuse to listen to the tax-weary voters’ voices.

Listen to the Dori Monson Show weekday afternoons from 12-3 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Mount Everest...

BINAJ GURUBACHARYA, The Associated Press

Helicopters collide below Mount Everest base camp, killing 1 person and injuring 2

Two helicopters collided Tuesday while trying to land just below Mount Everest's base camp, killing at least one person and injuring two others.

13 minutes ago

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is in the preliminary stages of developing a data center campus in Richla...

Regan Gallo-Fenz

AWS emerges as buyer behind $264M West Richland data center land deal

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is in the preliminary stages of developing a data center campus in West Richland, WA.

21 minutes ago

A photo of Katie Wilson during a Tuesday press conference announcing a new Executive Order. (Photo ...

Jason Sutich

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson orders new approach to RV homelessness after vetoing permit program

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced an executive order Tuesday aimed at connecting people living in RVs with shelter and services.

42 minutes ago

Associated Press

Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump plan to deport detained Afghans to Afghanistan

MIAMI (AP) — A federal judge in New York temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s administration plans to deport Afghans detained in the United States to Afghanistan or Pakistan on Tuesday, after advocates and dozens of members of Congress warned that their lives would be at risk. Judge Valerie Caproni’s order expires Saturday, with no deportations […]

59 minutes ago

FILE - The U.S. Department of Justice logo is seen on a podium before a news conference, May 4, 202...

Associated Press

Justice Department identifies potential targets as it escalates Alaska Senate criminal probe

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has escalated its investigation over an Alaska Senate candidate who shares a name with the Republican incumbent, issuing a letter to a prominent Democratic attorney in Washington and others that they may be targets of the criminal inquiry, two people familiar with the matter said Tuesday. The target letter […]

1 hour ago

FILE - In this May 1, 2019, file photo a man walks past a Google sign outside with a span of the Ba...

Associated Press

Students using Google search in classroom accounts will need access to AI tools, the company says

Students using Google software in school will not be allowed to use the company’s search tool unless their school system also provides them access to artificial intelligence tools, the tech giant said Tuesday. The Mountain View, California, company has been facing pushback from educators, child development experts and parents over the use of its technology […]

2 hours ago

Dori: Universal basic income bill rewards deadbeats with your money