mekka okereke 2d ago

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 threadLaura "Tegan" Gjovaag ⛈ 🐸2d 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 threadRaymond Russell2d ago
@realtegan @mekkaokereke
My pet hate.
When you start to "means test" something that really should be universal the means test itself costs money to administer and you create a barrier to some of those who should be benefiting but may not be able to navigate the red tape required for many many reasons.
Show threadcraignicol10h ago

@raymierussell @realtegan @mekkaokereke in Scotland we used to means test prescriptions. It turned out that the money saved couldn't possibly justify the cost of administration (mainly because people on many prescriptions are highly likely to be unable to work) so they just made them free for everyone.

That's how most benefits should work. Although I do have some sympathy for the idea the UK has where everyone gets child benefit but higher rate taxpayers who get it pay more tax.

Show threadRaymond Russell10h ago

@craignicol @realtegan @mekkaokereke

Yup I have benefited from free prescriptions in Scotland.

Another side effect of free prescription is better compliance with taking medication.
When you need to fork out a tenner per item there is the temptation to not spend the money. This leads to further cost for the state down the line if people are not properly recovering from illness.

There are always unintended consequences of these things.

Free meals means better nutrition even for "rich kids".

Show threadcraignicol10h ago
@raymierussell @realtegan @mekkaokereke yes, I'm sure there was a study that connected free prescriptions to lower attendance at hospital because people were taking their medicines
Show threadcraignicol10h ago

@raymierussell @realtegan @mekkaokereke I used to work with someone who did modelling to help NHS trusts in England to save money and the biggest thing they could do (it wasn't even close) was to keep people out of A&E. If you invest in prevention, it keeps people away from the expensive choke points.

I'm sure the same is true for other benefits. Keeping families housed and fed, assisted support to enter the workplace, etc. Keeping them away from courts and mental health services.

Show threadRaymond Russell10h ago

@craignicol @realtegan @mekkaokereke

Classic penny pinching creating more cost that it saves.

How much damage are pot holes doing to vehicles vs. the cost to maintain the roads at minimum standard?

Show threadcraignicol9h ago
@raymierussell @realtegan @mekkaokereke councils generally don't pay for car repairs though. At least with prescriptions and A&E the NHS is responsible for the entire budget so it's easier to see
Show threadRaymond Russell9h ago
@craignicol @realtegan @mekkaokereke
But the folk who's vehicles get damaged pay council tax, road tax and general taxation which all contributes the council budgets. ;-)
Show threadcraignicol
@raymierussell @realtegan @mekkaokereke that's the bigger picture, but the councils see that money whether or not the car gets damaged, and very few councils run their own buses to see the costs directly
11:37amWeb
Show threadAlex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UK7h ago

@craignicol @raymierussell @realtegan @mekkaokereke

Ipswich and Reading do run their own bus services, and even they are struggling with fixing potholes.

Also relatively affluent South Oxfordshire is struggling to maintain the roads (I was in all these areas just last weekend)

Its now a national crisis, I suspect made worse by 30 years of privatisation / outsourcing so there's a genuine shortage of "boots on the ground" to do the work across whole of England (I don't know if other UK countries are any better)

Show threadcraignicol7h ago
@vfrmedia @raymierussell @realtegan @mekkaokereke I can confirm that potholes are also a problem in Scotland. Paying shareholders instead of workers by outsourcing essential work is definitely a factor everywhere