It’s over 1 trillion dollars, only the FG could do it
Blain 21, Urban Reform Institute (Charles, “Mayors For Free Money,” Issues in Insights, https://issuesinsights.com/2021/01/07/mayors-for-free-money/)
While the pilot programs are garnering support from charities and philanthropies, nonprofits, and even the private sector, their ultimate purpose is to serve as a template for a federally subsidized program – meaning that taxpayers would end up picking up the tab.
“Guaranteed income has to be a federal solution,” said Tubbs, who lost his reelection bid in November. “But we understand Washington can’t move as fast. We need to give folks in D.C. the stories and cover to do this.” Dorsey echoed those sentiments in a tweet following the announcement of his $15 million commitment, saying that he hoped the pilot programs would “inform federal policy in the future.” If that happens, the price tag would be massive – totaling $1.2 trillion, estimates David Harrison in the Wall Street Journal. That’s equivalent to 5.9% of U.S. annual economic output.