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You have nothing interesting to do outside of work? I think work takes up so much of our life that we can become dependent on it psychologically and can't think of other things to do when in reality there is so much out there to learn and experience you couldn't do it all in a million lifetimes.
I took an extended break from work. A really long time and yeah, after that experience I know that I'll be fine in retirement. You hear of stories of people not coping well with retirement for all of the reasons such as losing your identity, your purpose, and whatever else. I was off long enough to realize that there is so much more we could be doing with our lives. I've got a better less stressful job now and I hate the fact that your time doesn't belong to you, you have to give so much of your time to others and it sucks.
I'd love to win the lotto, I'd quit work and find a million other things to do. Go to school, travel, volunteer at some organization that you support. I mean just fill in the blank. You could also do nothing, sit on your ass, that's fine too. LOL.
You have nothing interesting to do outside of work? I think work takes up so much of our life that we can become dependent on it psychologically and can't think of other things to do when in reality there is so much out there to learn and experience you couldn't do it all in a million lifetimes.
I actually do, but I can't see some of it filling my days all day, if that makes sense. And some of it may not be possible as I age--for example, I do bellydancing, but as I get older, I might be subject to things such as arthritis, so that could go by the wayside. I do volunteer with greyhound adoption (and honestly, fostering animals has a great deal of appeal, so that might be the thing to do when I get older)--I think I'm talking more the 'minute to minute' aspect, if that makes sense.
ETA: Though maybe that's an argument for cutting back on work hours, to help gradually ease into the idea of being completely retired someday! LOL
First, this would never happen here, and if it does, it won't include most (if any) of us. They might call it universal to start out, but in the end, I doubt everyone would get it.
Second, I'm laughing at the folks who talk about how they'd retire because that plus their social security would allow them to retire, or they're already retired and the extra money would allow them to do things they cannot do now.
What makes you think you'd be able to get both if, by some miracle, it did pass? The rules would probably be you're eligible for the larger amount, but cannot have both.
It's galling that we pay into SS our entire working life but our payout is reduced if we work and make a certain amount of money.
The government just doesn't want people as comfortable as our politicians are, so while this is a pipe dream, the notion that retired people could get both is a bigger pipe dream, I think.
That's only true because you took early retirement. As soon as you reach FRA, you can make as much money as you want without reducing your SS benefits. That's separate from the progressive taxation of SS benefits, since you don't have to earn that money.
I think the whole point of a basic income is that if you have other income the UBI would be reduced. If your job leaves you $800 below the poverty level for the year, you get a check for $800. That could mean a check for $67/month, or one check for $800 for the year. AFAIK, nobody has actually put together a UBI proposal, so dozens of questions remain unanswered. Would the child care subsidy continue, or would children get their own UBI? Would there be income adjustments, like medical expenses? Would the UBI be uniform across the US, or would it vary by area? How many federal programs would be eliminated?
We have known for decades that a UBI would be cheaper than the current stew of safety net programs. McGovern proposed it when he was running against Nixon in 1972. Forty-five years later, we are still talking about it, but nobody has developed a detailed plan. I don't expect to see it in my lifetime.
I'm kind of laughing over all of the foot stomping and indignation from people who likely send their kids to public schools paid for by those without children, drive on public roads paid for by those who don't drive on those particular roads, use public libraries paid for by those who don't go to the library, call for the fire department paid for by those who will never have a house fire, and will happily collect Social Security and go on Medicare as soon as they are eligible. How is this any different? It would be a social program (just like every single of the ones I've just listed) that everyone would be entitled to.
This. I have no children, but my taxes still help pay for the public schools. And I actually am glad to do this (and I vote for the school districts to get as much as possible), because even if I'm not *directly* benefiting from this now, at one point and time I did (having been a child in the public school districts), and I will probably benefit at some point and time--maybe the kid going to the local high school will eventually become my physician, or will grow up to be my auto mechanic, or some such.
This. I have no children, but my taxes still help pay for the public schools. And I actually am glad to do this (and I vote for the school districts to get as much as possible), because even if I'm not *directly* benefiting from this now, at one point and time I did (having been a child in the public school districts), and I will probably benefit at some point and time--maybe the kid going to the local high school will eventually become my physician, or will grow up to be my auto mechanic, or some such.
I don't have kids either but I understand that we need an educated populous among us. I don't wanna live in a world where we don't have basic education for our kids. It's just the cost of doing business and we can look around to the other parts of the world that doesn't have education requirements and you can see what messes those countries are.
You pay upfront or you pay in the backend, but you always end up paying for things in some way.
You kidding? Between UBI and that big $20/weeek windfall from the tax cut, we should be popping open the Champale and finally buy that chalet on Lake Karachy
LOL, I had to rep you for this, but wish I could rep you a second time for your name here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell
That's only true because you took early retirement. As soon as you reach FRA, you can make as much money as you want without reducing your SS benefits. That's separate from the progressive taxation of SS benefits, since you don't have to earn that money.
I think the whole point of a basic income is that if you have other income the UBI would be reduced. If your job leaves you $800 below the poverty level for the year, you get a check for $800. That could mean a check for $67/month, or one check for $800 for the year. AFAIK, nobody has actually put together a UBI proposal, so dozens of questions remain unanswered. Would the child care subsidy continue, or would children get their own UBI? Would there be income adjustments, like medical expenses? Would the UBI be uniform across the US, or would it vary by area? How many federal programs would be eliminated?
We have known for decades that a UBI would be cheaper than the current stew of safety net programs. McGovern proposed it when he was running against Nixon in 1972. Forty-five years later, we are still talking about it, but nobody has developed a detailed plan. I don't expect to see it in my lifetime.
I'm not retired and don't know if I'll ever fully retire. But I still think if you're willing to take the ding for retiring early by not getting the full 100% of your SS benefit, the government shouldn't ding you further by reducing the benefit based on your income. You put into it all these years it should be of no concern of theirs what you do beyond giving you the reduced amount.
I agree the UBI would be cheaper than welfare since most money allocated for welfare programs goes to administration of those programs.
I also sort of wonder what kind of 'ripple effect' this could have on society at large.
For example, would employers have to be a bit more competitive in terms of work environment, because instead of staying in a rotten environment, employees could leave more freely, knowing they had the UBI to cushion them until they find something else? (Most people won't leave a blatantly horrible position due to they can't afford to lose the income.)
Would we see more stay-at-home parents? Or parents working fewer hours? Say mom and dad both work, and they make the same amount of money, but a UBI would make it possible for one to quit outright, or reduce their hours, or for both to reduce their hours.
If more people could afford to reduce their hours and wanted to, would that open up more jobs (since the work would still need to be done?)
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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How can anyone live on $1,000-1,500/month? Of course those of us working would have to keep working. That would barely cover my property taxes and homeowner insurance. I would consider quitting, or retiring early if it was about $5,000, but it's never going to happen in any amount.
buy less because the level of taxation that it would take to make that happen would far exceed what I might get back in the form of basic whatever.
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