Andrew Yang for President

[David Horn]

(09-19-2019, 04:39 AM)Bill the Piper Wrote:

(09-14-2019, 02:55 PM)David Horn Wrote:

(09-14-2019, 11:29 AM)Bill the Piper Wrote:

(09-13-2019, 07:34 AM)David Horn Wrote: Yes, but it's impossible to separate the addicted from those who only use drugs and alcohol but are not problematic.  Worse, there is a small subset of addicts who are fully stable and productive members of society. How do you legally deny people who fall in one of those categories, and how do you decide who does and who doesn't qualify?

By cracking down on those who engage in dysfunctional and destructive behaviour. In case of doubt, experts should examine their social and family life. For borderline cases, coupons for food could be preferable to cash.

It's the same problem that occurs when benefits are means tested in elaborate ways.  Sure, it can be done, but the cost to do it is so high that just handing out the candy is a lot cheaper.  That's Yang's point.

What about withdrawing the "candy" as a means of punishment?

Same problem.  If you plan to oversee the distribution process enough to identify bad actors, then you first have to create an oversight entity, staff it with trained personnel and actively manage the oversight as inevitable loopholes miraculously appear.  Prequalification is analogous to social services like welfare and food stamps her in the US and post-qualification, to law enforcement.  Neither is cheap.