Here's why the government should give you $1,000 a month

[RKP5637]

This could work well!

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/raising-the-floor-andy-stern-universal-basic-income-ubi-milton-friedman-social-security-003220195.html

It sounds more like a pipe dream than government policy. It’s called Universal Basic Income, a proposed government program that would essentially give every citizen a guaranteed floor income of say $1000 a month from Washington. It’s an idea that’s been around for a while and has more credibility than you might think—and not just from left-wingers. Richard Nixon and conservative uber-economist Milton Friedman were both proponents.

So too is Andy Stern, former president of the powerful Service Employees International Union and now a professor at Columbia University. In his new book ‘Raising the Floor,’ Stern lays out the case for UBI, and he suggests that it isn’t some pie-in-the-sky notion that would never see the light of day. I sat down with Stern to discuss.

“It is an old idea,” Stern points out. “Thomas Paine proposed it early on when we were forming the nation.”

As for why we need the program, Stern says that “at a time when our anti-poverty programs aren’t really working,” and with technology bringing massive job disruption, “we need to provide a safety net, a floor for every single American.”

UBI isn’t socialism, Stern says. Rather it’s a way to make sure every single American has stability in their life. Stern argues that middle class parents do this with their children, why shouldn’t our nation.

[Festivito]

1. Hmm. Should be: UBER-conservative Right-only-this-once-economist Milton Friedman. Not as stated. eom

[FighttheFuture]

5. What are you talking about? This is an excellent idea that will be coming as some point.

MF was mentioned once in the interview as an advocate of this, obviously to try to stoke CONservatives to this idea. He advocated for this back in '62, BTW. Many others have also advocated for this idea.

[progressoid]

8. I'd wager that most conservatives don't even know who Milton Friedman is.

At a dinner party once, I brought up the Heritage Foundation. There were 4 died-in-the-wool Republicans there who didn't know what I was talking about.

All they know is sound bites from Fox News.

[Festivito]

13. Oops. My goof. I changed my title. His support was way back in time.

Back when Republicans were today's liberal Democrats when you look at their platform from 1956 versus our Democratic platform from the last few years. When Republicans championed the middle class, common sense governance, were for gay rights, and on and on. MF and his Chicago school of economics sycophants (such as Alan Greenspan) tried and failed the school experiment on us, Chile and anywhere else they could grasp hold.

So, you're right. It's a good idea and I think it's good also.

But, I think MF has been lousy ever since then and that's what has mattered in my lifetime.

[FighttheFuture]

24. I agree, Milton pretty much sucks!

[pbmus]

2. The proposal also wants to abolish all other social welfare programs !!!

[FighttheFuture]

6. Some would probably be wrapped into it. Not Social Security, however. This is just to provide a

basic income to all citizens. If you have a job, if you are a millionaire, etc. you would still receive it.

[pbmus]

22. Just expand SS is the best proposal...we don't need another program ...

[FighttheFuture]

25. Yeah, we really do. SS is retirement or disability. This is basic social safety net regardless of

age. It would eliminate the need for many welfare programs, or greatly reduce their size. It would make sense that if you retired and started drawing SS, you would still collect this basic income in addition to your Socisal Security, a earned beenfit form a National Retirement Insurance program. They are separate and should remain so.

[SheilaT]

3. Only if it were in addition to Social Security,

Medicare, at least for us seniors.

My SS payment at age 70 is going to be several hundred dollars higher, and frankly I will need that money. I also believe this is intended to replace Medicare, and that we're supposed to buy health care insurance on the open market with this money. There are those getting less than the thousand a month, especially those who jumped on SS at age 62, sometimes without thinking through the permanent reduction in benefits.

I've long thought that all citizens should get SNAP benefits. All of us. Those who honestly don't need them could perhaps give them to someone else, or to a homeless shelter.

Perhaps the biggest problem with all the social welfare programs is their bureaucracy, the fact that there are so many different ones. I'm certainly am no expert on these things, but it might make a lot of sense to streamline these programs.

[FighttheFuture]

7. It is.

[jwirr]

10. I think that those proposing this are not the ones who would

want it to replace Medicare - that would be the same old Rs who have always been against any kind of healthcare.

[closeupready]

4. If poor people become less poor as a result of government spending, it's "SOCIALISM!"

Which should chill us all to the bone, according to some here.

