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All around the world, people are talking about a basic minimum income, and what they're saying makes a lot of economic sense. Regardless of whether you want to fight poverty, stimulate the economy, shrink the size of government, or simply ensure everyone has a sense of human dignity – you should be calling for a no-strings-attached basic income for all. Since it's inception, Social Security has been incredibly successful at fighting poverty. So rather than slashing it, or means-testing it, we should expand it to every American. In addition to helping low-income workers, a basic income would provide a huge boost to our economy. When people have money to spend, demand increases, and businesses see faster growth and higher profits. Even those who believe that the size of government is our biggest problem should be all-in-favor of a minimum income for all Americans. Rather than administering a huge patchwork of overlapping social programs, our nation could save time and money by simply issuing every citizen a monthly check. A basic minimum income makes sense economically, and it could lead to important social benefits too. Crime rates would likely decrease because people wouldn't need to steal to survive. More Americans would have the opportunity to raise families or complete their education when they're not working three jobs just to get by. And, a minimum income would ensure that no one would be denied their basic human dignity by being forced to live in squalor in the richest nation of the face of the Earth. These are not extreme ideas. When you consider the economic, social, and moral benefits, a basic minimum income just makes sense.
I think it sounds like a great idea. It would ensure a stable economy with an uninterrupted flow of money between consumers and producers. Crime would be minimized and people would be happy!
"Rather than administering a huge patchwork of overlapping social programs, our nation could save time and money by simply issuing every citizen a monthly check."
Who do you propose pays for this monthly check? Are you offering your salary in taxes to cover the monthly expenses of a family or two?
It lays out how a basic income would work, even has some calculators to estimate taxes needed for differing levels etc.
Nice....yeah. I think conservatives should also support it. It's good for everyone. But conservatives don't like things that result in goodness for everyone, because they believe in social Darwinism.
Fortunately, states like North Carolina and Texas will soon become solid blue states.
The age to collect SS should be extended and benefits for SS and Medicare should be means tested. It will never happen in my lifetime. Neither party has the guts to change them.
I disagree. The rich pay in just as we do. Means testing adds more bureaucracy, and additional disincentives to being more productive. Instead just remove the income cap from social security taxes, and have it apply to all income. That would go a LONG LONG way towards lowering the eligible age in fact!
I disagree. The rich pay in just as we do. Means testing adds more bureaucracy, and additional disincentives to being more productive. Instead just remove the income cap from social security taxes, and have it apply to all income. That would go a LONG LONG way towards lowering the eligible age in fact!
So SS is not a savings plan, in your opinion. It should be a tax. SS, in theory, was proposed on what each contributing citizen would get back as a mandatory retirement savings plan. There is a cap on benefits.
People getting money they didn't earn..... How about this every business owner gets a million dollars for starting a business... Or maybe, every newborn automatically gets 20,000 because they are just so cute.... Then we can have everyone who has a car will get 10,000 to buy a new car...
Location: Living near our Nation's Capitol since 2010
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What a totally idiotic idea. Just who is going to supply the funds for this little venture?
I just love how some people seem to think that there is an endless supply of cash to support everyone who does not contribute adequately. Socialism....a bad idea from the get-go.
So SS is not a savings plan, in your opinion. It should be a tax. SS, in theory, was proposed on what each contributing citizen would get back as a mandatory retirement savings plan. There is a cap on benefits.
We're talking two different things.
First-social security as it is, vs's what its suggested it could be. If S.S is not taking in enough to pay its benefits in the future then the base amount it applies to should in fact be raised. As such it would meet what you describe.
Theres a lot of ways of adjusting those numbers around-benefit cap changes, tax base changes, etc etc etc.
And theres a LARGE argument that people with higher incomes benefit from it far more then those with lower incomes currently as they also benefit from a 5 year longer lifespan on the average. As such raising the base number seems reasonable to me.
What a totally idiotic idea. Just who is going to supply the funds for this little venture?
I just love how some people seem to think that there is an endless supply of cash to support everyone who does not contribute adequately. Socialism....a bad idea from the get-go.
The main thing to remember is we arent talking about a LOT of money. No really we aren't. Least not for our country.
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