Month: September 2020

The sheer scale of the other economic damage of the pandemic has led some to call for equally large-scale reforms. For instance, Universal Basic Income. Paul calls in San Antonio Express News financial columnist Michael Taylor to break down the pros and cons of Universal Basic Income. Small-scale studies show that providing cash directly to people impacted by disasters is efficient and effective. But critics of Alaska's long-running Permanent Fund Dividend, America's largest experiment in UBI, will attest to the unforeseen political challenge of balancing a state's budget around an annual cash giveaway. The permanent fund is the closest thing to UBI America has tried, and its been going on for nearly 40 years.

In the first episode of the Shakeout, a podcast about the economic fallout of the pandemic, Paul Flahive tells the stories of Texans waiting in line at food bank events throughout the summer in San Antonio, where more than 10,000 cars lined up for a single food drive in April. One woman brings the food back to her apartment parking lot to share with her neighbors. A hairstylist worries about feeding family members who moved in with her. A young father turns to the food bank to feed his sons after the pandemic forced him to quit his job.