The controversial and fiscally irresponsible guaranteed income program proposed by Harris County leadership, UpliftHarris, has been resurrected by the county’s Commissioner Court. 

Originally introduced in January 2024, the program aimed to supply a monthly income of $500 to a select 1,928 families living below arbitrary poverty standards. At its inception, the money would have been expendable by recipients in an unrestricted manner and received completely tax-free. The plan was set to be funded with $20 million of the funds allotted to Harris County by the American Rescue Plan Act, which was implemented following the drastic economic downturn accompanying the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Only one of the four members of the Commissioners Court, Tom Ramsay, stood against the program. He argued that the funding could be used in numerous other, more effective ways that would benefit a far greater number of Harris County residents.

After facing a lawsuit from Attorney General Ken Paxton in April, the program was put on hold and eventually terminated by the Texas Supreme Court in June. Paxton argued that UpliftHarris violates areas within the Texas Constitution that restrict gifting public funds to individuals. He blasted the program as a welfare scam and government handout.

State Rep. Paul Bettencourt highlighted the discriminatory nature of the program and implied that it denotes the randomly selected 1900 recipients as “winners” and the remaining 80,000 low-income residents who were denied benefits as “losers.”

Now, the Commissioners Court has released an updated plan that they believe abides by state law while simultaneously denying the legitimacy of legal arguments against their initial plan. UpliftHarris 2.0 aims to fulfill the misguided promises made to low-income residents by county leadership with newly included stipulations to circumvent litigation challenges. The same group of approved families and individuals who were set to receive payments under the original UpliftHarris plan will now be given prepaid debit cards that can only be used at specifically designated establishments such as grocery stores and pharmacies.

The Commissioners Court reports that the updated program will cost taxpayers an additional $400,000 for unspecified reasons. Should UpliftHarris 2.0 face legal challenges in the same manner as its predecessor, the Court proclaimed that the funds would be redirected towards pre-existing programs to benefit low-income individuals.

UpliftHarris is reminiscent of similar calls for guaranteed income programs levied by the left in recent years. Particularly, it rings a similar tune as the Universal Basic Income proposal by 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, who envisioned a $1000 monthly deposit to Americans dolled out from the federal budget. Other cities and counties around the nation have implemented such measures, including Newark, NJ, Los Angeles, CA, and Cook County, Illinois.

The answer to solving poverty and putting more money in people’s wallets is not found in guaranteed income programs. Socialist methods of income redistribution are inherently thieving and immoral, and they do not produce any practical degree of success or prosperity.

Fiscal responsibility and limited government are the proven structures for economic success and class maneuverability. Reducing taxes in all forms, but most specifically eliminating the property tax, would provide the same supplementary income that programs like UpliftHarris are going for, minus the theft, redistribution, and bureaucracy. 

In order to lower taxes, however, the government must be controlled and limited with spending caps and a no-growth budget, with the eventual goal of shrinking its overbearing size and scope over time. This includes eliminating wasteful, misguided, and irresponsible programs like UpliftHarris and any of its creators’ alternatives.

Concerned citizens and taxpayers should consider contacting the Harris County commissioners court here, and urge them to put an end to this irresponsible program. Taxpayers can also consider attending commissioners court meetings, found here, to stay up to date and voice their concerns.

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility is dedicated to restoring fiscal sanity to Texas and holding elected officials accountable to the will of their constituents. To stay informed on UpliftHarris and other fiscal news, subscribe to our newsletter today!

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