The city of Stockton, California is going to try giving several families $500 a month for absolutely nothing. You might not be surprised to learn that this is a city that went bankrupt in 2012. This test of a universal basic income is being funded by the Economic Security Project in hopes that it will make people work harder, in opposition to everything we know about human nature. Twenty-seven- year-old Mayor Michael Tubbs told NPR:

“I think it will make people work better and smarter and harder and also be able to do things like spend time with their families because we're not robots. We're not just designed just to work all day and run a rat race.” He also said “But I also think as a human being, there are some things that you don’t earn. Some things are rights."

Should this work, Stockton will consider expanding the program, but the Economic Security Project will not continue footing the bill. That's just to test the program. Who would fund its actual execution should they decide to go ahead? That's right -- the already-overburdened taxpayer of California would be on the hook for upwards of $9 million a month.

California is doomed. Good work, Democrats.