Members, Las Cruces, New Mexico City Council 25, September, 2023
I am writing to you in regards to the plans you are formulating in creating a program of Public Funded Basic Income in which you give $500.00 a month to 150 eligible Las Cruces Families. Let’s add this up ok. $500.00 per month to 150 families….that totals $75,000 a month. That equals $900,000.00 a year. If you continue to pay these families for the 18 months you have specified in your plan, you will have expended $1,350,000.00. As per Stanford University Basic Income Lab, these people will only spend 28% of that money on Food and Groceries. 40% will go to retail sales buying who knows what. Who knows what the other 32% is being spent on……Marijuana???
What was this American Rescue Plan Act money for in the first place? It was intended to combat the COVID-19 Pandemic. THE COVID – 19 PANDEMIC. The Pandemic was declared over, back in May, 2023. So why are you planning on still funneling money out of this fund when the Pandemic is over.
Where does the money that the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 come from. This money comes from YOUR pocket, it comes from MY pocket, it comes from EVERYBODY’s pocket. This is not in any way, shape, or form like the money that Alaska doles out to its people. That money comes from revenue generated by GAS and OIL in Alaska. It does not come out of the people’s pocket. What you are intending to do here is take a play out of EX-President Obama’s playbook, and do an end run around the PEOPLE by redistributing wealth. I do not want MY wealth redistributed by ANYONE, least of all this City Commission. If I want to give my money away, I will give it to those most in need that have TRIED to work for what they have, to better themselves.
When you give something away free, no matter what studies you want to pull up that say different, you are destroying the incentive for these people to go to work. If you received a basic income, you would be less inclined to want to work because you wouldn’t need to. That is what you have already created here in New Mexico, a group of welfare recipients that have NO INTENTION of going to work when they can get free money. You are destroying the very principles of what the founders of the United States of America believed in. We have ALWAYS been taught to work HARD, CREATE our own wealth, don’t depend on the Government to fund you, and give you money. WORK for it. EARN your keep.
If you are so intent on giving money away, why don’t you tap into the BILLIONS of dollars the Oil and Gas industries provide to New Mexico. What you are doing now is using MY money and YOUR money to fund families who probably have no incentive to go out and get a job, and so place themselves in the poverty level that they have become accustomed to. How many of these people also draw welfare, and housing subsidy allowances. They can sit at home, smile, and do nothing, and you want to pay them to continue doing nothing. This is NOT the way our Founding fathers envisioned this country and it is the Socialist, left wing, foolish ideas that have kept us at the bottom of the barrel for multiple things.
You need to reconsider what you are proposing and reject it. $1,350,000.00 can better be used someplace else like decreasing the Crime rate in this city or housing the homeless. The mayor rejected your proposal, I reject your proposal and STRONGLY insist that you stop throwing my money and your money away. This does in NO WAY benefit the majority of this city. What you should be worrying about is the restrictive business policies you have in place. Please get off your social bent, get real and reject this plan as it is truly does NOT benefit the Majority of the people of Las Cruces.
I also called up, on Amazon Prime, the movie “Inherent Good” that the Community Action Agency of Southern New Mexico fervently hosted on Friday the 22nd. I was not in time to see the article to sign up to go and listen to the panel discussion. BUT, I find that Trae Crowder, a professional COMEDIAN, and from the rural south, AND a psychologist put together an excellent propaganda film . He even describes himself as a LIBERAL Agnostic. After moving to Knoxville, he developed his standup comedy routine as the “LIBERAL REDNECK”. He also worked for the New York Daily News as their official “Hillbilly-in-Chief”
Having watched the whole movie I cannot see where you can take this film seriously. His main goal is to make money and if he can make money off of a propaganda film like this is, then he is off someplace laughing his butt off.
For you to take this film seriously, Mrs. Gandara, Mrs. Bencomo is beyond my belief. I just can’t believe you have fallen for all that was in this film. Ever heard of hired ACTORS, and he got some of the best. Hmmmmmmmm….
Perhaps we should review Beverly Hillbillies to see how true wealth can be better distributed.
Michael S. Potts
Citizen at large
