In a move that’s already being panned by critics as a lunge closer to socialism, the Austin City Council on Thursday approved a resolution in support of guaranteed income, which involves using taxpayer dollars to provide direct cash payments to individuals on a monthly basis. The resolution directs City Manager Spencer Cronk to study current and past direct cash assistance efforts by the City of Austin, and report back to Council by August 1.
The resolution is being championed by Mayor Steve Adler.
“An unprecedented number of Austin residents are facing an affordability crisis,” Adler said. “The most vulnerable are having difficulty meeting basic needs in the wake of the pandemic, compounded by historic injustice and inequity. Still, others are struggling to stay in their homes in a soaring real estate market. Data shows guaranteed income has the potential to secure neighbors’ most urgent basic needs, give vulnerable families a cushion for external shocks and volatility, and get re-invested in our local economy. Like our rental assistance programs, the increase in homestead exemption rates and savings for seniors, which I’m sponsoring today, guaranteed income is another tool in our fight to keep Austin affordable.”
Councilman Greg Casar and Councilwoman Natasha Harper-Madison have also issued statements praising the resolution’s passage.
Critics say guaranteed income would lead to laziness, more struggles for employers to find both full and part-time employees, and most notably, higher taxes for everyone.
Cronk’s report this summer will consider how a large-scale guaranteed income initiative could shape Austin’s future.
