Police interaction with an 8-year-old child, who allegedly stole a bike within days of allegedly stealing a bag of chips from a convenience store in Syracuse, has reignited conversations about how to use government money to assist those in poverty. Advocates have suggested Universal Basic Income - a system that Mayor Ben Walsh agrees can work, but can't happen in Syracuse without help from the federal government.
Universal Basic Income is a system through which the government sends residents in low-income brackets a certain amount of money with no strings attached. Stockton, California, was one of the first in the country to exercise a pilot program in Overall, Stockton found success in the program - and over 30 other cities across the county, including Ithaca, are finding similar results with localized UBI programs.
Advocates with the Syracuse Police Accountability and Radical Revisioning Coalition believe universal basic income is a necessity in Syracuse. Census data shows that At the time, Walsh said he was interested in UBI - and still is today.
That really has to be done on a state or national level. Mayor Walsh said whether it's the one-time ARPA funding or the city funds they have access to year over year, they wouldn't be able to support a permanent, citywide UBI program. He said he is in support of the federal child tax credit returning - and would be welcome to broader UBI being established, but with federal help.
City officials have explained that this kind of funding is critical to addressing poverty. Common councilors and police officials have said that money is crucial to improving staffing levels at the Syracuse Police Department - SPAARC advocates believe it's money wasted that could be going to social programs.
