Why California officials traveled to Kenya to find solutions to poverty
LA TimesLos Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, third from right, speaks to residents of a village in Kenya on Wednesday about universal basic income. California officials representing some of the wealthiest cities in the world traveled to one of the poorest villages in Africa this week to study universal basic income, a poverty solution they hope to expand in the Golden State. Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell and state Assemblymember Matt Haney from San Francisco, both Democrats, were in Kisumu County, Kenya, on Wednesday, where residents have received $25 a month for the last five years as part of the world’s largest guaranteed income project. “But it’s actually very similar in many ways and affirms our belief in this model — that when you give people cash and choice, they uplift themselves and their families and their communities.” For the record: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell paid for her chief of staff to travel to Kenya with money from her supervisor’s office account.
History of this topic
California lawmakers approve nation’s first state-funded guaranteed income plan
LA Times
Editorial: America is taking baby steps towards universal basic income
LA Times
Mayors vow to launch guaranteed income programs across US
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