(RepublicanDaily.org) – New York City Mayor Eric Adams has stood firm on a controversial initiative that would award debit cards to qualified migrant families in the city.
Adams started the implementation of the program recently, which would see migrant families receive as much as $18,200 by the end of every year.
The city has begun the first phase of handing out cards, which benefit all migrants, regardless of whether they entered the country legally or not. The city government expects the funds to be used for basic needs such as food and baby supplies. The initiative is in its pilot stage, with the New York City government expecting to hand out as much $53 million, with provisions for the program to be expanded in the future.
Under the program, migrant families that have four members and have two children who are under five years old will receive $350 from the NYC government each week. The financial assistance will continue while the city continues to host the families. Only a handful of families initially received the cards, which will then be expanded to 115 families in a matter of weeks, with the pilot program set to cover up to 460 individual beneficiaries.
The NYC government has defended the measure, saying that it will save the city money, as it plans to discontinue the old practice of leaving non-perishable items in migrant shelters, much of which, officials say, is often discarded or ignored.
Besides obvious reasons, the program has also been controversial due to Mayor Adam’s approval of a supplier and financial company to distribute the cards and the funds without holding a bidding process for it. A bidding process is standard to ensure that the government gets the most value for taxpayer monies. The New York Post reported that the New Jersey start-up, Mobility Capital Finance, which handles the distribution of the cards and the funds is set to receive a handsome $1.8 million in profits due to the initiative.
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