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UBI is a great idea until you run out of other people's money, the economy collapses, and you are left with a spoiled, lazy, unmotivated population that's gotten accustomed to getting handouts.
75% less money to maintain the Interstates? Or should the states raise taxes to maintain them? If states had to maintain Interstates, many would likely turn them into toll roads.
75% less money to flush down the toilet.
If the Feds would stop wasting money on pork barrel spending, it would have plenty to maintain the highways.
The worst part of the Child Tax Credit isn't that is has increased from $400 in 1997 to $3,000 ($3,600 for under 6), but that is it fully "refundable", a corruption of the meaning of that word.
A refund is where you get back money you have paid in. In the CTC 2021 you can get $3,000 or $3,600 per child whether or not you've paid a dime in federal income tax.
Yang referred to UBI ($1000/mo) as a Freedom Dividend.
I failed to insert " refundable. Thanks for pointing that out.
CTC became refundable in 2001.
Lakewood Township, NJ has the highest birthrate in the US and rivals Nigeria for the highest in the world.
There are households that received nearly $50,000 tax free over 2020-2021 Stimuluses and none of it counted towards eligibility for SNAP, TANF, Section 8 and other housing assistance, Utility assistance and Medicaid eligibility.
The population does not however, fit the image that comes to mind when many think Welfare.
UBI is a great idea until you run out of other people's money, the economy collapses, and you are left with a spoiled, lazy, unmotivated population that's gotten accustomed to getting handouts.
And Bezos gets a check, guess he'll take his new found wealth from the government and close up Amazon. well there goes the neighborhood.
We aren't ready for UBI. We idled a fifth of workers in 2020 and supply shortages ensued. That means will still need these people working. UBI rests on the premise that automation can pick up the slack.
4.4 million never checked back into the workforce --- are they really missed?
If no UBI then a national or state-run Federal backed program perhaps. The issue is Government assisting with putting people to work often revolves around government funded projects like construction. You might end up paying more than UBI would cost after all the programs needed role out.
Perhaps make a new corps like National guard except no police/military power. Assist with disaster cleanup, labor for engineering projects like the beach erosion projects in Florida, just dumping and moving sand. Have them go international to help in disaster areas like when our military goes to Haiti after the last earthquake.
All of this requires a functioning government at local, state, and federal levels all working together. I don't have much hope for that.
Cannot think of any private industry stuff. Corporations don't do community building or area reinvestment anymore.
During the chaotic days of the pandemic, it's alleged that an international ring of nefarious fraudsters stole over $400 billion from the United States government. This staggering amount is around 50% of unemployment monies paid out.
The story sounds like a script for an upcoming movie, starring George Clooney. Bad actors from around the world, including China, Russia, Nigeria, Romania and right here at home, looted unemployment funds earmarked for out-of-work Americans by perpetrating fraudulent claims. Unknowingly, naive Department of Labor workers sent out checks to bad guys.
And all Pelosi cares about is how quickly can she pass more trillion dollar spending bills
I'm a conservative person, both socially and politically. I'm open to giving it a try with very strict control and qualifications. To me... The whole point must be to move people from government dependence to government independence. If the program could be administered following the concept of "teach a man to fish" then I see the benefit.
However the best predictor of the future is the past. The longest most costly war in dollars and lives we have ever entered and fought...is the war on poverty.
I want people who have the inner desire to succeed to do just that. If you're gonna be 'hanger-on'er, then NO. If you need that hand to get you over the top, and you'll do what ever you can to get there... then I'm all in.
Well based on this post you seem knowledgeable just by the mere fact you brought up the cost of the war on poverty.
Most of the money spent for LBJ's "great society" has gone to waste, creating a complete class of people totally dependent on the taxpayers to do their rowing for them.
As to tight controls, it will never happen, even if it starts out that way. Just look at medical pot when it started, only for glaucoma, cancer patients and one or two more legitimate medical needs. Look at what it has morphed into, getting it for a sore toe or other such rubbish.
Or non-taxpayer funded abortions, yet we give organizations like PP money, and they supposedly segregate the money for paying the electric bills and such. Sure they do.
Remember when we were promised illegal aliens would not be able to receive healthcare except in emergencies?
Well look at where we are today with them getting everything under the sun, and even able to do things citizens are not able to. Heck they want to give them money now along with all the other things they were never suppose to get.
Or border control for that matter when Reagan made a deal with the (D's), and they have never (including some (R's) lived up to their part of the bargain.
The list goes on and on to convince the general public of a small and controlled program, and before you know it, "necessities" for the poor now include cellphones, cable TV/internet, EBT cards that you can use in strip clubs, take a cruise with, etc.
So don't think for a minute a UBI will not be abused, and again, once it starts, it will never stop!
If no UBI then a national or state-run Federal backed program perhaps. The issue is Government assisting with putting people to work often revolves around government funded projects like construction. You might end up paying more than UBI would cost after all the programs needed role out.
Perhaps make a new corps like National guard except no police/military power. Assist with disaster cleanup, labor for engineering projects like the beach erosion projects in Florida, just dumping and moving sand. Have them go international to help in disaster areas like when our military goes to Haiti after the last earthquake.
All of this requires a functioning government at local, state, and federal levels all working together. I don't have much hope for that.
Cannot think of any private industry stuff. Corporations don't do community building or area reinvestment anymore.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daryl_G
If no UBI then a national or state-run Federal backed program perhaps.
If a company makes a widget, that is just fantastic, they will write up a grant paper to the federal government and let them know about this great widget, that will make millions of dollars for the u.s. Then the government will send that company, as they bought what they were selling, money to hire employees to help make this widget and sell it on the global market. But they can only produce so many widgets --- Trump found that out the hard war during the mask shortage fiasco.
We have not been a free market economy without Federal assistance since the days of the Great Depression and FDR --- and we can never go back. The government is the largest employer in the u.s., not the private industries. We are top heavy, now as it is ... if the government laid everyone off, they have working for them, there would be no way the u.s. would survive that, because everyone of 'em would have to become entrepreneurs and create business. I doubt they'd ever know how to start. It would be the Great Depression all over again and hungry people are angry people, that is a risk the government is not willing to take.
UBI --- they can not tax people high enough to pay the national deficit; they just keep raising the debt ceiling hoping no one will notice --- how many people live in the u.s. that is age 18 and above, rich, poor and everything in between and do the math at printing everyone of them $1000.00 a month. Add that to the national deficit we already have and who are you going to call to get a loan to cover that? And no, the Fed can not just print the money --- Not if they want u.s. currency to continue being the global currency with any value.
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well there goes the neighborhood.
Not if they want u.s. currency to continue being the global currency with any value.
