This tweet on Monday startled us. It’s from one of the Yang Gang.
It comes from Twitter user @Kayrosis and it reads:
Pottsville,
#Pennsylvania Adult Pop:12,723 Median Income:$39,886 Poverty:11.6%@AndrewYang wants to invest over $12.7 million into it#EverySingleMonth by giving them all $1000 Once you do the#Math, you can see how transformative the#FreedomDividend would really be.#Yang2020
So, before we get too far, we’ll answer the obvious first: What is the Yang Gang?
The Yang Gang is a group of loyal online soldiers and supporters of 2020 Presidential candidate Andrew Yang.
Who is Andrew Yang?
Don’t even ask; we’re on it: Who is Andrew Yang?
In a few months, he’ll be the guy dropping out of the 2020 Presidential race because America will never be a socialist country and despite labeling himself an entrepreneur, Yang is definitely a socialist.
And the meat of Yang’s campaign potato is a concept known as Universal Basic Income.
Under Yang’s plan, as the tweet notes, everyone in Pottsville and everywhere would get $1,000 a month as a universal basic income. They call it the “Freedom Dividend”
He’s a Socialist
Of course, if you put a grand in everyone’s hand, it doesn’t make that $1,000 very special. There’s really no gain. It’s literally re-distributing wealth. So, it’s no wonder he was popular with our former President.
Here’s what Yang says about UBI on his campaign website: “The most direct and concrete way for the government to improve your life is to send you a check for $1,000 every month and let you spend it in whatever manner will benefit you the most. The government is not capable of a lot of things, but it is capable of sending large numbers of checks to large numbers of people promptly and reliably. We have plenty of resources, they’re just not being distributed to enough people right now. Let’s build a new kind of economy – one that puts people first. If there’s one policy that would transform American lives for the better, it is Universal Basic Income.”
Yang’s got some other Communist SWAG in his campaign platform. Want Medicare for All? He’s got it. And there’s even something called “Human Centered Capitalism” which sounds like an idea cooked up in the mind of AOC.
Now, we’ll admit that some parts of Yang’s platform do sound appealing or sensible: Life-skills education in high school? Yes. Modernize military spending? Sure, why not.
But the Local Journalism Fund? No thanks. Keep “your” money. Increase teacher salaries? That’s just pandering to a powerful union. Doesn’t exactly show game-changing potential there.
Why We’re Worried About Andrew Yang
This is why this caught our attention. First of all, some random online foot soldier for Yang picked out a place like Pottsville to pitch UBI.
And secondly, we think the message might catch on here.
Places like Pottsville are changing. It’s not the same hard-working hardscrabble town we long for today in our trip’s down memory lane. Same goes for places that’ve fallen on harder times than others in the area.
We believe there will be some intrigue into the promises Yang makes.
A grand a month? In the short term, it sounds tempting. You can probably already start planning how you’ll spend it.
But it just won’t work. It’s mass welfare and the idea is to get yourself off welfare, not relegate everyone else to it. Aside from that, the Foundation for Economic Education’s Vijay Menon spells out numerous reasons why UBI doesn’t work and how it’s failed in the past.
So, while we think Yang won’t be the candidate Democrats end up choosing to get routed by Trump in 2020, his policies will be popular and largely adopted by the eventual nominee.
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Matthew Huff
June 18, 2019 at 6:51 am
So you’re saying that you don’t want Pottsville to get an investment of $12.7m every month? Sounds obstructionist and backwards to me. You might as well pack up right now and head to Philly, because that’s the only place you’ll be able to find work in 10 years. The Freedom Dividend isn’t Socialism, because Socialism requires the government to own the means of production. You’re dead wrong on this bad take.
Please tell more people in Pottsville about Andrew Yang. Maybe we can flip PA bright blue for Yang in 2020 and secure the bag for your city.
admin
June 18, 2019 at 8:44 am
It’s not an investment. It’s a handout. It’s Communism. Nice try but no prizes.
One candidate has people telling us we won’t find work here in 10 years. Another tells us there won’t be clean water. Another tells us we’ll all be speaking Russian. Meanwhile, back on Earth …
Medlow Jack
June 18, 2019 at 9:44 am
Good Morning,
Just sharing some information. Richard Nixon actually got behind this. Mostly because Milton Friedman was such a strong supporter. But even Thomas Paine at the founding of the country proposed the idea.
http://fortune.com/2017/06/29/universal-basic-income-history/
Yang would actually require individuals to forego welfare benefits if they want the dividend. So you get the choice and can reduce government bloat.
Also, you keep it. So if you get a decent job you still get the dividend. You can choose to donate it to charity or your church or keep it. It’s not like disability where the money may disappear if you do better.
I just wanted to share that. I respect different points of view but communism is where the workers control the means of production. Socialism is where the government controls it. The control with UBI is in your hands. You choose if it’s food, school, bills, etc. Q
If that fundamental difference is understood and you choose to disagree. I completely respect that.
If you’re at all curious, I highly recommend Yang’s conversation with Ben Shapiro. Shapiro is a strong conservative so he brings up a lot of the same concerns you have.
https://youtu.be/-DHuRTvzMFw
Zoz
June 18, 2019 at 11:00 am
You guys haven’t provided any real argument as to how UBI is “socialism.” In fact, I haven’t seen anyone yet who is opposed to it come up with a good reason as to how it is socialist.
And honestly, I’m disappointed. I would have thought that someone as interested in the Coal Region as you would want something dramatic that would help bring back our shared region. This is one of the hardest hit regions in recent decades, and unemployment, drug addiction, and in some areas, crime, are higher than the national average.
