Hi Mark,

I wrote this just for you.

We’ve never met, but we have something in common: a deep love for Dallas, Texas. I was born in Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and grew up in Fort Worth, where I spent most of my teenage years with a local Boy Scout Troop. I remember watching our Mavs play against Miami in 2012; in my excitement, I accidentally hit my brother and gave him a nose bleed.

We have a new reason to be proud of our town: the Dallas Yang Gang. We recently hosted Andrew Yang for a campaign event at Gilley’s Southside Ballroom; over 1,100 people attended. Most of us have never taken part in politics. Half of us don’t even identify as Democrats. The desire for real solutions unifies us. We firmly believe you should consider supporting Andrew Yang for president. Here are four reasons you should consider giving your support.

The Dallas Yang Gang at their weekly coffee social at La La Land Kind Cafe.

Reason #1: You both see the impending wave of automation.

In 2017, you said, “automation is going to cause unemployment and we need to prepare for it.” You’re not alone: Elon Musk and Bill Gates say the same. Numerous studies from both private and public institutions confirm what we know.

Unfortunately, our politicians are not on the same page. Fortunately, Andrew Yang is not a politician; he’s looked at the data. Just as your ownership of a robots-for-hire company lends the first-hand experience of this reality, Andrew shares your predictions for the future. He has seen the effects of automation as CEO of Venture for America. Job displacement by advanced technologies is a focal point of his book “The War on Normal People.”

I couldn’t agree with you more that Trump “doesn’t understand how technology works.” It’s about time we elect a President who does.

Reason #2: You had questions about universal basic income. Andrew’s got answers.

You were critical of Universal Basic Income. Your skepticism stems from the unknowns of a basic income implementation. All your concerns are valid! Fortunately, Andrew has answers:

Cuban: Should I get UBI?

Yes! As a United States citizen, you are a shareholder of the world’s largest economy. Making basic income a universal right of citizenship removes any stigma as well as ensures that none of the 13 million Americans living in poverty without assistance are locked out.

Cuban: Who doesn’t get it?

Non-citizens won’t receive the dividend. Like the right to vote, young Americans would start receiving their dividend at 18. It’s also not distributed to those serving time in prison.

Cuban: How much?

$1,000 a month, which would raise most Americans above the poverty line and increase the buying power of the bottom 80% of Americans.

Cuban: Who pays for it? How?

By applying a Value-Added Tax, we can make Amazon and 60 companies like it that paid $0 in federal taxes pay their fair share. The VAT is a revenue stream utilized by over 140 countries. It’s not an income tax or wealth tax. You can find all the details on how to pay for a Freedom Dividend at freedom-dividend.com.

You can find the full answer to these questions and more on Yang’s website.

Every week, the Dallas Yang Gang meets to discuss Andrew Yang’s policies. We often discuss how Universal Basic Income would work.

Reason #3: You almost ran for president to bring the experience and spirit of entrepreneurship to the White House; through Yang, you can make that happen.

It’s no secret that you’ve entertained a presidential run multiple times. If you did run for president, it would bear a lot of similarities to the campaign Yang is running now. In May, you stated, “I still think there’s a real opportunity for somebody who is in the middle but has some charisma.” That sounds similar to our campaign mantra: “it’s not left; it’s not right; it’s forward.” You alluded to someone who “has the ability to relate to both sides but is not a politician” because “the reality is people don’t trust politicians.” Besides yourself, who else does this describe other than Yang, who said, “[Trump] knows his attacks work on politicians. And his fear was that a new nonpolitician who is not full of shit comes out of nowhere.”

Even if you’re not on the ballot in 2020, we can still vote for someone who shares your values.

The Obama administration selected Andrew Yang in 2012 as a “Champion of Change”. In May 2015 Obama selected him as a “Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship”; I think you met him at that meeting in the White House!

Reason #4: Dallas has a homelessness problem. Let’s do something about it.

It saddens me to see our homeless population has increased for the second year in a row. This problem is exacerbated by developers tearing down older homes that low-income families could afford. There’s no market incentive for affordable housing.

Andrew Yang can change that. At a fundamental level, a $1,000 would turn every homeless person into a participant in the market. $1,000 alone might not be enough to pay rent, but 3–4 people can pool their resources to cover basic living expenses easily. Imagine the market incentives if over 4,500 homeless people in Dallas County and Collin County suddenly entered the market for a home. The notion that the dividend will increase rent prices is unfounded.

The Freedom Dividend is only the beginning. On Yang’s website, he has a clear policy on how he will address NIMBYism and zoning laws that make affordable housing impossible. Additionally, we have it on competent authority that housing assistance stacks with the Freedom Dividend, making it easier for people to get off the streets. Between you and me, I’m pretty excited to see what else Yang has in store on solving homelessness.

Dallas does well when its people are well. We can make that happen.

With your help, we can choose the next President and decide the future of our country.

The Texas primary is creeping upon us. (As a reminder to other readers, we vote on March 3rd in Texas and the last day to register is February 3rd).

Andrew Yang wearing a cowboy hat signed and gifted to him by the Dallas Yang Gang. Andrew had a fundraiser in Dallas, TX on December 6, 2019.

We hope after reading this letter, you’ll be inspired to look into Andrew Yang more closely. We recommend reading his website, watching his videos on YouTube, and listening to some interviews and podcasts. We hope that you’ll decide to support Andrew Yang one way or another. You can:

I know you’re very busy, so I appreciate you taking the time to read this open letter. You’ll always be my favorite shark in the tank.

Go Mavs,

Hexel Colorado

Organizer for Dallas Yang Gang