April 19, 2021 6:00 AM
California cities are leading the charge pushing to explore guaranteed basic income programs. Left-to-right: Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Compton Mayor Aja Brown. (Illustration by Al Kamalizad for LAist. Photos from Getty Images.)
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is proposing a guaranteed basic income pilot program in his upcoming budget, putting L.A. front and center in the debate over how government can most effectively combat poverty and spur equitable economic recovery in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The $24 million program would be the largest experiment of its kind in the United States.