UBI would fix that, because with an extra 1K every month, people wouldn’t be so worried or stressed out, and they would stop drinking or taking those drugs. They will start spending the money in the local business’ and towns. As a result of this, there will be more money to build up and clean up these areas, and as towns and businesses grow, more jobs will be created. And a UBI won’t make anyone stop working, because you can’t live on $12,000 a year.
I really hope you reconsider your thoughts,and put the best interests of the coal region first.
coalregion 12
June 18, 2019 at 1:44 pm
Zoz, how will having an extra 1,000/month stop a drug addict from using again? In your analogy no doctor/lawyer etc. should ever be addicted. Income has NOTHING to do with drug addiction.
Yang has not even reached 1% in ANY polling.
Biden is hand picked by The Dems just like John Kerry, John McCain and Romney.
Zoz
June 19, 2019 at 5:28 pm
People turn to drugs and alcohol as a way to escape from life and it’s problems. Yes, an additional $1000 will help a lot of people with this problem. Will some people continue to use drugs and alcohol? Of course, but I’m willing to bet the vast majority would benefit from this.
Also, I know you’re scared of Yang due to your sudden outbreak on how he is at 1%, implying he has no chance (which by the way, he has already passed 1%)
Anon
June 18, 2019 at 2:24 pm
Coal Country is on of the places where a UBI could do the most good, it’s a shame people can’t look past their own fears and support he common good.
russ
June 18, 2019 at 7:21 pm
Sounds like a great plan to me! Can you imagine what that would do for our local economy? Idk about you, but $1000 a month isn’t gonna be enough to stop me from working. I would save it for my kids to have a head start.
John Diamond
June 19, 2019 at 12:56 pm
I like this Yang guy.
Mucker Man
June 19, 2019 at 8:02 pm
Wow, 1000 a month would actually make a hell of a difference for my kids futures. Bring some life that my community desperately needs. Gotta look into this guy some more
Realist
June 25, 2019 at 7:08 am
Maybe missing something but from where does this “windfall” originate? Is there an orchard of money trees? If so, why not just plant a money tree for each person and let them take whatever they want and when they have used their harvest up, they can steal from their neighbors. All these plans sound so great, but in the end are disastrous. Does no one have any pride in earning what they have any more? If people earn things, they take care of them, which can build better neighborhoods and communities. I would rather the opportunity to improve myself and my status instead of standing in a welfare line with my hand out.
admin
June 25, 2019 at 9:13 am
We agree.
George Paullus
March 6, 2020 at 8:51 pm
One would need to redistribute at least 1% of the harvest of the orchard of trees currently fattening up the U.S. military budget and the downstream industries to come up with that kind of handout.
Huh… wonder why Pottsville and Schuylkill Co. doesn’t get into the military industrial complex game and get on the government dole the old fashioned way, by supporting the war machine?
Perhaps it’s because the fine Appalachian folks are only good for doing the dirty jobs we don’t need any longer… like voting for a Shyster Billionaire to make You great again… you know, like when we actually needed coal to power the war machine.
I’d like to think Appalachian folks are better than that, smarter than that, but the reality is folk still have their heads in the mines and up billionaires’ fat, golfing asses.
I mean really, the only evidence y’all should need that handouts are a good thing are the thousands of dollars a month in handouts the Trump kids, and Trump himself have gotten throughout their lives… just imagine if we were all making America Great *ack* Again and not just some silly rich white folk who think coal is something that goes in your Christmas stocking as a joke before signing over small loans of a million dollars to their heirs.
Look, I think this site is clever, and can be really smart… assed. My MAGA hat goes off to You. I’ve spent a couple of hours over the past several days picking up what You’re laying down and it has certainly been entertaining, not unlike the entertainment You seem to derive from searching and serving up MAGA hatter memes and commenting on deplorable news.
So keep up the work, You deserve $1,000 a month for Your service to coal country and the nation. Just do the world a favor and look beyond the Heritage Foundation for Your research material.
Wait… wasn’t it a Democrat that designated Y’all as part of Appalachia? That’s messed up right there. Just imagine how much better Your lives would be without all those heavy handed handouts coming Your way since the 60’s, destroying Your motivation to work in the cozy air-conditioned coal mines. Maybe You could start a petition to posthumously impeach LBJ for this travesty.
Concerned
July 1, 2019 at 10:22 pm
So the cost for the entire US would be $360 billion a year (12 x 1000 x 255,000,000 adults). Who pays for that?
I’m tired of being my brother’s keeper. Because I work harder but somehow my “brother” ends up better off. Case in point: Obamacare. A friend paid $2,400 a month for health insurance due to a diabetic daughter pre Obamacare. Gets Obamacare and his premium goes down to $700 /mo because his income is low and he is subsidized. Good for him. I’m glad his issue is solved.
%But you know what? I got kicked off my $800/mo policy because Obamacare destroyed the individual market. I now have one choice in my county and my premium for a crappy high deductible bronze plan would have been $2,300 /mo. Consequently, I currently have no health insurance but instead pay $400 /mo for a health savings plan. In effect, a socialistic scheme caused me to be worse off. I am a small business owner. My friend who doesn’t work as hard at his business and frankly has made some boneheaded moves, is better off when it comes to healthcare. He got his problem solved – but it was at my expense! I and my family suffered.
When government gets involved, nothing is ever free. It’s all about redistribution of wealth. Again, I am glad my friend got his situation solved, but not glad that I am now worse off with Obamacare. In fact, I feel very resentful toward him. He argued so hard for Obamacare that I just shut up, even though I knew it would lead to unintended consequences.
All these socialistic schemes have hidden costs. Someone has to foot the bill. Just watch out, it might be you!