Have you ever wondered, “If the economy is going to great, why is everyone feeling so bad all the time?” Well, the answer is simple: the facts and stats that the media and politicians use to evaluate our economy have become completely dislocated from the actual lived experience of the average American. Nearly 78 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, and that is simply galling. Fully 57 percent of Americans can’t afford an unexpected $500 bill despite the torrent of news that GDP and stock market prices are at record highs. These facts have left me mad and anxious about our collective future. We simply need to rewrite the rules of the 21st century economy so they begin to work for Americans again. That is why I’m so excited to support Andrew Yang for President. I finally feel like someone outside of New Hampshire is hearing what we’ve been saying: We’re struggling to get by and the old talking points aren’t gonna fix our problems.

We have been fighting to raise the minimum wage for years now. The New Hampshire State Legislature passed a bill to raise it from $7.25 an hour to $12 an hour over the next few years, and Gov. Sununu vetoed it. Bernie Sanders has proposed a $15 minimum wage, which is a huge step in the right direction, but raising the minimum wage isn’t going to do anything to solve the problem of underemployment and job losses. Meanwhile, only Andrew Yang has the courage to offer a solution that can truly transform our economy, his proposed Freedom Dividend. That’s $1,000 a month to all American citizens over 18 unconditionally, no strings attached. It fills in the gaps between federal and state laws, and it provides an economic foundation or base standard of living for each of us living in the richest country to ever exist.

The Freedom Dividend has the power to allow every New Hampshire citizen to live truly free. It’s an idea that trusts us to know the best place to spend our own taxes more than the government. We don’t need Washington telling us how to work or what to spend our money on. I know what I need and how best to support myself and my family. The Freedom Dividend trusts us to make our own choices. It would pump about $1 billion every month, and $12 billion a year, into our communities here in New Hampshire. That’s over $88 million every month in Manchester. That’s $69 million every month in Nashua. That’s $34 million every month in Concord. That’s $18 million every month in Portsmouth. That’s money that mostly stays in our communities, bolsters local business, and helps us to live healthier and more productive lives with less stress about our finances.

As Yang puts it: we’d have a floor to stand upon. We’d be able to breathe without the fear of not being able to afford an unexpected bill. We’d invest in ourselves, our main streets, our children, paying off our debt and getting more free time with our families. It would not only create jobs, it would also help those who work the jobs that we all know are integral to our communities but that aren’t compensated with a traditional paycheck. It’d recognize caregivers, nurturers and stay-at-home parents. It would allow more folks to volunteer and do charity work. It would boost participation in the political process.

An increase in the minimum wage would do nothing for those who don’t receive a paycheck from their employer. In fact, some studies show that increasing minimum wage may speed up the process of employers automating away jobs. We’ve seen it already in our retail stores as check-outs are being replaced by kiosks. In a state where 93,000 of us work in retail, the Freedom Dividend would give us an opportunity to transition, and a safety net in case we lose our jobs. Automation has already gutted manufacturing jobs–trucking, retail, food prep and call center jobs in New Hampshire and across the country are on the chopping block next.

The Freedom Dividend is capitalism that doesn’t start at zero. It will spur entrepreneurship. More of us will finally have the freedom to take risks, or work fewer hours or fewer jobs, and to go back to school or start a business. The best investment is one you make in yourself, and the Freedom Dividend gives each of us $1,000 a month to invest into our own lives however we see fit.

Cities, states and towns at home and abroad have been experimenting with similar policies for years now. It isn’t a new concept. One of our founding fathers, Thomas Paine, championed a version of universal basic income at the birth of our country. This isn’t just a big idea that would help all Americans and eradicate poverty; it’s a wholly American concept, and one of the most direct and easily quantifiable ways we can use the government for its intended purpose: providing a better life for its citizens.

In a state that is so politically diverse and forward thinking, it’s only right that New Hampshire lead the way to transforming our economy into one that works for the people in the 21st century. Let’s help Andrew Yang get us there.

Brandon Laws is an alderman-at-large serving Nashua.

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