Comedian and talk show host Bill Maher slammed San Francisco's reparations proposal of paying the city's Black residents $5 million this weekend, characterizing the move as "madness."
During his "Real Time with Bill Maher" show on HBO Friday, Maher mocked the proposal that might also include eliminating personal debt and tax burdens for Black residents, guaranteeing annual incomes of at least $97,000 for the next 250 years, and creating opportunities for Black residents to purchase homes in the city for $1 per family:
"In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, the 11 members [of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors] accepted a draft plan of more than 100 reparations recommendations for the city's eligible Black residents. Those proposals include a whopping one-time payment of $5 million to each adult and a complete clearing of personal debt — including credit cards, taxes and student loans.
"Black residents would also be able to collect an annual income of at least $97,000 for 250 years and buy homes within the city limits for $1," said Maher, as part of a discussion with 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang and Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.
Maher continued: "I mean it seems like, you know, when people ask why are you talking against the woke craziness — because it's crazy. Isn't that crazy? And by the way, San Francisco doesn't have a history of slavery or anything like that, you know. It would cost every citizen left $600,000 each. This is madness, is it not?"
Three years ago, Yang's presidential campaign included a proposed Universal Basic Income payment of $1,000 to all American adults.
And during Friday's panel discussion, Yang joked that his UBI proposal didn't go "this far."
"We have a lot of people at various stages of public office who are putting out bills and policies that are more for the messaging and stoking the fires on social media than actually trying to get something passed," added Yang.
On Wednesday, the San Francisco chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) spoke out against San Francisco's reparations proposal.
Instead, the NAACP said it favors a long-term investment that helps the Black community overall, compared to simply sending direct payments to Black residents.
This would include investments in the realms of education, health care, affordable housing, "economic empowerment," and also a "Black center of town" in the Fillmore Heritage Center, the Washington Examiner reported.
"We strongly believe that creating and funding programs that can improve the lives of those who have been impacted by racism and discrimination is the best path forward toward equality and justice," San Francisco NAACP President Amos Brown said in a statement.
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