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Salem's new anti-poverty experiment: No-strings-attached cash
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We’ve got a recap of last night’s Senate debate and the latest on the Boston women’s soccer team name controversy. But first, a new anti-poverty program gets off the ground in Massachusetts:
No strings attached: Yet another Massachusetts city is jumping on the guaranteed income trend this fall. Salem announced yesterday the city will give 100 residents $500 cash per month for one year.
- How it works: Participants will be able to spend the direct cash payments however they want — whether it’s on housing, food, transportation, health care or something else. The application window opens on Oct. 28 for two weeks, or until the city gets 350 applications. They expect the first payments to go out by Dec. 1. In total, it’s expected to cost $685,000, funded by one-time COVID relief money and the nonprofit UpTogether.
- Who’s eligible: The program is open to any Salem resident — including those who are homeless — with a household income of up to the federal poverty level. That’s just over $15,000 for an individual or about $20,000 for a single parent. Salem Mayor Dominic Pangallo told WBUR’s Amy Sokolow that roughly 14% of the city’s population is eligible for the free money.
- Zoom out: Dozens of cities in the U.S. have piloted basic income programs, including several in Massachusetts: Chelsea, Cambridge, Somerville and Worcester. (Boston officials have also lightly discussed it.) Pangallo says part of the city’s goal is to contribute to that ongoing body of research. “It’s creating an enormous amount of evidence around the efficacy around these programs, how they work, where they work well,” he said.
- Zoom in: There’s also the more immediate want to help those struggling to afford the cost of living in Massachusetts — an issue Pangallo says is particularly acute in Salem. (Realtor.com recently ranked the city third on its list of hottest zip codes.) “Our median rents from 2017 to 2022 increased eight times the median household income,” Pangallo said. “It’s a happening city and we love that, but it’s also definitely put pressure on people.”
- Go deeper: Radio Boston spoke to a basic income participant and researcher last month about the concept’s promise and pitfalls.
ICYMI: Sen. Elizabeth Warren and her Republican challenger John Deaton tangled over abortion rights and immigration in their first debate last night. You can watch the full event here.
- On abortion: As WBUR’s Anthony Brooks reports, Deaton said he supports abortion rights and would vote for a federal law to protect them. He’s even pledged to switch parties over the issue. But Warren countered, saying Deaton expressed past support for Neil Gorsuch, one of the conservative Supreme Court justices that overturned Roe v. Wade. She argued, if Deaton wins, the country would move a big step closer to a nationwide abortion ban. “When that’s on the line, we cannot trust John Deaton,” she said.
- On immigration: Deaton criticized Warren for voting against an (already doomed) federal border bill and blamed her for the migrant crisis straining Massachusetts. And he accused Warren of being a partisan politician. “You notice its ‘Democrats are great, Republicans are bad,’ ” Deaton said. “I got news for you, Senator, all of you suck. All of you. It’s a broken system.”
- What’s next: Warren and Deaton will meet again tomorrow night in Springfield for their second and final debate.
Name games: Boston’s new National Women’s Soccer League team unveiled its name yesterday — BOS Nation FC — along with a risqué marketing campaign featuring lots of ball-based double entendre.
- Why? The club says BOS Nation is an anagram of Bostonian, and it captures “strength and creativity and pride.” BOS also happens to play off “boss” and Logan airport’s call letters.
- The intrigue: The reception to the rollout has been, to put it lightly, very negative. There’s already a Change.org petition, and a supporters club asked owners to reconsider the name. (As of this morning, the “Too Many Balls” website was down and the rollout video had been removed from Instagram.)
- What were the alternatives? According to The Boston Globe, team owners toyed with simpler names, like “Boston FC,” or something related to the weather. (Editor’s note: I’d vote for Boston Graupel, Boston Frost Quakes or even Boston Space-Savers over this.)
P.S.— Today marks exactly three weeks (ah!) until Election Day. If you plan to vote by mail and have yet to request a ballot, Massachusetts election officials say now’s the time — especially considering the recent issues with postal service delays. Check out our 2024 Massachusetts election guide for more mail-in voting details.
