San Francisco authorities have set off a firestorm with their proposed “Black Gold” reparations plan that could make some of the city’s black citizens into instant millionaires. It seems like a dream too good to be true, but the reality is that a government panel has suggested an eye-popping $5 million per adult for the reparation money. Outraged citizens are crying out against this “woke bonanza”, denouncing it as an outrageous move and questioning whether it could be legal – and if it’s even ethical – to give out such large sums in what has been deemed a “cash grab”. The drums of money appear to be rolling already, but only time will tell whether this spectacular Black Reparations plan will bring real justice or prove too far-flung for San Fran residents to handle.
This is absolutely insane. What are the people of San Francisco’s board of supervisors thinking? In their haste to jump on this year’s ‘woke’ bandwagon and make clear that they stand with their Black constituents, this group has recommended something that shows an utter lack of financial literacy. Granting eligible adults $5 million apiece and total debt forgiveness sounds like a dream come true, but the reality is this generous payment would do little to truly address this racial inequality. Instead of squandering so much money on this agenda-based policy, San Francisco would be better served if this money was used to tackle its issues with homelessness, crime, and more.
100 Percent Fed Up reports, The San Francisco African American Reparations Advisory Committee proposed a payout to make up for the “systematic repression” endured by the Black community in the city for decades. Although California was not a state that practiced slavery, this reparations proposal seeks to “address the public policies explicitly created to subjugate Black people in San Francisco by upholding and expanding the intent and legacy of chattel slavery”, according to its draft report. The draft further states that “while neither San Francisco, nor California, formally adopted the institution of chattel slavery, [they] codified segregation, white supremacy and systematic repression and exclusion of Black people through legal and extralegal actions, social codes, and judicial enforcement”.
The draft explains the committee’s justification for the suggested sum, stating, “A single payment would make up for the years of damage inflicted on this population, and will make up for the financial and opportunity losses that African Americans in San Francisco have suffered due to both deliberate decisions and unintentional consequences caused by city regulations.”
The proposal for the city of San Francisco puts forth the idea of issuing a formal apology for any past wrongs and committing to making ongoing, systemic and programmatic investments in Black communities to address historical harms. To be eligible for this substantial payment, individuals must be 18 years or older and fulfill two out of several conditions, including being born in San Francisco or migrating between 1940 and 1996 with a minimum residency period of 13 years.
If the proposal is approved, it is estimated that only 10,000 qualified recipients would be eligible for the program and cost the city of San Francisco a minimum of $50 billion. The exact number of people who could qualify remains unknown. In June, Mayor London Breed, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the San Francisco Human Rights Commission will receive this proposal from the committee.
The San Francisco government has certainly caused a stir with its ‘Black Gold’ reparations plan — offering $5 million per adult to potentially make some city’s black citizens instantly millionaires. But does this amount of money come at the cost of the public taxpayers’ peace-of-mind? Many experience the reparations plan as sheer lunacy, claiming it to be outrageous, outrageous and out of left field — risking justice for mere ‘cash grab’. This is just more woke lunacy pushing a potential get-woke-go-broke agenda onto residents unable to put a stop to their madness. Time will tell if these ambitious reparations plans can be accepted by San Fran residents, yet from an outside perspective, it appears there’ll be no winners in this situation.
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