[KatyMan]

11. Well played n/t

n/t

[jwirr]

9. It would be interesting to know what the administration of

those programs that would be wrapped into the UBI is now?

And since a lot of people getting social security now are already getting more than $1000 a month would people like me who get less be given UBI so we get up to the $1000?

Plus does it have to be universal to succeed? Would it be cheaper to raise everyone below a certain amount of income by $1000 a year just to get rid of the need for those programs.

We spend a great deal of money policing the welfare programs every year. For instance many programs ask that everyone report in every month with new paper work. And many have two checkups every year to make sure they have not changed. I have worked in the administration side of these programs and we all know that this in no way is helping the client. It is paperwork to help the government.

Oh well I guess this is not going to happen any time soon so I am not going to start spending my money already.

[SusanLarson]

12. U in UBI

Stands for Universal. It should be separate from Social Security.

[passiveporcupine]

19. Thankfully, Obama is proposing a raise in SS to help people out of poverty.

Something that should have happened long ago. Republicans are probably going to prevent anything like this passing though.

I don't think SS should be eliminated or cut for a UBI. SS is earned income you've paid for your whole life, and it reflects your income level and your cost of living at retirement. If everyone had UBI, it would mean the more you make on SS, the better off you will be when you retire, not just barely making it on a UBI. So it will still inspire people to become educated and move up the ladder. Minimum wage also needs to be a rate that is "livable" and not eliminated or cut because of UBI. In other words, MickyD does not get to lower wages because now the employees all have UBI...they still need to pay a livable wage, which will result in those employees getting higher SS benefits when they retire. Especially in a world where low income jobs are becoming the norm for a huge number of our workforce.

UBI should be a buffer so people are not living in poverty because of something like a job loss or health issue or expensive car repair. It should help lower income people afford to educate themselves, or pay for day care so they can work, or anything that helps them avoid the soul-killing effects of poverty.

[jwirr]

23. And it would be an excellent way to redistribute wealth. I

would assume that is the ultimate goal.

The rich would still be rich but the poor and middle class would have a stable situation.

Sounds good to me if we can ever get greed out of our government.

[hobbit709]

14. That's $32/mo more than I get from Social Security now.

[RKP5637]

15. One of my friends and I were discussing this morning what a struggle it is to live in the

US, many things to be unhappy about. I feel so sorry for kids today. The system is so rigged against them many will never stand a chance no matter how much the politicians say.

[whatthehey]

16. Anecdotal to the max, but I'd open up a job for a start.

No I don't want, or even think I could, live oin 1k/mo but added to what I have that would pay me enough to retire right now instead of in a few years. How many more could it push over the edge? Who knows but doubt it's zero.

[passiveporcupine]

20. Excellent point

It will also help people change jobs when they are in one they hate. Between that and single payer, it could change so many lives.

It could help homeless people to live in an apartment (rent controlled) instead of on the street. Just think of how many parents are homeless with kids...people living in cars, and tents.

Yes, many people are homeless because of mental health issues, and that too needs to be addressed, but a UBI would even help them.

[SheilaT]

17. If it's separate from Social Security,

I'd be totally in favor. And additional thousand dollars a month? That's huge for me. Right now I'm retired, and have planned my income very carefully as to when I will be taking money out of which accounts, when I'll turn on my annuities, when I'll switch from the SS I'm currently getting as a divorced spouse to my own.

I'm doing okay, thank you for asking, but do need to be reasonably frugal. Another grand a month? I'd use it to do a bunch of travelling that I can't currently afford.

I bet if we didn't have such bloated military spending this would be doable.

[yesphan]

18. Every citizen

regardless of age ?

That's @ $4 trillion a year. Give or take a couple hundred billion.

[whatthehey]

21. While some may resent this, extending to children would be an issue

Unless you are a Quiverfull devotee, a higher birthrate is not an advantage in a country with high immigration, and while I am sure raising kids in a perfect, life-enriching manner is very expensive, raising them as cheaply as possible can be done for much less than $1k a month and making raising kids badly a parental profit center is guaranteed to make irresponsible people raise a lot of them very badly indeed.

[TexasBushwhacker]

26. I agree

Considering that automation will lead to fewer jobs in the future, the last thing we need is MORE people. If the $1K is paid to each and every human being, a married couple with 2 kids would be paid $48K per year to kick back and play video games all day. Not no, but HELL NO. Children shouldn't be a profit center.