Re:What is an appropriate level of Basic Income?
by downandout on Friday May 09, 2014 @11:43PM
(#7724408)
My conclusion does match my statement (that BI is generally a bad idea, and wouldn't cause significant decreases in other social programs).
As far as the rest of your comment, by reducing the conditions to nothing, you dramatically expand the expenditures while lowering the tax base by encouraging a portion of the population to not bother being productive. People like to say that welfare acts as a form of BI, but that is far from the truth. Most welfare programs in the US contain requirements that recipients at least look for a job, stay drug-free, etc. With BI, people that don't want to work will simply move in with each other. $12K/yr isn't really enough for 1 person to have a good life; however $60K/yr for a household of 5 with no taxes taken out comes alot closer.
As far as the rest of your comment, by reducing the conditions to nothing, you dramatically expand the expenditures while lowering the tax base by encouraging a portion of the population to not bother being productive. People like to say that welfare acts as a form of BI, but that is far from the truth. Most welfare programs in the US contain requirements that recipients at least look for a job, stay drug-free, etc. With BI, people that don't want to work will simply move in with each other. $12K/yr isn't really enough for 1 person to have a good life; however $60K/yr for a household of 5 with no taxes taken out comes alot closer.