WA Democrats trying to create a basic income program
What's happening in Olympia today and how you can take action
It’s been a big first week in Olympia. It’s a mad dash to pass as much bad policy as possible. One of the worst bills of the day is HB 1045. Learn more and take action. And please share this with as many people as you can!
HB 1045 is a step toward a universal basic income program, an expansion of the state’s welfare system. This bill has a hearing in the House Appropriations committee at 4PM today. Please to just 30 seconds to sign in CON before 3PM. If you would like to testify remotely or in person, click HERE
Citing a 2021 study by the Washington employment security department, the bill explains that corporate profits have risen by 500 percent since 2000, but the bill generalizes an increase in unemployment claims since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, describing the increase as “more than ever.” There is no mention of the impact of the government shutting down businesses that no doubt contributed to this “more than ever” increase in claims. It would seem the government is trying to fix a problem the government itself created.
There is a broad range of recipients for these funds. First, the bill mentions the 22 percent of Washington residents that are disabled, failing to mention that nearly half of the state’s disabled, working-age residents are in the labor force. (Washington State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Disability & DVR Statistics Report. July 2017, p. 9) This bill would seek to pay all these working individuals for not working. More targets of these funds would include those who are pregnant or parents of small children, immigrants and refugees, homeless individuals, domestic violence victims, and those exiting the foster care system. It is a better cause to help those struggling with these circumstances to improve their lives by becoming productive residents that add funds to their own wallets and our state’s economy (not drain from it).
This program seeks no requirements from the recipients, stating, “The legislature finds that a direct cash assistance program with no restrictions or requirements for recipients would help Washington residents struggling under the weight of unprecedented income inequalities.” The applicant need only “self-attest” that they fall into the category of targeted recipients. In fact, they need not even be Washington residents. Applicants could arrive in Washington and apply on that same day. As the bill states, “A person does not need to live in the state for a specific period of time prior to meeting the requirements in this subsection before being considered a resident.”
This bill also increases an already bloated bureaucracy. The appointed Secretary of the Department of Social and Human Services (DSHS), a state apparatus with “nearly 16,000 employees and 23,000 contracted service providers” (dshs.wa.gov) would further appoint 17 members of the board of directors for this program. This new department within DSHS would fund outreach, reimburse recipients for benefits lost by participating in this program, and fund other community-based programs. All this with an INITIAL pool of 7,500 recipients.
Lastly, there is no mention in this bill on how such a program would be funded. It is likely that the state will simply increase the astounding $17B biennial DSHS budget. The bill is too broad, too lax, too big, and leads to even more residents in our state dependent on the system. Our state does not need more welfare recipients. We need people who will get out and work and better their circumstances. The state must stop disincentivizing self-improvement.
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