Will a universal basic income (UBI) work? One only has to look back at the GI Bill, which was put in place after World War II that established free college education for ex-military members and very low-interest rates on home loans. In fact, when I purchased my first home, I paid $40 down to cover closing costs and with a payment on a newly built three-bedroom, two-bathroom with a den, fire place 1,600 square foot home for $160 a month payment on $19,000 plus taxes and insurance.
After about seven years, I sold the home for $48,000. This was my UBI and there are many more who got their middle class start by using the GI Bill, which even paid $350 a month to go to college three-quarters of the time.This made it possible for me to start a sheet metal shop, which twenty-nine years later provided me with a union pension. All of this was made possible with the GI Bill, which very closely resembles a UBI.
Just think what $1,500 or $2,000 a month would do for everyone. Maybe they’d be able to parlay into college, a house, starting a business, and have time to volunteer to our social infrastructure, like schools, old folks homes, community organizations and special districts. I know this works because I did it while using the GI Bill. Now is the time for a UBI.
Now, there are those who will say not everyone will work and that maybe true. Some will not work just like they don’t work now, but most will work and probably at gig jobs, part-time jobs and some at full-time work to fill the open spots by the ones who don’t work. Look at Alaska, despite receiving the equivalent of a UBI, most Alaskans still work.
I have heard some ideas of $2,000 a month and also letting a person work for as much as $6,000 a year, which is only $30,000 a year. I believe they should be able to work for as much as they want. But still, a couple receiving the $2,000 UBI and making $6,000 a year times two is $60,000 annually. I think it should be $6,000 a month working and $2,000 in UBI benefits, which would greatly reduce the inequality this country now has while reinvigorating the capitalist systems, which would pull all of the HaveNots up to a very good standard of living, and the ones with just the $2,000 a month who don’t work would still have a roof over their heads and food on their plates. If they are part of a couple, they’d have $4,000 a month or $36,000 a year and be off the streets.
Yes, there is a lot to workout, but there is support from the very rich tech companies and there’s actually a college course on UBI is being taught in Southern California.
It’s time to pick a side. You want to have and keep unions with good wages and pensions, then it’s time to pick a side. You want to keep Social Security for yourself and family, it is time to pick a side. You want to get or keep Medicare and Obama’s Affordable Care Act, then it’s time to pick a side. It is us against the billionaires. The very rich got that way off the backs of workers, and now want to strip everything away from those workers. It’s time to pick a side. The very rich can buy countries, then make the people get on their hands and knees and grovel and beg for scrapes that usually go into the dumpster. It’s time to pick a side. Is this what we want for our family and our future? It’s time to pick a side. Get ready to fight for you and your families’ lives. There is no middle ground with these greedy people for they want it all—all the money—all the power—all the land so where does this leave us when they have all the commons, like water, land and airways? It’s time to pick...
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