A retired Ripon College economist says a proposal to guarantee income for Americans during the pandemic is a valid idea. In recent weeks, several Democratic members of Congress have introduced proposals that would give grants to employers to let them continue paying employees. Others have suggested giving the money directly to individuals, for the duration of the crisis. Economist Paul Schoofs says he thinks it’s worth considering. “Yes I think it is,” Schoofs told WFDL news. “Whether six months will be necessary, that’s longer than I would expect it would be necessary, but the general point of needing to continue to supply funds for the economy to continue to keep functioning I think is valid.” Meanwhile, Schoofs says predictions by the U.S. Treasury Secretary that the economy will swiftly “bounce back” from the coronavirus over the summer are “overly optimistic.”
