The Universal Basic Income Experiment Happening Right Here in Milwaukee

Universal Basic Income (UBI), no-strings attached payments, has been a policy proposal idolized by the left and center-left for a long long time. Often it seems like just a far off think-tank policy proposal that could only be implemented in liberal bastions like New York, Chicago, and California. And yet, dear reader, you might be surprised to learn that there is in fact a UBI experiment going on at this very moment in Milwaukee. Now before going any further, some of you lefty policy wonks out there are probably chomping at the bit to decry how UBI is in fact a capitalist solution to poverty. We will get there in a moment, but first let us talk about some of the positive aspects of this program before we start our critiques. 

So what exactly is going on in Milwaukee? Well, last year, the Zilber Family Foundation began implementing a program called the Bridge Project. This program would give “unconditional cash to 122 eligible low-income, pregnant individuals in Milwaukee for three years.” And that is it. Give cash to low-income parents, no questions asked. Simple enough right? Additionally, the Common Council led by Marina Dimitrijevic proposed that the city use some of the unused American Rescue Plan to further expand the program. The proposal was passed with a super majority but was not approved by our Republican-lite Mayor Cavalier Johnson, who said he supported the program but that “city taxpayer support for these unconditional cash transfers is not sustainable.” So, between giving cash to parents or to cops, Johnson is firmly on the side of cops, but I digress. 

This program has been going on for a year now, and the results are as positive as one would expect. Giving folks money works. Of those participating in the Milwaukee program, food insecurity dropped, housing insecurity dropped, and they were able to save some money as well. In a time where folks living in poverty are being demonized and their benefits cut in order to give even more money to billionaires, programs like these need to be defended and celebrated. We need to banish the idea of “deserving poor” from our vocabulary. No one has to ‘earn’ the right to a dignified life. Everybody deserves one, no matter what. Putting requirement after requirement and an overwhelming amount of bureaucracy between folks being able to access any type of public benefit is just a cruel and unnecessary tax on being poor. And of course this poor tax serves as an excellent revenue source for the onslaught of contractors and corporations that administer and enforce these restrictions. Just give people money, it is that simple. In a Common Council meeting back in June, Zilber presented these findings and the Common Council, once again led by Dimitrijevic, are working to allocate city funds to this program. We will have to keep our eye on how this proposal advances.  

Alright policy wonks, I know you have been waiting patiently to start your critiquing, so let us get into it. What are the issues with this program? Well first off it is extremely limited (only pregnant individuals in certain zip codes in Milwaukee can apply) and it still focuses on a demographic that few people (except apparently, Mayor Johnson)* could deny need/deserve assistance. Hopefully, we can slowly use programs like these to expand our definition of who “deserves” assistance until all are included. A further critique is the fact that the funding behind this project is a private foundation, Zilber. Because they are completely private, they have absolutely zero public accountability or oversight. They could stop the program tomorrow, change the requirements, or make any number of changes without the public being able to do a thing about it. We should not have to depend on non-profits feeling charitable for programs like these. Anything could change from today to tomorrow. 

And then there is the whole concept of UBI, which sounds like a socialist dream, until one really starts to think about it. It is essentially subsidized consumption and does very little to challenge the oppressive capitalist systems around us. People are given cash which will, most likely, be spent and end up in the pocket of some corporation or leech landlord. It can help people in the short-term, but does nothing to redistribute wealth and change overall systems. If anything it further solidifies the status quo. What we really need in the long-term is something more like a universal needs income. Where our communities or the state provide for all our basic needs, food, housing, etc…and completely cut corporations out from the equation. Yes, this is something of a pipe dream given the current state of things. But, considering the current front-runner for the mayor of New York has proposed making public grocery stores, is not entirely impossible. 

For now, we can both celebrate and support programs like Zilber’s UBI project in Milwaukee, but we must never lose sight of what our long term goals are. We should push our elected officials to involve the city more in programs like these so there is additional oversight. It is a “both and” situation. Will UBI on its own bring about the end of capitalism? No. But that does not mean we should not do it. People need help now and it is unnecessarily cruel to prolong that suffering simply because a potential solution is not ‘ideologically’ acceptable. And furthermore, UBI can help us lay the groundwork for a post-capitalist society.  UBI as a principle embodies the values we desire for a new society, where everyone ‘deserves’ a dignified life. Programs like UBI foster these kinds of values and can foster these values across wider society. Practically, UBI also can free us from needing to work so damn much. This time can instead be devoted to time with our loved ones, hobbies, creativity, and most importantly, broader social justice and revolutionary organizing. So even if UBI programs like Zilber’s Bridge Project may not end capitalism, we can still defend them and advocate for their expansion as they can help us lay the bricks for the eventual overthrowing of capitalism.

*UPDATED And unsurprisingly State Republicans who on multiple occasions have tried to ban any type of guaranteed income program, Governor Evers vetoed their bill in 2023 and a similar proposal this year did not even make it to a vote due to fervent opposition from representatives Clancy and Phelps. This type of opposition makes it all the more vital for us to defend these type of programs once they are implemented.