[ONLINE] - The Potential of a Guaranteed Income: A Conversation with Four Mayors

Tens of millions of Americans were experiencing economic fragility, living paycheck to paycheck, before the pandemic. The social safety net, already frayed, has not sufficiently changed a common scenario for nearly 40% of Americans unable to afford a single $400 emergency. And while COVID-19 did not create these problems it both highlighted and exacerbated them.

Guaranteed income advocates have argued that measures to stabilize income outside of employment—an income floor—are a promising means of creating greater economic stability for individuals and families. Support for a guaranteed income dates back decades and includes that of Martin Luther King Jr., who called for a guaranteed income to provide people with the resources necessary to build resilience. More recently, following the first mayoral led guaranteed income pilot in Stockton, California, dozens of mayors joined Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI), supporting it as a safety net supplement to address economic insecurity.

Join New America CA on Tuesday, May 25th at 10:00 A.M. PT / 1:00 P.M. ET for a conversation with four mayors exploring guaranteed income pilot programs in their cities. Together we will discuss what they see as the contours of a better safety net, the potential of a guaranteed income to support economic empowerment, the opposition arguments they’ve faced, and the role they believe cities should play in meeting families’ needs.

Registration is free and open to all.

SPEAKERS:

Mayor LaToya Cantrell, @mayorcantrell
New Orleans, LA

Mayor Lauren Poe, @laurenbpoe
Gainesville, FL

Mayor Libby Schaaf, @LibbySchaaf
Oakland, CA

Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, @MayorSiddiqui
Cambridge, MA

MODERATOR:

Autumn McDonald, @Autumn_McDo
Senior Fellow & Head of New America CA