jg folk really lean into the idea of "federally funded, locally administered". the word "local" conjures up cuddly communitarian vibes for many ppl

totally opposite for me. the "local" level of anything attracts the absolute fucking worst petty little tyrants

local groups or individuals (people who have power in groups) wld have colossal power over people's lives. imagine centrelink but on totally arbitrary whims

even the very worse of centrelink, robodebt, was systematic & transparent. this facilitates opposition thanks to economies of scale (e.g. through class action) & ability to objectively detail your grievance against criteria.

if local groups have all the power, and are only accountable to broad, vague, subjective criteria, you've got no hope.