If you were handed $1,100 a month, would you amount to anything? (polls, cost)

[Suburban_Guy]

Interesting article about a little experiment being conducted in Germany with 26 people being given a no strings attached, free, basic monthly income of $1,100 per month (less than half the average German monthly wage, but more than twice that of welfare).

Would Germany be a better place if each citizen received a no-strings-attached government check for $1,100 a month?

Would people still get out of bed each day and go to work or do something else productive even with that unconditional basic income of 1,000 euros, less than half the average German monthly wage, but more than twice what those on welfare receive?

Those are among the questions being examined in a small real-life experiment called "Mein Grundeinkommen" (My Basic Income) taking place in Germany — where 26 people thus far are being given $1,100 a month to do whatever they want with.

In Finland, a new conservative-led government announced plans this month to hand out a universal basic income of nearly $900 per month starting in 2017. The basic income payments would replace all other benefits, cutting administration and means-testing costs, and will be paid to everyone regardless of whether they have other sources of income. Opinion polls show 70% of Finns favor the idea, which will cost more than $50 billion a year. A referendum on the same question is due in Switzerland in February. There is growing support for a basic income in the Netherlands.

http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/...227-story.html

[greywar]

Probably. It would have kept me in college longer for sure, a masters would have been doable. As a adult it would enable me to focus more on starting a side business.

Theres not a lot of part time jobs in my profession, so its a all or nothing proposition if I want to spend time with family.

[dsjj251]

Originally Posted by Suburban_Guy

Interesting article about a little experiment being conducted in Germany with 26 people being given a no strings attached, free, basic monthly income of $1,100 per month (less than half the average German monthly wage, but more than twice that of welfare).

With 1,100 dollars, i would probably save up and start my own business.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by dsjj251

With 1,100 dollars, i would probably save up and start my own business.

That is much thought too, it would be much easier to save up and try my hand at other outlets that might help to improve on my life.

[mightleavenyc]

I would keep working and invest it all. This should eliminate street beggars.

[Finn_Jarber]

Originally Posted by dsjj251

With 1,100 dollars, i would probably save up and start my own business.

You think $1 100 is enough to pay for living expenses and save some? Not where I live.


The Germans and Finns are proposing a system where everyone gets it in theory, but if you have a job, you won't see a penny of it, so it does not add anything to your current paycheck.

[le roi]

I really have no idea what I would be, had I been different than I was.

[workingclasshero]

well , the real question is to what extent are you talking about for a basic income

only to those of working age??? 16-99

to the entire population?? 323 million people???

for only a short period?? or for life??

where is the money coming from (saw some posts saying something like the central bank will just gift it to you.....really....where is the central bank getting the money to gift all these people yearly??

many basic income supporters have talked about having a basic income of 18K per person(annual)...are they talking about 18k per person within a household????...........so a family of 6 (two parents and four kids) would get ...108k....?????

if so where is all this money coming from...because to give 18k to everyone (323 million people) is 5.79 trillion dollars....our current federal revenue is only about 2.7 trillion


another thread had talked about 2700 per month, per citizen (think it was for what switzerland was considering) (32k per person annually)

what do they mean by ''per citizen''

does that mean a family of 4 gets $10,800 a month????

does it mean 'working age citizen'..meaning a family of 4 with 2 adults would get $5400???

does it mean a 'family' of 2 (be it a hetro couple, a same sex couple, or a pair of unwed sisters) would get 5400 a month too??

if you are talking about everyone 323million or those over 16 (working age) 248 million, you are talking about a lot of money at 32k annually per citizen...10.3trillion for the entire population and 7.93 trillion for those 16 and over

so where is this magic money coming from ????

[greywar]

Originally Posted by Finn_Jarber

You think $1 100 is enough to pay for living expenses and save some? Not where I live.


The Germans and Finns are proposing a system where everyone gets it in theory, but if you have a job, you won't see a penny of it, so it does not add anything to your current paycheck.

Nope. but you would have the option of living elsewhere if all else failed.

[lionsgators]

it's gonna depend on their backgrounds. if you give a poor person that money, they most likely won't have their lives improved. if you give an upper middle class person that money, they most likely will.