By Rep. Ben Davis
Democrats in St. Paul embrace socialism and are bent on forcing it to take root in Minnesota whether you like it or not.
Let’s start with a committee hearing House Democrats recently conducted to push forward their socialist plan for a Universal Basic Income pilot program in Minnesota. Specifically, the bill provides people with monthly payments of at least $500 for at least 18 months. That’s $500 per month in taxpayer dollars provided to people simply for living and breathing if you are under 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines – $93,600 for a family of family of four.
If you thought the $250 million or more Feeding our Future scandal was bad, this plan practically rolls out the welcome mat for fraud and appears aimed at providing cash benefits to illegal immigrants because there is zero accountability.
For example:
- Recipients will personally attest to eligibility requirements
- Recipients will continue receiving benefits for the duration of the pilot without recertification
- Grantees may set other eligibility requirements, except other income requirements.
- Grantees must not require proof of residency or citizenship or identifying documentation (no proof of identity).
There are no anti-fraud or integrity measures on the "nonprofits" that will distribute this money so anyone, just like under Feeding Our Future, could set up shop and start skimming the program. There also are no measures to follow up with these nonprofits or their cash recipients to verify who is getting the money or if they are getting the money. There are no guardrails to prevent kickback schemes or controls or limits on administrative costs.
And, yes, the program would provide support to illegal immigrants, or persons claiming an identity other than their own – all on the taxpayers’ dollar.
It is hard to think of a worse way to construct this program. There is no reason to involve nonprofits unless the intention is to enrich politically aligned or connected organizations or to serve populations who are here illegally or have other reasons to avoid detection by law enforcement. This has the potential to be Feeding Our Future on steroids, limited only by extent of the funds appropriated.
But here’s where it gets even worse: The House also recently conducted a committee hearing for a bill that would make Minnesota a full-time legislature and turn legislators into professional politicians – yet another terrible idea from Democrats.
In just five months last year, Democrats spent $17.5 billion, raised taxes by $10 billion, and grew government 40%. The state budget needs to be in place by the end of June in each odd-numbered year to coincide with the start of the fiscal year. In a scenario such as today, where Democrats have full control of the Capitol, that would leave a year and a half to ram whatever radical, activist-driven legislation they want into law – more socialism included.
I could not be clearer about my feelings on this: The last thing Minnesota needs is for the Legislature to spend more time in St. Paul inventing additional ways to spend taxpayer dollars, advancing a socialist agenda and trampling our constitutional rights – especially now that Democrats have declared open season on religious freedoms and continue chipping away at our cherished Second Amendment.
It's this simple: We need more balance in Minnesota before we reach the point of no return.
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