The Midas Program

Twelve years ago, the Kunari City Legislature drafted an ingenious plan to combat the growing homeless and vagrant population of the Kunari City Metropolitan Area. Severe droughts, civil instability, and rising crime rates ravaged the middle class of the KCMA - interest rates began to rise and the strength of the Gold Exchange Credit faltered, leading to a massive housing crisis and rising unemployment. With more desperate people on the streets came more civil instability in the form of riots and organized crime: in fact, many of the larger criminal organizations of the KCMA formed or gained most of their power in this period of unrest. Police were deployed throughout the Metro Zones, with entire districts being placed under complete martial law in futile attempts to quell the less fortunate. However, as many of the crime syndicates took it upon themselves to protect and provide for those suffering through the New Depression, this increased police activity eventually broke out into minor conflicts throughout Kunari City known as the Inner-City Wars. This period of warfare was short but damaging to Kunari, leading to an estimated 74,000 casualties and billions in property damage. The handling of the situation by KCMA police forces was also the breaking point that led to the impeachment of Mayor Pierce Gordon and the temporary Legislative control of government preceedings that would remedy the situation.
Many of Kunari's most vital and productive corporations suffered greatly through the New Depression as they faced decreased profits and a shrinking consumer base for their products. The magnates of many of the more powerful Corporations began to hold private meetings, aiming to find a solution that would ensure Kunari would not collapse as many other nations did during the Dry Decades. Various deals were made with government officials promising stipends, interest-free loans, and various assurances to these corporate magnates in exchange for continued corporate support of the existing government. The KCMA Legislature, with the aid of corporate diplomats, drafted a series of laws and governmental programs intended to stabilize Kunari and provide ample opportunity for freeform economic growth. The goal of these acts was to revive the economy through organic, corporate action, the profits of which would eventually trickle down to the homeless and needy of Kunari. Corporate officials made it clear, in various public announcements, that social welfare programs were unnecessary and would only serve to cement a lazy, unambitious lower class. Known as the Stabilization Acts, these provided economic stipends to businesses to allow them to continue operations despite a damaged economy while simultaneously cutting public spending on infrastructure, education, and public works. Additionally, a Corporate Tax was placed on any legally purchased good, the profits of which would then be divided between the major corporations of Kunari City.
Public outrage to these decrees was overwhelming, with riots breaking out all across the Metro Zone. Police forces were quickly organized but failed in containing and preventing any insurrection. Various terrorist attacks, including the infamous High Square Bombing, occurred during this period of rioting and terrorized the public. Not wanting to bend to the will of insurrectionist groups and rioting plebians, the KCMA legislature held firm for the first month of riots. However, a string of murders targeting public officials who backed the Stabilization Acts caused many to pursue the amendment of those acts. Andre Ventura, the head of the public relations committee at the time, released a public statement both condemning the rioting while also promising that the Stabilization Acts would be modified. Within the next week, new legislation was passed that removed the corporate tax and reversed the changes proposed to government spending. Other changes included amendments to weapon ownership laws, stricter punitive measures for civil unrest, an expanded police force (including a contract with FrontLine), and an increased overall income tax across the board. Furthermore, this second series of legislation also included a new social welfare act: the Midas Program.
The Midas Program is the most noteworthy and complex of the social welfare legislation passed in response to the 2089 Riots. With overall, income-based welfare being deemed too expensive, as well as inefficient, by the state, a more selective and fair system was devised instead. Every year, depending on the excess outlier funds the government has access to, a certain number of families are drawn in a lottery-based system to recieve stimulus checks, meal cards, and an apartment in a newly built housing project. The average number of families who are provided aid is around 3000 per year, which, by statistical calculations, is more efficient than overall aid of lesser value. The only stipulations are that recipients of the Midas Lottery cannot leave Kunari City for ten years, must work for government approved corporations, and cannot commit any form of felony. Additionally, recent years of the lottery system have introduced a live broadcast of the numbers being drawn, allowing advertisers and live donations to increase the welfare pool for the following year of recipients. Most recently, the Midas Lottery of 2100 saw sponsorship from a series of major corporations including FrontLine, VoreTECH, and MODIFI and an increased recipient pool of 4500 winners.

Midas recipients allotted by year.