Andrew Yang hasn't given up on a Universal Basic Income idea; plans a pilot program

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Andrew Yang is trying out his UBI idea with 20 residents of Hudson, NY

ASAM NEWS

Andrew Yang’s nonprofit and The Spark of Hudson announced the beginning of a universal basic income (UBI) pilot program to be launched in this year.

Universal basic income was a focal part of Yang’s 2020 presidential campaign, which has been suspended — but the idea still lives on.

Instead of a nationwide approach, it’s being tested in Hudson, New York, with 20 recipients being given $500 a month for the next five years.

“Receiving a form of UBI allows you to begin making meaningful, long-term plans. It allows one to think beyond next month’s bills,” Yang said in a recent statement.

“Through the HudsonUP project, we’re going to see families benefit enormously from receiving $500 a month for five years,” he continued.

Yang’s initial UBI proposal, known during his campaign as “the Freedom Dividend,” promised $1,000 a month to all US citizens over the age of 18. Entrepreneurs such as Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla’s Elon Musk supported the idea, along with Robert Reich and Ta-Nehisi Coates.

The experiment’s 20 recipients have not been identified, according to The New York Daily News. But Yang said in an interview that they will be “low-income residents” of Hudson, which has a 19.2% poverty rate.

Hudson’s mayor applauded the decision.

“In light of the current ongoing crisis, this pilot will give a glimpse of hope to our constituents, many of whom are facing various financial burdens. We welcome out-of-the-box and innovative ideas that can better our communities,” Mayor Kamal Johnson said in a statement. “This pilot will provide a cushion for families, and this support could be life-changing.”

The program, Hudson UP, is a collaborative effort with The Spark of Hudson, an education-centric community center set to launch in Hudson, and Humanity Forward.

Hudson has 6,713 residents, the second-largest in New York’s Columbia County, according to the 2010 Census. The city also has a median household income of $35,439, making the city “ideal” for a control group, according to the groups.

Hudson’s population also has 7.8% Asians, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The PEW Research Center reported that income inequality increased most among Asian Americans since the 1970s, greater than the Black and Hispanic population.

This wealth gap is primarily due to immigration and discriminatory hiring practices, PEW Research Center said.

Meanwhile, Humanity Forward and The Spark of Hudson will contribute $300,000 each towards the project, making the total $600,000, News10 reported.

Yang said Humanity Forward will track how the 20 recipients will spend their UBI, predicting that “people [will] become mentally healthier, more optimistic, more secure in their future” — similar to the federal government’s stimulus check to provide financial aid to people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hudson’s mayor is not the only one who supports the launch.

“We are thrilled that the City of Hudson has been selected for this project,” said Joan Hunt, the executive director of Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood (GHPN).

“UBI provides a unique opportunity for families and communities to begin dismantling the intergenerational cycles of poverty,” she continued. “We look forward to continuing our involvement with this exciting and innovative project.”

Hudson will join Stockton, Calif., which is currently in the middle of a similar UBI 18-month trial: giving $500 a month to 125 people, courtesy of private philanthropy and research group Economic Security Project.

Universal basic income has been tried in several countries, including in the U.S., but they have been “short-lived, small-scale trials” but proved mainly beneficial, improving education and mental health.

AAPI celebrities join Andrew Yang's "We Are All American" video

ASAM NEWS

A who’s who of Hollywood celebrities participated in a new video sponsored by Andrew Yang’s new nonprofit, Humanity Forward.

Its simple message: We are all Americans.

The video, being spread on social media platforms, highlights the xenophobia and racism faced by Asian Americans, the higher rates of Blacks and Latinos dying from the coronavirus pandemic and the lower rate of COVID-19 testing these groups receive.

Humanity Forward also says Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders make up 16% of those contacting a crisis text line about coronavirus. That’s three times their proportion of their population in the United States.

Participating Asian American celebrities include Daniel Dae Kim, Hasan Minhaj, Lisa Ling, Olivia Munn, Prabal Gurung, Phillip Lim, Laura Kim, George Takei and Taylor Rapp.

Multicultural artists and athletes include Dave Chappelle, Noah Centineo, Marcellus Wiley, Megan Rapinoe, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Sara Silverman, Michael Strahan, Alyssa Milano, John Leguizamo, Joel McHale, Fat Joe, Sophia Bush, Jay Williams, Richard Marx, Teri Hatcher, Sue Bird, and Pamela Adlon.

Politicians and activists include Andrew Yang, Senator Kamala Harris, Senator Amy Klobuchar, former Congressman Beto O’Rourke and TV host & activist Van Jones.

Founders of the campaign are Jack Dorsey (Twitter, Square), Mark Cuban and Arianna Huffington.

Andrew Yang attracted the wrath of Asian Americans after he wrote an opinion piece for the Washington Post telling AAPI that the best way to combat the wave of anti-Asian hatred is to prove their "American-ness."

The video comes out as the more and more Asian Americans are being attacked and blamed for the coronavirus pandemic.

Views From the Edge contributed to this report.

Andrew Yang moves forward with new foundation

ANDREW YANG

ASAM NEWS

After ending his presidential campaign last month, entrepreneur Andrew Yang,has founded a new nonprofit organization called Humanity Forward, which aims to advance the policies that he proposed during his campaign.

When he was running for president, his major planks included a universal basic income, human-centered capitalism and data as a property right.

“We knew we wanted to keep the movement growing, the only question was what form that would take,” Yang said on Wednesday in an interview with the New York Times. Prior to running for president, he also ran Venture for America, a nonprofit dedicated to helping train recent college graduates in entrepreneurship.

The New York Times reports that venture capitalist Albert Wenger and entrepreneur Susan Danzinger have collectively pledged $500,000 for a trial in a town in New York State yet to be selected, and professional poker player Daniel Negreanu has committed t$100,000 for additional test runs. Other contributors are reported to be anonymous.

While Yang was able to share his ideas during the presidential campaign, he noted that his new organization would be an opportunity to put some of his policy ideas directly into practice.

“I have to say I’m super excited about it,” Yang told The New York Times. “My hands were tied as a political candidate to some extent. And now I get to work.”

Humanity Forward will utilize mediums such as podcasts and high-impact events to advance the ideas popularized during his democratic campaign, according to the organization’s website.

According to the New York Times, Michael Bloomberg’s campaign reached out after Yang concluded his bid for the presidency to offer counsel for a potential mayoral bid.

Yang said he would not rule a mayoral campaign out, but expressed that his current priority is establishing Humanity Forward.

“I’m just about solving problems,” he said. “I would want to see who else is running and what the world looks like. I just want to put myself in the position to have the greatest possible impact.”

In earlier interiews, Yang also said that he is open to working in some capacity within the new administration if the Democrats are successful in defeating Donald Trump.