RE: The Progressive Case for Greatly Replacing the Welfare State with Unconditional Basic Income

[conradshaw]

1. UBI should be tagged to inflation, or mean income, or something that grows with cost of living.
2. UBI should not replace disability programs. Many welfare programs can be replaced, but disability is above and beyond normal basic needs, and should maintain its own program. It also should be updated so that it doesn't disincentivize work.
3. Universality is key, because anybody's income can change at any time. If it suddenly drops, people need coverage right away, rather than bureaucracy and waiting while they're suffering. If it increases, like when someone takes work, it should not be taken away, as we do with welfare, because that disincentivizes work. The way you make sure it is fair is through intelligent implementation of how UBI is funded. You set it up so that those with more wealth and incomes are the ones paying more into the program. You give everybody the floor, and then take more back from those who do extremely well and didn't need it after all. For example, give Bill Gates his $12K up front and tax an extra 10% on his income, so that, in the end, he's actually paying for many basic incomes of others.

Comments

[stimialiti]

1. While it could work in theory, statistics by governments' agencies or private corporations trying to stay in good terms with governments are rigged, so no one knows the real rate of inflation.
   Not even shadowstats.com John Williams, whose data would not be accepted anyway by governments.
2. Preventing it from disincentivizing work means keeping it insufficient.
3. People like Bill Gates know how to minimize any tax raised against them so what you wrote in this aspect will not work.
   Also why give him anything upfront?

[steemdiffuser]

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