Mastodawn

They pay $34 for burgers. Should their fire department service be free? Opening a new fire department in one of NYC's richest neighborhoods has some of America's pettiest journalists asking silly questions in headlines again.🤡

The article acknowledges the fire department analogy, then blows past it.🤷🏿‍♂️

The solve for "Sometimes when a service like free childcare is available to all, marginalized communities get squeezed out," is "Address that racism."

It's not "Therefore waste incredible amounts of time and money trying to means test something that society should just make available to all.🤡"

Show thread

Laura "Tegan" Gjovaag ⛈ 🐸11h ago

@mekkaokereke
When school lunch programs throw out the "who deserves to get free lunches?" and just provide for every child, the entire program is cheaper due to the lack of an enforcement layer, all children get fed, and children learn more and pay attention better.

Being overly concerned that someone might get something they don't "deserve" usually ends up screwing over the ones who need help most.

We're supposed to "promote the general welfare" of the public - not gate-keep who gets help.

Show thread

Maddie

@realtegan @mekkaokereke
Well said. In the same way, I wish the MBTA here (transit) would spend less on fare collection gates, watchdog personnel, cameras, April Fools jokes, and spinning "fare evaders" as the core problem, and instead move toward true universal public service.

After decades of inefficiency, it's hard for me to believe they care. But I have hope that _some_ MBTA employees do care enough for change, and it's a topic I will continue to bring up a lot.

Show thread

Laura "Tegan" Gjovaag ⛈ 🐸9h ago

@almonds @mekkaokereke
Free transit is another thing that would help so many people. Inner city travel shouldn't have a fare. Getting around easily helps the economy of a city. Artificially restricting travel is like cutting off the blood supply. A city thrives when its citizens can move and DO things.

A lot of people think only of their little place - they don't look at the entire system and how it ought to function. Some things being widely available just make everything better for everyone.