05-12-2016, 08:48 PM
So, a few years ago I read about a politician who floated the idea of a citizen's wage in the U.S. It was not a novel idea, although it never got much support.
I am not going to look up who the politician was, but I think he was actually a conservative Republican. Doesn't matter.
I want to frame a version of the citizen's wage and see if people think it is a good idea, bad idea, or are neutral.
Here's the version I am offering for consideration in this thread:
By law every citizen of the United States is entitled to a citizen's wage, to be paid on the first of each month. The wage is $1,000. It is to be given to all citizen's over the age of 18, until their death, at which time the payments shall cease. Under this proposal no citizen shall receive any other form of welfare assistance from the government.
Here is what I think are the strengths of the proposal. It gives a modicum of cash to those who are struggling, which they can apply towards a subsistence existence. It avoids the resentment of the working poor, the middle class, and the super rich - who can't cry about people getting money given to them since they are given the same amount, to spend however they wish. It injects money into the economy - those at the lower levels have more to spend on essentials and those at the higher end more to save or invest. It eliminates welfare as we know it and the stigma of receiving welfare, and treats everyone as equal. It doesn't give you extra money for having kids. It assumes if you have kids you can support them, and if you have kids you can't support it is up to you to figure it out, and not the government's job to figure it out. If you can't figure it out you can turn to private charities, but not the government. It says that as a U.S. citizen you are important, valued, and the government offers you its financial support when you need it most and in good times as well.
So, do people think this is a good idea, a bad idea, or have no opinion?
BTW, feel free to google who the politician was who first championed this ancient idea in the U.S. and share about his ideas if you wish.
I am not going to look up who the politician was, but I think he was actually a conservative Republican. Doesn't matter.
I want to frame a version of the citizen's wage and see if people think it is a good idea, bad idea, or are neutral.
Here's the version I am offering for consideration in this thread:
By law every citizen of the United States is entitled to a citizen's wage, to be paid on the first of each month. The wage is $1,000. It is to be given to all citizen's over the age of 18, until their death, at which time the payments shall cease. Under this proposal no citizen shall receive any other form of welfare assistance from the government.
Here is what I think are the strengths of the proposal. It gives a modicum of cash to those who are struggling, which they can apply towards a subsistence existence. It avoids the resentment of the working poor, the middle class, and the super rich - who can't cry about people getting money given to them since they are given the same amount, to spend however they wish. It injects money into the economy - those at the lower levels have more to spend on essentials and those at the higher end more to save or invest. It eliminates welfare as we know it and the stigma of receiving welfare, and treats everyone as equal. It doesn't give you extra money for having kids. It assumes if you have kids you can support them, and if you have kids you can't support it is up to you to figure it out, and not the government's job to figure it out. If you can't figure it out you can turn to private charities, but not the government. It says that as a U.S. citizen you are important, valued, and the government offers you its financial support when you need it most and in good times as well.
So, do people think this is a good idea, a bad idea, or have no opinion?
BTW, feel free to google who the politician was who first championed this ancient idea in the U.S. and share about his ideas if you wish.
JOHN ROBERTS: From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly so that you will come to know the value of justice... I wish you bad luck, again, from time to time so that you will be conscious of the role of chance in life and understand that your success is not completely deserved and that the failure of others is not completely deserved either.
