How we distribute our resources is a reflection of our values. Martin Luther King Jr. warned that “a nation that continues year after year to spend money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.” Our Boulder community pocketbook is well represented by the Elevate Boulder program. Launched in 2023 it advances a universal basic income (UBI) to two hundred low-income city residents. A direct payment of five hundred dollars a month over two years, with no strings attached allows recipients to stabilize a financially precarious situation and alleviate the stress of living paycheck to paycheck.

Critics claim that UBI stunts a fulsome work ethic and does little to address the long-term needs of those living just above the poverty line. They conclude that this is just a redistribution of wealth at the expense of hard-working taxpayers.

Henry David Thoreau observed that ”wealth is the ability to fully experience life.” Money is a tool that helps craft a meaningful life. Many struggle to fill their toolbox. We can help.

The strategic targeting of need in our community is an economically sensible protocol of a good neighbor. To catch a family before they slip into poverty is not charity, it is a helping hand in time of need that is showing measurable positive results. This civic-minded approach, according to Elizabeth Crowe, the Deputy Director of Housing and Human Services, allows people to negotiate rising prices in housing and food while they still work and live in Boulder.

Strengthening this safety net decreases the anxiety of living. With less anxiety, one is able to move forward with optimism and purpose. One recipient participating in a different program in Texas explained that with the extra cash he was able to pay off debt and improve his credit rating. With an improved credit report, he had more financial options and was able to chart a way forward. Others in Illinois noted that they were able to establish a bit of a nest egg so that when the unexpected arose around car repairs or an unforeseen medical emergency, such an expense did not send them to social services. Anyone who has ever had to work two jobs to make ends meet can appreciate this “new normal” of economic life.

To further this program, a network between states should be established so that those receiving UBI can dialogue with one another. A person-to-person exchange can promote creative solutions that guide one to use funds effectively. People in need seeking practical ways to improve their lives are worthy of vigorous support.

Jim Vacca, jamespvacca1@gmail.com

For years, I ran a micro-version of a guaranteed income program by sending money to my parents in Peru to help them out.

At 17, I earned a full-ride scholarship to the University of Kansas. For a poor boy from Peru, it was a testament to my parents’ sacrifices and hard work. After graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering, I started a PhD program at CU, where I also received a full scholarship and earned $20K annually as a teaching assistant. It was my first real salary, and with it came what I can only describe as “immigrant guilt.” I felt a responsibility, as the eldest, to support my parents financially.

Initially, I sent $100 a month. The results were similar to what Elevate Boulder participants are reporting: My parents stopped experiencing food insecurity and could afford utilities. But as costs rose, so did their needs, and soon I was sending $250 a month. Yet, no matter how much I sent, my parents couldn’t achieve financial stability. And that’s the challenge Elevate Boulder faces. While $500 monthly payments can alleviate immediate hardships, I doubt they’ll move the needle significantly on long-term financial independence without external intervention.

I firmly believe in the adage, “Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day; teach him to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime.” But let me add this: first, give him plenty of fish — nobody can learn a new skill while starving. That’s what I did for my mother. After years of financial support, my wife and I worked to create stability for her while visiting her in Peru. My wife suggested she teach Spanish online, so we filmed an introduction video, set up her profile, and guided her through the process. It took months of effort, equipment investments and encouragement, but my mom eventually transitioned to teaching full-time, earning $2K a month — far more than her soul-sucking job as a debt collector.

The experience taught me — again — how incredibly difficult it is to escape poverty, as I had already experienced it firsthand during my own journey out of it. For Elevate Boulder, as with my mother, the challenge will be creating similar opportunities for participants. Without mentoring and guidance, the payments might only offer temporary relief.

I hope the upcoming results prove me wrong. If the program can foster lasting change, it’s worth pursuing. But as it stands, I remain skeptical. I do admit that if I had to do it all over again with my mom, I would. If her business had failed, we would have tried something else. And if she had never reached stability, I would probably still be sending her money now. I’m grateful this project is helping people and changing lives — it’s a vital step forward. But eventually, the budget or grant money will run out. If participants haven’t been equipped with the tools to achieve lasting stability by then, what happens next? Ensuring that stability should be the program’s ultimate priority.

Hernán Villanueva, chvillanuevap@gmail.com

Wait. How could this be true? We give a sizable amount of money to people on a monthly basis, for doing nothing at all, and … they like it? I’ve got to see the research as this is so counterintuitive. Luckily, Boulder did the research, spending $3 million to find this out. Next, we should find out if eating food extends life. Sure, there may be a correlation here, but we can’t know for sure until we have a peer-reviewed study. There are plenty more issues in need of study. Let’s form a new city department: the Department for Studying Obviously True Things With Gigantic Amounts of Money (DSOTTWGAM).

Among the results was that the $500 extra each month caused fewer people to experience food insecurity … Hmmm. Now I’m just spitballing here, but, what if those people took that money and, wait for it, bought food?! Sure, once you hear the idea it seems obvious, but until you read that, weren’t you stumped?

But wait … the study found that giving people $500 extra only lowered the percentage of people who weren’t eating enough from 58% to 47%. 47% of the people are still not eating enough? Are they shopping at Whole Foods? One thing is abundantly clear from this study and that is that no one should be getting this money until they take a free 1-hour course on how to shop for food because these folks are like domestic lions released into the Serengeti: they have no idea how to obtain sustenance.

Just like with the minimum wage (which should be at least $100/hour because we’re all worth it!), we should guarantee everyone an income of at least the AMI — $100K/year. What could possibly be wrong with that? Oh yeah, money. I got you covered there, too. Boulder issues its own currency called Boulder Bucks. All businesses in Boulder are required to accept Boulder Bucks as payment. We print as many BBs as needed and distribute them until everyone is on Easy Street. Or rather we all live in mansions on Flagstaff Mountain. How sweet will that be?

I just returned from three weeks in Africa and was stunned that no one there had ever heard of Boulder. Could it be we aren’t the beacon to the rest of the world we always thought we were? That would suck. Then all the dumb stuff we do would just be … dumb.

Bill Wright, bill@wwwright.com