Measure 118 Campaign Reels in Its First Large Contribution—From a San Francisco Candidate for Mayor

The Yes on Measure 118 campaign, the Oregon Rebate Political Action Committee, reported its first big contribution since qualifying for the November ballot: $100,000 from Dylan Hirsch-Shell, a former Tesla engineer who is currently running for mayor of San Francisco.

As Hirsch-Shell’s candidacy suggests, he is not a resident of Oregon. That puts him in good company with the funders who paid for the signature-gathering that placed Measure 118 on the ballot. Those funders are Josh Jones, a Los Angeles investor, and the family and foundation of the late Gerald Huff, a California software engineer.

Jones, Huff and Hirsch-Shell have all advocated for universal basic income, a policy in which the government provides a monthly cash benefit to help people meet the cost of living.

Measure 118, the so-called Oregon Rebate, would add a 3% gross receipts tax (a tax on sales, rather than profits) on all corporations with Oregon sales of more than $25 million annually. The money would then be distributed to all Oregon residents, regardless of age or income. The most recent analysis from the Oregon Legislative Revenue Office says that would generate about $7 billion a year when the program is up and running, resulting in a $1,600 annual check for each Oregonian.

The measure holds an obvious appeal—it’s money for nothing. But business groups, which have poured nearly $6 million into the No on Measure 118 campaign, say it would send companies that can move their operations fleeing to other states. Politicians from both parties say it would gut state tax revenue, resulting in cuts to education, health care, public safety and other programs. Tax Fairness Oregon and the Oregon Center for Public Policy, both of which have advocated for higher corporate taxes, also oppose the measure.

But Hirsch-Shell is a big believer in universal basic income.

“Poverty is fundamentally a lack of money,” he says on his campaign website. “So what is the most direct and effective way of addressing poverty? Simple: give people money. That’s why I propose a Universal Basic Income (UBI) of $1000/month for every citizen of San Francisco. This bold move is designed to help prevent homelessness by providing economic stability for everyone.”

As technology threatens to replace human labor in a variety of jobs, the concept of universal basic income has gained in popularity, if not in practice. So far, the Oregon Rebate PAC seems to have struggled to find Oregon donors willing to fund its effort. But there are a lot of wealthy Californians. Hirsch-Shell worked for Tesla from 2011 to 2023, according to his campaign filings, and lists as an asset Tesla stock worth more than $1 million, but it’s unclear how much more.

He tells WW he’s supporting the Oregon measure because it’s big step in the right direction.

“I am contributing to Measure 118′s campaign because it’s the most exciting initiative happening to bring about a UBI in the United States this year,” Hirsch-Shell says. “If passed, poverty in Oregon will drop by 36%, and child poverty will drop by 53%. This is the power of what as little as $1,600 per person per year can do.” (Opponents question those poverty reduction estimates.)