A basic income could help rural Michigan thrive
Published 2:22 pm Friday, June 6, 2025
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Editor:
Here in Cass County, we don’t ask for handouts, we ask for a fair shot and the freedom to make our own way. But too often, Lansing and DC bury us under layers of red tape and programs that don’t fit rural life.
That’s why I believe that it’s time to seriously consider a Universal Basic Income, a flat monthly payment to every adult American, no strings attached.
This isn’t about big government. It’s about cutting waste, ending bureaucracy, and giving people direct control over their lives. Instead of dozens of overlapping programs that make you jump through hoops, imagine one simple system where you decide what your family needs most—groceries, gas, home repairs, or saving for a rainy day.
For places like Dowagiac, Marcellus, Cassopolis, Edwardsburg and Vandalia, this could mean more people remaining in our communities rather than leaving, starting small businesses, or caring for loved ones without the fear of going broke.
We could pay for it by eliminating corporate subsidies, streamlining the government, and taxing polluters instead of workers. That’s not socialism, that’s common sense.
A basic income could help our rural communities thrive, not by making people dependent, but by giving them a solid foundation to stand on their own two feet.
Jason Gatties
Dowagiac