On March 24, the Palm Springs City Council unanimously approved the request of two local nonprofit organizations, DAP Health and Queer Works, for $200,000 in funding.
The purpose of that funding? To determine the best way to operate a guaranteed income pilot program primarily for transgender and nonbinary individuals. This seems discriminatory and like a waste of taxpayer dollars.
In the council meeting, Queer Works CEO Jacob Rostovsky said they would partner with DAP to create a program that will “provide monthly financial support” to transgender and nonbinary individuals, particularly those who are homeless. Guaranteed or universal basic income is a popular notion in California. The California Legislature passed a $35 million bill for universal basic income pilot programs last year. All cities need to do is apply for the money. Palm Springs is just trying to take a piece of the pie.
During the city council meeting, member Christy Holstege seemed sold on the idea of giving away universal basic income — even without the preliminary $200,000 study. She referenced similar programs like the one in Stockton as “a complete revisioning of how we address poverty in this country.”
However, not all are on board.
Palm Springs Mayor Lisa Middleton, who is transgender herself, didn’t seem as excited as others.
“In advance of the vote, I specifically stated my belief that guaranteed income programs were not the long-term way to proceed. I did not commit to any future funding of guaranteed income programs,” Middleton told Fox News.
Still, if Middleton generally opposes universal basic income programs, why allow the $200,000 toward a study of the program? Seems like a waste of taxpayer dollars, right?
In his presentation, Rostovsky said transgender and nonbinary people struggle with homelessness more than most people in the area. He told of a woman named “Jane” who lives out of her car because she spent any income she had on her hormone treatments rather than housing.
“She’s putting affirming her gender, even ahead of housing,” Rostovsky said, as if that were an example of integrity rather than poor decision-making.
No one should be homeless, transgender or not. That said, it’s wholly discriminatory for Palm Springs to spend $200,000 to figure out whether only transgender or nonbinary people need universal basic income stipends.
Nicole Russell is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist in Washington, D.C., who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota.
