MoCo Council Members Jawando, Albornoz Promoting MoCo “Boost” Guaranteed Income Program That Provides No Updates to-Date on Efficacy, Has No Strings Attached on How Money Spent, and Requires No Social Security or Individual Taxpayer Number (ITIN) to Participate
In a shocking display of disregard for taxpayer money, Montgomery County is partly funding ($2 million dollars allocated last budget) a so-called “public-private partnership” called “MoCo Boost” Guaranteed Income, which actively advises program invitees that they do not need to provide a Social Security number or ITIN (individual taxpayer number) in order to get $800 a month, no-strings attached, for 24 months.
Per the IRS’s own website, an ITIN is:
An ITIN, or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, is a tax processing number only available for certain nonresident and resident aliens, their spouses, and dependents who cannot get a Social Security Number (SSN).
Infer from this what you will. Additionally, in the eligibility “FAQs” on the program’s own website, the word “citizen” does not show up even once. Screen shot below.
Just who sits on the “Implemenation Committee” giving the “thumbs up or thumbs down” to applicants? The website does not explicitly say. This committee would appear to resemble medieval dukes and lords, with the ‘up or down’ vote on who gets the “free” (not really) money for 24 months.
The “Guaranteed Income” pilot program was pushed by Council Member Will Jawando back in 2021 under the pretense of providing an “income floor” and helping select needy families or individuals during the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time, details were scant about who would be eligible (now we know virtually anyone, citizen or non-citizen, could be), or what would be tracked as far as program participants, or even what a “successful” program would look like.
All that was publicized was that: “The Guaranteed Income Program offers a direct, recurring cash payment of $800 per month for a 24 month period for a total of 300 individuals and/or households. At least one third of the participants are people from households who are transitioning from homelessness.”
Indeed, and now 8+ months out (the program “enrollment” concluded in June 2022), the taxpayers of Montgomery County still know very little. And tracing / auditing the actual spending of these program enrollees could prove impossible. Because MocoBoost.org actively encourages program participants to set-up direct deposit with their bank account, in order to “access the cash”.
Montgomery County taxpayers deserve to know explicitly and quickly where their hard-earned money is going and what it is being spent on and by whom. Are we funding a program that is allowing someone to continue a substance-abuse problem? Are they spending this money at the County-owned liquor stores? How often? What about lottery tickets? Are those being purchased by the participants? We’ll likely never know (although we can certainly try to find out).
This program, in this form, violates the public trust by creating a “no-strings” culture of dependency and worse, it doesn’t even require the program participants to do anything besides give a simple story to a “program evaluator”. Maybe. No mandatory financial literacy class? Not even one? What happened to at least “teaching a person to fish” so they’ll never go hungry?
The debate about UBI will rage on at the national level. Personally, this author thinks it could be a viable alternative to the “Great Society” programs that have racked up tremendous debt with dubious results — but only if it truly replaced the state welfare complex that exists simply to create dependency and many government administrative bureaucrats. At the least, we’d expect any such program would be restricted to American citizens only? Those with at least a Social Security card or taxpayer ID? The MoCo program does not!
There are literally dozens of studies already conducted on the policy idea and the notion that another “test” in MoCo was going to move the needle at large is utterly laughable. A former presidential candidate, Andrew Yang, made UBI the centerpiece of his 2020 campaign for President of the United States.
Montgomery County taxpayers deserve to know much much more about this pilot before one cent more is extended to it. Already noise is being made about extending it — despite no details on what has come out of this pilot!
Oh, and a “free” party is being held. But not for you, dear middle class MoCo taxpayer, or your family.
You just pay in thousands. Others then take their ‘fair share’.
