General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: What If We Just Gave Poor People a Basic Income for Life? That’s What We’re About to Test. [View all]passiveporcupine
(8,175 posts)It would be good for everyone from that income level down (the 12K) but many people who had better jobs and higher costs of living to maintain (like not living in poverty) became disabled and need and deserve more than 12K in disability payments, because they paid a lot more into disability insurance over the course of their working lives.
But...there really should be a basic living income for everyone, regardless of where it comes from...SS, SSD, UBI and minimum wage. Then people can build on top of that to improve their standard of living. A basic income would allow people to get the education they need to improve themselves. It would allow people to live healthier. It would eliminate the desperation that drives so many young unemployed into gangs and drugs. It would help keep people out of jail, and that would save this country a lot of money too.
What I am hearing a lot of in this thread, is will it take more of MY money away, and I don't think it will. Like Universal Health Care, it will reduce overall costs be eliminating money spent on things it shouldn't be spent on.
It seems to be working in Germany, and now Canada is giving it a shot. Some world leader we are.