President Donald Trump loves a good foil. For the sake of America, he should find his next in my home state of Illinois.
Cook County — home to Chicago and most of the state’s left-wing frenzy — has done just that the furthest step in the country towards a so-called universal basic income (UBI). In the future, many low-income residents will permanently receive $500 monthly checks. The goal is to help the poor stay on their feet, but in reality the poor will remain poor and become more numerous. Not only should the president address this injustice, but he should also contrast it with his recent call to eliminate income taxes altogether. This could be Trump’s greatest opportunity for moral and economic leadership yet.
Make no mistake: a basic income is the left’s next national priority. It is the embodiment of their now impenetrable belief that only government should meet people’s needs. Democrats laid the groundwork for the UBI, as it is called, with refundable child tax credits during the pandemic and pilot programs across the country. The rise of artificial intelligence, with the threat of job losses, is giving further impetus to leftists who say the government should give everyone enough money to make ends meet. Even some on the right, like billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, have jumped on the UBI bandwagon.
COOK COUNTY IN ILLINOIS ESTABLISHES A PERMANENT GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM
But basic income, like so much in the welfare state, is a frontal attack on the human soul. It undermines people’s willingness to develop and apply their inherent talents, making poverty a permanent way of life. While activists and media programs like Cook unerringly declare Counties a “success,” real-world evidence demonstrates their moral, economic, and individual failure.
A Boston suburb has agreed to triple the amount of money it pays residents under a guaranteed income program. (Getty Images)
The recent pilot programs in Democratic cities resulted in fewer people working. This also applies to the refundable child tax credit. When the federal government tested an early version of UBI in the 1970s, recipients received lost $5 in lifetime earnings for every taxpayer dollar they received.
Only one word can summarize UBI: malicious. It is morally wrong to steal people’s drive to make the most of their lives. It is inhumane to replace the ladder of opportunity with a cot. At its core, UBI encourages people to tolerate an unhappy existence rather than find fulfillment through striving, succeeding, and contributing to society.
But as Cook County shows, UBI has political momentum. The best way to defeat such a bad idea is with a better idea. A transformative idea that not only highlights the injustice, but also shows a real way forward. That’s where Trump comes into the picture, especially with his idea of eliminating income taxes.
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The president made light of the comment after a Cabinet meeting on December 2, saying income taxes will not be necessary because of tariff revenues. But the real argument for abolishing income taxes is that, like UBI, they also suppress work and limit its rewards. He could frame ending income taxes as a way to give every American the “universal right to an income,” while directly contrasting this with a universal basic income.
PROGRESSIVE CITIES GAMBLING ON UNIVERSAL INCOME AS INFLATION THREATS
Without income taxes, every American would keep every cent of what they earn, period. There is no greater incentive to work, to innovate, to start a small business – to do all the things that move individuals and the entire nation forward. The universal right to make money would usher in a new era of growth and wealth creation, from which the least advantaged would benefit most. Why? Because it taps into everyone’s innate desire to strive and rise. Compare that to a universal income, which pushes people into poverty.
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Americans are not used to hearing such bold vision or language from Republicans, but if any politician can make a strong case, it is Donald Trump. In fact, the president could go even further rhetorically while still remaining on solid moral ground. At its core, taxing labor is a form of slavery because it takes away the fruits of human labor. The 13th Amendment outlawed slavery, but the 16th Amendment restored some of it by allowing income taxes. Donald Trump could easily say: For America’s 250th birthday, we must end this injustice once and for all and finally fulfill our national promise.
I openly acknowledge that eliminating income taxes is a huge political lift. The chance of success is minuscule. But the same was once true of a universal basic income. Now it’s a reality in Cook County, and it will certainly be Democrats’ top priority the next time they control the White House and Congress. Someone needs to offer an alternative vision – one that actually lifts up the poorest Americans, rather than chaining them to poverty forever. President Trump, the universal right to make money is in your hands.
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