Half a mil to put their thumbs up their asses instead of just literally giving that money directly as reparations 
Edit: I want to clarify, I fully support reparations, I'm just extremely frustrated knowing that, under liberal/bourgeoisie democracy, these types of efforts tend to get bogged down with means testing, and sometimes outright turn into thinly-veiled handouts to private corporations. All while the police budget is still increasing YOY.
That said, Evanston (city on Chicago's northern border) did actually manage to distribute "...$25,000 in no-strings-attached direct cash payments for those eligible. Black residents who lived in Evanston during a 50-year period of discriminatory zoning laws and their direct descendants receive priority for eligibility." So I don't want to encourage further reactionary criticisms such as mine towards this specific subcommittee if they are able to achieve at least some form of direct payments similar to Evanston's program.
not looking for a whole thing im just mentally ill. but thats not reparations, call it something else. like from the naacp to the black panthers everyone calls for race based reparations. and before you start yes mlk called for the destruction of poverty as a hole but he did call for race based reparations. all reparations are race based reparations. reparations are payment for a specific crime that crime was slavery. reparations are also about healing the genarational trauma. if you look a poll on what black people actually want (the only peoples who opinions matter) https://www.pewresearch.org/race-ethnicity/2022/08/30/black-americans-views-on-reparations-for-slavery/ https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/11/28/black-and-white-americans-are-far-apart-in-their-views-of-reparations-for-slavery/ its clear black people want reparations in the form of cash payments and collage schollarships. frankly i couldn't even FIND a poll on non race based reparations because thast just NOT A THING im sorry but i feel crazy reading your comment it feels like im on reddit sorry lol ive had this exact conveo with so many redditors its crazy. im not looking for a debate or another "othello hate white people" saga but non race based reparations is NOT REPARATIONS ITS JUST FREE MONEY FOR POOR PEOPLE ITS NOT JUSTICE. call it what ever you want bout you cant say youre in favor of reparations and then be against reparations, i cant even FIND a respected black org that supports what your saying im over here trying to steelman your argument and I cant. this is the only issue that both black radical communist and black conservatives and basically most black people agree on. lastly in know this is the ramblings of a mad man im very mentally ill i cant let things go this doesnt matter we are never getting reparations anyway or anything in this goddamm country (i already fucking got my ancestors land in my fathers country) - nevermind im forcing myself to stop and walk away. sorry i just hate seeing this anti reparation shit on hexbear its not the first nor will it be the last time im sure. im not going to respond any more for the sake of my own mental health thank you.
Why does this website have to be so weird about race??? These people call people crackers constantly but most of them are crackers when push comes to shove.
its all
and 
and 
memes until its time to actually do the things those figures were calling for. the worst part for me is the redefining reparation to not be about race. just say youre against reparations with your whole chest you know? i could at least engage with the position then. the worst part for me is the last part.
that you that is what YOU are doing. frankly its WORSE, your not even limiting how people can spend their reparations your just denying them reparations. thats fucking worse!!!!!!! (you being OP not you autism dragon) every single black person in this country could be middle class and the American federal government would still owe them reparations. the issue of poverty in general and the issue of reparations are two separate issues.
I apologize for not being more careful with my words. I do believe in race-based, direct cash-payment reparations, I was just being flippant at the idea of liberal democracy spending $500k + a year of deliberation just to likely end up with a means-tested program, and then I was taking the position that such amount of money would be put to better use literally just being given away rather than being burned on consultant fees or w/e (but I recognize that such a giveaway would still not be reparations).
But even that was ignorant of me, because:
So maybe there's hope for this Chicago program, as well. Again, apologies for my flippant comment, I meant to direct my criticism solely at liberal democracy historically doing poorly-implemented, means-tested "assistance programs," not the idea of doing reparations itself.
apology accepted. and as for my heated response i have had to deal with similar comments to the one I thought you were making when affirmative action got overturned (including some egregious misuse of mlk quotes). we all good comrade!
Cash payment doesn't seem like a good solution compared to the "40 acres and a mule" (i.e. means of production) line. Scholarships are alright but feel a bit like a trap when you consider the barriers poor people face in succeeding in college even setting aside tuition.
Nonetheless, on mass line principles, we may as well try and fail this approach since it's still a small expenditure compared to the MIC and a lot of other bullshit the US has infinite pocket depth for. After it fails, it will have still directly done some good and then the need for a more systemic solution will be made obvious to virtually everyone.