I know, right? What a dangerously simplistic mindset to have for someone in authority.

Sounds like a real piece of work: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheila_Kuehl#Los_Angeles_Count...

People want money and society needs people to work. Working is a contribution to society that in return society gives you credits to buy other people's work. Exceptions aside (like physical disabilities), all of these free money programs are messing with this incentive structure. I'm not saying it won't work but just explaining where the pushback is coming from. At an individual level of course free money makes sense, but we all are part of a larger social structure, and problems need to be looked at from all these angles to avoid creating even more problems.